Kimmy L.
Yelp
Cho Dang Tofu has been recommended by several of my family friends and so my family and I decided to give it a try one weeknight. Even on a weeknight though, the restaurant was PACKED with people, most who were of Korean ethnicity (which is always a good sign when trying a new Korean restaurant).
Thankfully, they were able to seat us within about 15 minutes after arriving. Their menu is extremely extensive, but they do have many tofu soup (soondubu) varieties, which is what they're known for. They also have galbi (Korean short ribs), daegi (spicy Korean BBQ pork) and bulgogi (grilled marinated beef) as well as acorn noodles and different bibimbaps (rice dishes).
My family ordered the BULGOGI and OYSTER TOFU SOUP (mild) combo, the DOLSOT BIBIMBAP, and the HAEMUL PAJEON (seafood pancake).
You get one banchan (with unlimited refills) per dish. The banchan included kimchi, sesame sprouts, cucumber kimchi, fish cake, and fish cake. They also served a fried fish that was very bony (almost like a mackerel but without the excessive fishy taste) and a small scoop of potato salad (which was my least favorite as it wasn't sweetened).
Even though it was super busy, we got our food within 15 minutes and all at once. The BULGOGI and DOLSOT BIBIMBAP were still sizzling loudly and the OYSTER TOFU SOUP was bubbling hot when they were served.
THE BULGOGI was alright. It honestly needed to be marinated longer as it lacked the deep caramelized soysauce mix sugar flavor, but the meat was hot and tender.
The DOLSOT BIBIMBAP was very good. It had all the usual vegetables including spinach, carrots, sprouts, mushroom, and zucchini. The rice was also super crispy in the stone pot and the egg melted perfectly into the dish. The waitress even poured in some hot tea to get the final bits of rice that were stuck to the dish. With a side of gochujang sauce drizzled on top, it was perfection.
The OYSTER TOFU SOUP was excellent, and probably the best of all the dishes. It had large pieces of oyster and lots of tofu. The mild really wasn't spicy at all (you never know with Korean dishes), and so we would probably try at least a medium next time- the spice ranged from "no spice" to "extra spicy"). Even though it wasn't spicy, it was bursting with seafood flavor. No wonder their tofu soup is their signature dish!
The HAEMUL PAJEON was also just okay. I've definitely had fluffier and crispier pancakes in the past. Regardless, the pancake had a decent amount of seafood and green onion. The dipping sauce was good too.
Service was fantastic. Even with the dinner rush, the servers came by to refill our banchan and water multiple times. They were also super friendly and accommodating.
The restaurant is clean, just crowded. But the tables were spaced far enough away from each other so it wasn't claustrophobic.
Overall, 4/5 for food, 5/5 for service, 4/5 for atmosphere