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Mon-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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Really good bibimbap and banchan. I've eaten here once for lunch and once for dinner and neither one disappointed. They have the potatoes with a bit of sweet syrup, japchae, and tons of other banchan. They are not cheap when it comes to this. The dolsot bibimbap is really, really good. It comes steaming hot in the clay pot and if you wait a bit until the rice sticks to the bottom so it gets nice and crunchy...it's amazing.
I had the mul nengmyun here as well, and that was very, very good. It beats a lot of little bunshiks in Seoul. Until I find something comparable in Santa Clara (which, thus far, has been a little disappointing, or maybe i'm just not trying the right places), this is my go-to for Korean food in the South Bay. It's close enough to go to for lunch! I can't really ask for more.
I love Korean food even more than South Indian food -- and SGD has the best bilbimbap and seafood pancake I've ever tasted . . . only eaten here during the lunchtime rush, even brought my Mom along once for her to enjoy something new.
Charming service even at the height of lunch service but So Very Loud. (Mom couldn't hear me. That's actually a plus: I didn't have to make too much conversation/could inhale more kimchee!)
A friend's tofu soup was ordered to be "extra spicy" but when she let me taste it, the chile was a subtle spice, not knock your redheaded socks off. Can't get enough of the tiny oysters and red pepper rings in the seafood pancake.
Just turn & park at the cheery "Tofu House" '70s font sign. SGD is so good, dude!
My first time ever having tofu soup... I had the Tofu with sausage, ham, and onions and was amazed. Great mix of flavors and the tofu added texture and creaminess. I've never had anything brought out that was so hot... it seemed like it was still boiling after five minutes. My self-cracked egg cooked right away and disappeared in the bubbly concoction. The trick I learned to eat the blazing hot soup was to scoop some into the purplish rice bowl and blow a little. I ordered medium spicy but didn't taste any pepper heat so will order hot next time.
There was a line to get in for lunch so we put our name on the list. Before long someone came and gave us a menu and took our order so by the time we sat down, the food was being brought over. That was a nice touch you don't see often.
Can't wait to go back and try the other soups...
Soon du bu! From the name of the place, you know you have to get the Tofu Soup. There isn't much meat in the soup, but the flavor is great. I actually saw that the table next to me ordered the Dolsot Bibimbap, and that looked really good. Everything that comes out of this kitchen is piping hot. When I finished my soup, I still had to blow on the soup to cool it down to make it safe to eat. 4 stars for tasty food. They just need a little more meat in the soup for that 5th star.
In the heart of Palo Alto sits a Korean restaurant that at first glance seems poorly named, So Gong Dong Tofu House. Maybe it's just me but the word "tofu" is one I do not associate with tasty food. Yes, tofu does appear on a number of really good Asian dishes. And yes, soy is a surprisingly versatile legume used in creating wonderful dishes. However, from a marketing standpoint, calling a restaurant tofu house is similar to calling the iPod a music player.
That said, consider the tofu soup combinations you CAN get at So Gong Dong Tofu House...fish egg tofu soup, pork and clam tofu soup, seafood tofu soup or chicken tofu soup. Any of these would be perfect on a cold winter day, especially when you order the soup spicy...
And if tofu soup isn't your thing, you can also order chap chae, BBQ chicken, kalbi, bibambap, etc.
The dishes are small but you get a lot of panchan - those little appetizer plates of seaweed, kimchi, potato and chapchae, so you aren't likely to leave hungry.
The staff here is pretty friendly, yet efficient, and businesslike. While you won't feel like you are eating at your Korean aunt's house, your glass and tea cup will stay full, and your panchan will be refreshed from time to time. That's service!
Came here for my second time today and it was as good as the first! I got the Combination Tofu bowl which had tofu, beef, and shrimp. The beef and shrimp were pretty minimal (only 2 shrimp, sad) but that's ok. There are all the standard sides which the waitresses kept refilling (kimchi, sweet potatoes, noodle salad, etc.) A bit pricey for lunch (~$10 I believe?) but I think it's the same menu that they have for dinner, and you do get a TON of food.
The ambiance was fine for a casual lunch jaunt. Service was quite fast. Overall, a nice change from boring cafeteria lunches :)
As crazy as my friend is about Korean girls, me on the other hand, I really enjoy eating Korean cuisine. My taste buds don't lie when I am bedazzled by all my five senses. So Gong Dong Tofu House embodies good hearty Korean food. I learned the location in Santa Clara used to be owned by the same owner as the Palo Alto house, but since a few years ago, the owner has changed. Most people aren't so interested with background information, so without further due, 'Just Feed Me!'
I love their appetizers galore. There are at least 6 mini dishes and all can be refilled unlimited times. Just the appetizers alone can fill a person up (maybe you can just ask for rice). My favorites are clear noodles, steamed seaweed, and fermented bean sprouts. When I order their main entrees, I always get their Pork Bibimbop. Steaming hot rice, fresh vegetables, and flavorful pork all infused in a burning clay pot. I love how the rice burns and becomes crunchy on bottom of the pot. My wife always orders Kalbi with rice so she can take the rest to work the next day. When it gets busy and all tables are occupied, be prepared to be patient when looking for a waitress. When you do flag one down, service is fast and friendly. At no more than $30 with dinner for two and leftovers, I call it a deal!
Just recently, the parking lot was resurfaced. YAY! No more pot holes and dusty roads. I don't think the parking lot was ever formally paved and patrons parked where ever they wanted not giving consideration to other cars. This tofu house is my rediscovered treasure!
FOOD: Delicious. This place serves down home Korean food, nothing fancy, the BBQ spicy pork is banging! The jab chae is also well above average. The food matches the decor--casual and simple, yet satisfying.
DRINK: The usual, nothing of note
SERVICE/AMBIANCE: Non-existent. Come to the Tofu House for the food, not service. If you want a re-fill on your tea you need to hunt down a server. Whatever, this place is about the food.
YUMO IN THE TUMMO.....
When I think of getting Korean food and don't feel like a shelling out $25+ for dinner or don't want to eat too much at my favorite Korean Place 'Palace BBQ', I'm coming here (thanks sis for finding this location on yelp).
-The Korean Short ribs here are so flavorable. You get alot of meat, your devour it, and wish you had more.
-The bim bim bobs are humugous and tasty. It's fun cracking that egg. Even like it when the rice gets a little crispy. Like all the stuff they put in it.....It's like Korean style fried rice.
-Tofu soup here is yummy too. I lied the tofu sausage soup.
- No special atmosphere. Just plan to come eat and leave.
-It does get busy here but if you have to wait in line.
-Other than the purple rice (which I don't like and need to request for regular white rice since purple rice is the default), it is a bit pricey here, but I'm still willing to drive out here for some good Korean food. They even have a few other locations, which I need to try, but this one set high standards as far as taste.
They have a tofu dish I haven't seen at other tofu houses - fish egg tofu. Served with two large chunks of cooked fish eggs. So good!!! We come here just for this tofu dish.
Another time, I'd ordered the bibimbap, pretty large portion, tastes good. But the tofu still wins hands down.
Lots of little dishes, those taste really good too!
I liked the service - always checking back on us to see if we're doing ok, and the waitresses will often refill the little dishes when they go empty. The service does get a little worse when it's really busy, but hey, they're busy. :)
For a family of four, two tofu dishes is usually enough. Three, and we're gorged.
Good food, we'll be here often.
Yes, the service is minimum. They take your order, bring the food and then come back and drop off the bill.
That being said, the food is very good. My favorites are the Kaibi, BBQ chicken hot plates and the bibimbap. Would go back again.
Tip: Wear something you plan to wash the next day as I loaded up the washing machine this morning with clothes smelling of last night's dinner.
One of my favourite restaurants near Stanford. It's cheap, it's quick, and most of all, it's a really hearty, balanced meal.
For someone who grew up in Asian restaurants, the atmosphere is all business-- the goal is to serve you food and then get you out of there as fast as possible. Which is fine by me, but sometimes people don't like the noise, or the brusqueness of the waiters.
My favorite is the tofu with the pork, dried shrimp, and clam. Make sure you crack the egg into the tofu and let the heat cook it! All the meals come with panchan (Korean small plated appetizers, usually some soybean sprouts, kimchi, tofu, spinach) and rice. The bulgogi, bibimbap, and other flavors are all right, but I think I've had most of them, and the pork/dried shrimp/clam is the most flavorful.
I tried the thornback over the cold soba noodles once. Not so good. Thornback turns out to be a rayfish, and it comes with cartilage bones in it. All I remember is that it was covered with some sauce, and that it crunched a lot while eating it.
Dear Thick, Black and Curly,
I did not see you until the end of the meal, probably because you were buried deep inside an appetizer. I could tell at first glance that you did not come from anyone's head, and I can only hope that your owner likes to bathe. When I pulled aside the waiter and discretely pointed you out, all I received was a brief apology.
So congratulations, you may have single-handedly put me off Korean food for life.
We went with a bunch of friends last night, and shared several tofu dishes, bulgogi, ribs, and lots of kimchi. Everything was very good, comparable to Korean places I've eaten at abroad, and the prices were rock-bottom: about $15 per person including non-tea drinks.
Don't expect a fancy place; it's a casual neighborhood-style restaurant with lots of regulars.
Reminds me of any small restaurant in Korea. I adore the friendly staff who refilled our panchan (little dishes) 5-6 times... or was it 7-8... It's not a fancy or upscale eatery, but you'll get a hearty serving of good food.
++ | Panchan (Complimentary appetizers) |
Alright, it's not a real dish but this is the best thing here!!!! Everything is homemade and so amazingly fresh that EVERY plate is yummy. Think about how in other restaurants, there's always that one dish of funky something that you don't particularly feel like eating.
++ | Purple Rice |
Again, one of those complementary sides... but this is awesome! Usually people have to order brown/purple/healthy rice separately.
++ | Soon Du Bu (Soft Tofu Soup) |
Great gradation system of how spicy you want it. We ordered the mildest & the spiciest and it's like night/day. It's pretty good, but be prepared that the chicken/beef/seafood is mediocre and usually overcooked.
-- BBQ Chicken Hot Plate
Looks a bit mass-produced & heated to order. I'd label it college food.
Best Korean in Palo Alto:
Dinner for 3 = $14/person
i like all the small dishes!!!!!!!!
better than other restaurants~~
n cheap too!
went in groups of 4-8. soup is spicy. don't do during dinner rush.
tofu soup is good
seafood pancake is good
galbi is ok
I just ate here again, and I just had to reiterate how much I love this place! the sides, the tofu soup, the bbq, the service. ahhhh! love it!
Definitely a great korean restaurant!
Food: consistently good. I usually order the tofu kimchee…
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Most likely the best korean tofu place in the bay area. I love their dumpling soup, kimchi, and bbq pork. The best thing about this place are their appetizers, which are plentiful. Don't leave without trying their rice cakes!
As for the service, it's average. Come here for a light lunch or dinner and get dessert afterwards.
Ssshhhhpicey tofu soup make my insides quiver. I don't know how I lived the first 1/3 of my life without this stuff. So Gong Dong Tofo House serves up one of the best super hot and spicy seafood tofu soups to burn my lips. Tons of seafood and silky chunks of tofu.
B said the seafood pancake was the best he's had. I still like Um Ma Son's a notch better, but it really did taste like a pancake with pieces of seafood in it. Pretty yummy. We also got a spicy, silver noodle, with beef slices soup (listed on back of menu). It had bean sprouts and the broth was even spicier than my tofu soup. Very tasty!
Service is spectacular despite the crowd. Food comes out fast. I'll be back to try the bibimbap and of course, another helping of spicy tofu soup.
I love their complimentary banchan or side dishes, which consist of kimchi (duh), japchae, kongnamul and wakame. People here call them appetizers because the servers bring them before the meal (the ladies are quick to refill them if you enjoy a particular one).
I've tried their bulgogi (beef and pork), galbi, and a variety of their bi bim bop. The food is pretty decent ... not great or awesome but delicious and plentiful (stay away from Hahn's Hibachi if you don't want to walk away hungry ... but that's in another review).
First tip: wear black or a dark color thats not dryclean only. The food splatters everywhere regardless if you slurp or not. It's just boiling hot and it spews mini red lava balls at your white clothing. It looks for your white clothing.
Second, it really depends on when you go. I work around here so I'm a lunch regular. From 12 to 1 PM, it's packed with the PA worker crowd. From 2 PM to 3 PM, no one's there but they are left with one waiter and you're left a little neglected. From my experience, 1 PM to 2 PM works best, with enough waiters and less people for a good lunch.
I have a strict one hour lunch time frame so it's key that it's prompt. I think it's the heat but it takes a lot longer to eat Korean food than any other food I eat around the office. I'm always kind of late returning to work when i eat here due to a) crowd and/or b) service.
Anyway, I'm a big fan of the kim chee tofu soup on medium. It's not too spicy but it's not bland either. My standby is the dolsot bibimbap with spicy pork. I love the sauce (I call it Korean ketchup, thats probably blasphemous) and the veggies. Either way, you still get sides which usually consists of potato with sweet sauce, kim chee, bean sprouts, noodles, and pickled cucumbers.
Prices range from about 10 to 12 bucks which seems a little high for Korean food. Still it's good and it leaves you dying of a food coma after and very warm (perfect for winter!). The 5-second melon gum comes with your check complimentary.
Totally exceeded expectations, although to be totally transparent, I didn't really know what to expect from a Korean tofu restaurant. It was a new genre for me, but given my experience tonight, it's going to become pretty familiar!
I had the vegetarian soft tofu soup with dumplings. I am vegetarian, I love tofu, and I am completely unable to resist dumplings wherever they occur on a menu. As such, this dish was not so much my *choice* for dinner, as my imperative. And wow, I'm glad it was!
First, a huge array of side dishes was brought out, including pickles and kimchi of various description (including the traditional hot red cabbage stuff), glass noodles, rice with red beans, bean sprouts, an egg, etc.. Refills were offered at regular intervals, although not necessary; there was so much food! The waitstaff was attentive throughout the meal, but in no way annoying.
Shortly after the sides arrived, the main dishes came. My friend had a vegetarian bibimbap, which looked fantastic. Mine, as I said, was the soft tofu with dumplings. Wow. It was a cauldron of bold orange broth (generously flaked with hot red bits of pepper), loaded with soft tofu and delicate dumplings, delivered to the table at a rolling boil.
This honestly couldn't have hit the spot more perfectly. We had far more food than we could eat; made the newbie mistake of ordering edamame, not realizing all the sides would be there to keep us busy and full. We also had hot tea. And the bill, including a greater-than 20% tip, came to $18/person.
So Gong Dong Tofu House earned a new regular customer, in me, tonight! Excited to take another friend there in the very near future!
The best Soon doo bu in the greater Silicon Valley. Soup is very thick, Tofu is soft and plentiful, and flavor is abundant. What more can you ask for in Soon doo bu? Oh yeah, they also have one with Ramen which is great!
Rice is very sticky and fresh with a slight purplish hue.
This trumps my other former favorite Tofu House in the area: Myung Dong Tofu Cabin.
It's perfect for my craving for tofu pot. The service is fast, prompt, and friendly. The food comes out fast. I love all the side dishes that come with it. And it's decently priced. What s not to love?
I think i will come back here many times.
Best Soon Tofu I've found on the Peninsula. My standards are way too high after living in LA and having K-Town at my beck and call. But this is comparable to the really good, cheap tofu hot pot places down there. The five stars is for the tofu soup. The bulgogi and other dinner items are hit or miss, so I honestly haven't tried that many.
Definitely try the vegetable dumpling soon tofu, which is fantastic. As others have mentioned, leave your dry clean only coats in the car, ventilation is always tough with steamy food restaurants. Don't wear light clothes, the soup does tend to splatter. But just pushing your seat a little further back when they bring the soup out has always kept my shirts clean. It won't splatter so much when the soup cools down. And it needs to be that hot to cook the egg. Oh so yummy!
The awesome thing about a great Korean meal is that you can smell it in your clothing for the rest of the evening. Had a tofu bowl, jab chae, bibimbap, kalbi, and a ton of small Korean side dishes (complimentary, of course) for around $50 (not including tip). Plenty of leftovers. Everything was very good - in particular I can imagine the tofu really hitting the spot on a chilly day, and the kalbi was tender and tasty.
Definitely coming back here soon, though the place was packed on a Friday evening.
Came here due to a recommendation of a friend. I was really surprised how this Korean restaurant turned out so good and it's NOT in Santa Clara.
I didn't try their soon doobu but I had the beef dolsot bibimbap. It tasted really good but wished the sauce to be a bit spicier. The side dishes were good too...lots of kimchi and refills. We didn't have to ask for refills. The waiter saw it was empty and brought out some more. Nice service!!! I
tried a piece or two of the seafood pancake a friend ordered. It was decent but I didn't prefer the egg as the pancake. It felt like I was eating omelet. I like the flour version much better.
I think I found my favorite Korean dining place in the peninsula where I can meet up with my boyfriend during a weekday for lunch occasionally which is halfway for both of us.
Pros of going by yourself: You get the same amount of assorted sides as a party of four. Yeah, more kimchee for me!
Cons: You have to order several full size dishes if you want to sample various tastes. Boo, I busted a gut at lunch today by ordering too much.
I've always been intimidated by Korean restaurants no matter how many business trips I've made over the years. E.g., with piping hot clay pots, how can you not burn your mouth with both metal chopsticks and rice bowls?
Gong Dong takes away my feelings of intimidation by having a bright and cheery atmosphere through a pleasant decor and perky, can-do staff. Operators are standing by to explain the menu and the intricacies of the cuisine. If you still don't want to ask for assistance, you can just check out the tables around you, point and say you'll have what they're having (excluding if Harry and Sally are at the next table).
Have had consistent good food here 2 times for lunch. Service is always fast, even though we've gone in a large (6-8 people) group each time and they seem to be always busy.
Had the tofu soup bowl once -- was very hot, spiced well. Although, I'm partial to tofu in any form. Second time, had a stir-fried meat and veggies dish, which was also good.
So I've been here a few times and ordered a variety of dishes. My disclaimer is that I do luuuv me some Korean food. I especially luuv me some kimchee. Overall, I've found Tofu House to be a bit inconsistent with its kimchee quality (oldness, spiciness - the spicier and older the better! yummm....).
Anyway, I decided to write a review finally because I took my totally Texan, bland-eating, never adventuresome mother to try her some Korean for herself. I was starving and craving some fire in a hot bowl of tofu soup. Ok, so, not sure if its the biggest compliment or criticism that she loved her some Korean here at Tofu House.
We had bibimbap with beef (yummm) with brown rice (is it really brown? purple? white? white purple?). We also had the original tofu soup with chicken. The kimchee was right on this time, too. yumm.... We loved both dishes and we had enough left overs for a couple more meals. Plus, I took me some kimchee luv home in a styrofoam.
So, here is 5 stars to you, Tofu House.
The bibimbap is great. Get the dolseot. Yummy crunchy rice.
The banchan is pretty good here too.
Convinced that SGD locations are not all created equal, I gave the Palo Alto outlet a try. I'd actually been here before, but can't remember much since my palette was still in its unanalytical stage. LOL!
I ordered the combo soondubu with seafood and beef, medium spicy. The stock was surprisingly good with just the right amount of kick, better than what I had at the Santa Clara SGD. It was garnished with scallions and nori, with PLENTY of clams & beef, and a couple shrimp. They serve red bean rice, which I like over the plain white rice usually served. Raw egg is given as well, poached in the broth is the way I roll.
Panchan on my visit wasn't that great though, otherwise I'd be tempted to give it 5 stars - Bean sprouts weren't very good and the potatoes were mushy. Kimchi was abundant but only decent and japchae was okay as well. My favorite was the pickled cucumbers.
food taste = 4.5
price / value = 3.5
service = 2.5
environment = 3.5
truth be told, i probably should give this place a three. but i do admit that the food tastes great and it is very plentiful. was there for lunch on a weekend. place was busy, but not overly crowded (no line), but there was barely any service.
while serving another customer, lady points to an empty table. menus are dropped at our table. comes back a few minutes later, takes order. later, brings food. before we're done with the meal, drops check.
although the cups of water look like shot glasses, they never once came around to refill. not sure if it's an extra charge, but did not offer to provide more veggies. and, again, not sure if it's an extra charge, but did not come by to ask if we wanted more rice.
but if you do not mind the bare minimum of service, you will enjoy authentic-tasting korean food here. and they provide excellent portions to keep you happy. just wished they gave us more vegetables in the middle.
Okay, I spent how much for this dinner meal?! Wait, what??! That's it?
I spent under $28.00, after tip, for two people. I ordered the spicy BBQ pork and soft tofu combination soup. And it came with a plethora of side dishes along with plum-spiced rice.
Food = good. Quality is there...nice pieces of meat/seafood, without fillers. I only wish that it was more spicy...but that's just me. :-P
Service = friendly and attentive. They are fairly fast too.
Decor = simple. It reminds me of being in this tiny hole-in-a-wall place in SoCal.... homey. You can see their kitchen and hear the chatter. It's just quaint. This place is very clean too!!
Yeah, I found a place to enjoy while down in the Peninsula....which is not frequent.
My friend and I shared Bibim Nengmyun and Seafood Tofu. Wow. It is the taste preciely I have yearned for. The best Bibim Nengmyun I have tasted in US. Seriously.
The place is a little shaddy and the rice is not cooked in a stone bawl. But seriously, who cares? The food is fantastic. I would go here thousand times more~~
Totally delicious-- I recommend the tofu with chicken and mushrooms. My tongue is still on fire more than 24 hours later.
You will leave smelling like kimchee from head to toe, so make sure you wear clothes that can be immediately thrown into the laundry when you're done. In fact, I recommend a shower after.
I happened to be in the area and ate dinner here with a friend the other day and we didn't even order any tofu dishes.
The seafood pancake was awesome and I highly recommend it.
The side dishes were only so-so, but they do refill if you ask. I liked the pickled cucumber and the cold noodles. The seaweed with hot sauce wasn't bad either.
I ordered the beef bibimbap and my friend had the spicy beef bibimbap. I liked that the rice had a nice crunchy crust to it at the bottom of the pot. To me, the food looked better than it tasted. It wasn't anything special, but the portions are really big and the staff is friendly even though their English is not so great. It also seemed a little pricey, but maybe that's because it's in Palo Alto. Lunch probably is a better deal.
Ate here with a couple friends. First, the side dishes were fantastic, especially the pickled cucumber and the seaweed. They don't have as much side dish nor menu variety compared to other Korean restaurants in the area, but whatever they do cook is stellar.
I ordered a mild dumpling tofu soup. It was mild enough where I could taste the subtle seasoning. At most places, the mild spiciness overwhelms the natural flavor. Tofu was pretty fresh and the dumplings (tasted a bit like wontons) went well with the soup. They serve the purple rice here, which is a nice change of pace.
FYI, closed on Sundays :( and the potholes in their parking lot are big enough to have their own zip codes. Does not detract from the top notch quality of food though.
wow 3 for 3, been enjoying my last three tofu houses
pyung chang, jang su jang, and now here
spicy haemul soondubu was great, lots of little oysters
good flavor and tofu
the potato banchan was very tasty, sweet
jap chae banchan -- get extra
doeji bulgogi done expertly
nice to see naeng myun also
good service
been a few times, they have a location in santa clara, but i like this one
parking lot has been paved finally
Palo Alto, CA
Category: Korean
Palo Alto, CA
Category: Korean
Mountain View, CA
Category: Korean
Mountain View, CA
Category: Korean
Santa Clara, CA
Category: Korean
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