Cho Dang Soon Tofu

Honestly…
What do people see in this place?
Restaurants like these make me wish Unilocal had a 0 star rating.
I came here on the rave reviews that other Unilocal users gave it and I was extremely disappointed.
I don’t have many good things to say about this place. The food was average and does NOT make up for the horrible excuse for customer service that we received.
So here’s a list…
1) upon entrance, hardly a greeting or an effort to seat us
2) for the appetizers the portions were less that usual
3) we asked for more kimchi appetizer and the lady rudely waves her finger and said «no».
4) we asked for more napkins and she directed us to take it from the other table
5) we asked for more tea/​water and she pointed at the water cooler suggesting that we get up and get it ourselves
6) we asked for the bill and she walked past us pretending not to hear
7) while paying, I used debit and was trying to put my PIN number in and she took the machine mid entry of my pin, as if I were going to steal it
Honestly, I’ve been to restaurants where service is bad but this takes the cherry. I honestly cannot believe how someone can run their establishment like so. Boasting that they use freshest ingredients each day, and bragging with articles on the walls of how their food was featured in toronto life. I started to question, is it just me?! Or is everyone else just crazy to think this place is even remotely good… And using researching I noticed that most of these highly rated reviews were prior to 2014. So my guess is the owner changed and the new one has a mission to drive the business into the ground.
Normally I wouldn’t be upset about the list that I presented. But if you’re going to list yourself as a restaurant, then you should provide the basic services all restaurants have.
I wouldn’t be as upset if the single lady who was working here was swamped with a bunch of customers. But she literally had maybe 3 tables at the time and most of the time was just twiddling her thumbs.
Truly disappointed and I will NEVER be coming here again.

This is my favourite restaurant for soon tofu. Their tofu so soft and delicious, and there’s always a generous portion of it in the soup. They also offer a great variety of soon tofu, ranging from mushrooms to seafood to dumplings. If you are especially hungry, I highly recommend the tofuyaki, deep fried tofu smothered in sweet soy sauce, black and white sesame seeds and green onion. Eat it while it’s crispy and piping hot!
Great food aside, the service is seriously lacking (and this has been repeatedly noted here). If you come during peak lunch hour, be ready to be frustrated while waiting for upwards of an hour. There’s only one old lady working the front of the restaurant, and it’s way too much for her to handle. Between taking orders, delivering the food, cleaning up tables and taking money, service slows down tremendously. Even when tables are vacated, it takes her at least 15 minutes to clear them before a new group can sit down.
When you finally get to order, everything else speeds up. Food comes quickly and it’s obvious that the slow turnover is not the kitchen’s fault. The main caveat is only come here if you have the patience.

Horrible horrible horrible service! First of all, I did went there a few times as she was nice at first time but every time it just get worse. I thought perhaps she has trouble understanding English and I felt bad she did not have a help in the restaurant. I remember one time I asked for a mild tofu soup but it turned out to be super spicy and when I wanted to double check with her for what I ordered. She refused to talk to me and kept saying it’s mild. Another time we ordered 2 bento box and she serve us with 2 side dishes when all the other table have more than 4. We asked for kimchi but she did not even response and walk away. She treats every table differently. I saw her smiling with other people and checking on them see if they are ok. I realize she only pretend to speak a few words in English when she is moody or doesn’t want to respond to you. I can’t believe how can such a bad place gets so many good reviews.

Horrible service by the old lady there. I was standing at the door for 5 mins and told her I’m here only for one person. She didn’t respond, and after that she went in and out of the kitchen many times, I’m very sure she saw me, and just ignored me! When I came to the front desk, she even used the food service cart to push me out of there and said we don’t have space here. That’s super unacceptable.
Before I went, I saw the bad reviews and didn’t believe the whole story. But it really happened, and if you don’t want to ask for a terribly day, just don’t go there.

The worst service, not delicious food, price just regular. Inside and outside of the place 2 out of 5, just because I did see anything really ugly..

Terrible service — There’s an old lady who does everything… serving food and cashing out. etc (not sure if she’s the owner but she really did freak me out… moody and grumpy.
Mediocre Food — Tasteless, nothing good… that fried fish… was yuck!!! If you want to taste good soon tofu — go to Buk Chang Dong!
Dirty inside — depressing atmosphere
so outdated and dark… seriously…something is so weird about this restaurant.
Honestly I don’t know why this place has such great reviews… probably from non-​Korean people who doesn’t even know anything about korean food or their family members or friends.

Took a chance on a new Korean place and it was phenomenal! Easily the best tofu I’ve had anywhere. The soon tofu/​bulgogi/​tofu-​yaki combo for $ 40 feeds 3 – 4 people easily you could maybe order an extra soup to share. It also comes with appetizer dishes, two absolutely delicious fried fish, rice and a post meal rice water bowl that tastes like rice infused green tea sort of. What a fantastic meal that will turn into enough leftovers for perhaps two more meals for 2 people. Such a gem. I can’t believe one woman runs this whole place on her own. It is amazing. Service was great and I can’t believe other people would complain. Ignore them, we will keep coming back!

Crappy service don’t expect to be seated
One old lady manages 4 tables, she is the worst server you will ever see. I asked for seconds on the kimchi she didn’t say anything and just left. Food was okay not the greatest, just average. I asked for a foam bowl to take my food home but she claimed I can’t take it home, terrible terrible service!

My bro and I arrived at 8:15 pm (they were scheduled to close at 9pm), I smiled and said hi and asked for a table for 3 (my partner was on his way), and the woman who works there scowled at me. Ok. We sat at the table she pointed to anyway; I thought maybe she’s having a bad day. She’s been moody before.
She approached our table about 3 minutes later to take our orders. I answered saying that we’re waiting for the third person and we’ll order when he arrives.
Then she asked, «when?».
I said, «He’s on his way. We live 2 minutes from here.»
She asked, again, even louder, «when?».
“WHEN?“
I couldn’t believe it. Does arriving at an empty restaurant 45 minutes before it closes allow one to treat its patrons like shit?
My partner literally arrived right after the third time she asked «when?». My bro and I ordered, my partner quickly ordered before he even had the chance to take his seat since she was still at our table.
A few minutes after she’d taken our order,
a party of three people of Korean descent entered the restaurant. She greeted them with smiles and laughter. Wow. Her mood completely changed. Fake. Fake. Fake.
It was at that moment my bro, partner and I decided to leave the restaurant; we promised ourselves never to return again.
I know that my review won’t affect the business since a fair number of people of Korean descent live in the area. So they’ll remain open for business. I had to share my experience since I’m hopeful that we’re not the only ones she’s treated like shit — because we’re not bad people and in solidarity.
But, seriously, wow. She was unapologetically rude and disrespectful. I can honestly say that I’ve never been treated with such blatant disrespect at a restaurant in my entire life.
Let me end the review with this: it’s worth the drive (and wait) to Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu. They have better Soon Tofu and I believed this since the very first time I tried Cho Dang’s. I stand by it. I only went to Cho Dang since I live in the area. You will get Better service and food at Buk Chang Dong.
After the shitty service at Cho Dang we ended up at Gohyang, where they had great service and food!

Great place for delicious silky soon tofu soup and rice meals!
I really like to and always start with the yaki tofu. Then I usually go for the seafood or oyster soontofu.
Taste delicious and very cozy place. Recommended!

This place is great and cheap. The food is great, the tofu is great, everything’s great! The only downside might be parking and how there is only one waitress, besides that, I love coming here.
Edit: yea this place has gone down hill, service is lacking

First time try this restaurant, great food nice service. Tofu yaki is the best! Crispy outside and inside soft. The side dish serve fried fish is very delicious! It seems like not all the Korean restaurant serve fried fish, very rare. The soon tofu surprised me that the whole soup are full of tofu, but mice beef are very few. I tried soon tofu at other restaurant that contain a lot of items in the soup not just only tofu. But my husband order seafood soon tofu, the shrimps are delicious, it taste more salty but rich in flavor. It feel like they season shrimp with salt before. Overall, i like it, will come back again.

Very disappointing taste and portion. Ordered a beef soon tofu there is barely any minced beef there. Tasteless. Once and done

Fresh soft silky tofu!
We came in hungry on a whim and ordered the dumpling and mixed soontobu and was filled to the brim by the time we left. The meal started with the typical banchan side dishes with fried fish which was absolutely unexpected but so delicious! The soontobu had perfect soft tofu and spice level for me who doesn’t usually take spicy well! The meal came with healthy mixed purple rice in a stone pot which the lady scooped out into a side bowl and added hot water to the bottom scorched rice for a nice cooling ‘congee’ at the end of the meal.
Serve your own water from the water dispenser by the cashier.
We left with two squares of fresh tofu, $ 3 each. They claim their tofu is made from local-​grown soybeans and non-​GMO. Bonus!

I come here with my boyfriend at least once a month. The food is excellent and comes very hot and fresh. The owner/​server does a pretty good job at serving the food on time even though she is the only server there.
There was that one time when we came there and it was loaded with people, we had to wait for 20 minutes. But everyone was happy when they got seated because it was worth the wait.
Very good bang for your buck

Best soondofu place in toronto in terms of food quality.
Service can be a little slow because it is a Ma and Pop kinda store run by an old couple. Also they make the rice when you order so you get freshly made rice but it will take some time. Best to go in off hours. The old lady is nice but she has a stern face all the time that may confuse some people. Food is super fresh, the tofu is made fresh in-​house and you can taste that the the other ingredients are fresh as well. You can also taste that there is very little or no MSG in the soup in contrast to other popular soon tofu places like bookchangdong which have a ton (approx 3500mg of it). I always get the mushroom soon tofu, it has a lot of white, enoki, and king oyster mushrooms. I avoid the seafood one since unlike it’s other ingredients I suspect they use the prepackaged seafood for this one (like every other soon tofu restaurant). Kimchi and pork ones are good too but not as juicy as the mushroom one.
I also love the free fried yellow croaker side dish that comes in the beginning. I wait for my rice and soup usually so I can eat them all together. I’ve also tried the tofuyaki, big square cubes of fried tofu with donkatsu sauce which are nice and crispy on the outside and soft and moist on the inside. Good portions and good price.

If you like soft tofu soup, this is it. In my opinion best you can have.
If you like spicy, ask for extra spicy as myself and my friends generally find their normal spicy doesn’t have enough kick. Good price quick service, great food.

Quaint mom and pop shop. Service is not exciting but efficient.
Side order of one small fish, was very nicely fried with a light crisp outer shell.
Tofu was silkie smooth and tasted homemade. Would come again if I were in the neighborhood but wouldn’t necessarily cross town for.

I read such good reviews of this place, that I decided to try it out. It was definitely interesting! Ordered the home-​made tofu and the bimimbap. Now, I am no tofu expert, but I did notice that the tofu was soft and creamy. There was little to no taste to it though. The side dishes were a nice treat, especially the whole fried fish. The bimimbap was okay. I did notice a sign that they do not use MSG, so I figure this place cooks «healthy», hence, the lack of saltiness in the food. After the meal, they pour water into your rice bowl. I was not sure if I was supposed to drink the water and was checking the other patrons to see what I was supposed to do with this rice bowl recently filled with water. I was in shock, amazed, thrilled, curious all at the same time, just like when I was a fob and did not understand why they brought me a side of water with lemon after a meal at Swiss Chalet! Lol. I then, of course, had to google the whole situation and figured out that the water softens the hardened rice on the side so I can eat it? I also read that the bowls they used do not need dishwashing? Hmmmm. Anyway, definitely an experience to dine here!

This place is amazing! It’s pretty much the only good place to get quality Korean food in Etobicoke! I’ve had the (seafood tofu soup) maybe over four times and it has always as s been great…
My Mom and friend tried the spicy chicken Benton box and it was great as well… I tried one of the sweet potato sushi from their bento’s… loved it!
Side dishes are great too!
I took off one star because the service is a bit slow… but it is only one middle aged lady running the shop. and one cool at the back. so. it’s expected… try to go when it is not busy… around 1pm/​2pm/​3pm

Nice place to try out. They give a lot if tofu in their soup. I prefer their bento boxes though. Their side dishes were pretty awesome, which includes the usual Kim chi, bean sprout, radish, but also deep fried fish

I honestly don’t know where all these good reviews are coming from. Been here twice and I had the same experience both times.
— Super slow service that borders on rude: we arrived and waited for a clean table. There was only one woman serving four tables, cashing someone out and she was bringing out the food. After a rather longish wait for her to clear off one table (probably 15 minutes) she removed the old plates. No wipe down of the table. I would have wiped it down but there were no napkins and the other tables were all dirty as well. We sat and waited some more. Eventually we got place mats and cutlery. No menu. Eventually we got menus. To put this into perspective, it is a fairly small establishment. There’s maybe 7 – 8 tables only, to wait almost 25 mins to get a menu when the restaurant is half empty is poor service/​too long of a wait time/​signs of inadequate staffing.
She came to take our order. On the menu it says indicate level of spice. I said extra spicy and my friend said mild, she shook her head and just walked away. We were confused. Did she hear us? Did she understand what we ordered? Why did she shake her head? We gave her the benefit of doubt, and would wait to see.
Food comes out. Our orders are wrong: my food is mild, my friend’s food is spicy.
So I asked the server for hot sauce, and the lady says «no» and motions her hand like she’s telling us to go away and walks away. Unsure if she just didn’t understand, we switched dishes bc it would be easier than dealing w the worst server ever. Soon after we asked for more water and one sprout appetizer and she did it again, saying «NO» more clearly, same hand gesture. Clearly she understood what we were asking. WTF. The restaurant is empty except us at this point. Not sure how she functions as a server and are flabbergasted at why ppl eat here. If it makes you feel better, there’s a water cooler that you can get your own water from at the front if the restaurant.
— Mediocre food. The apps are flavourless. The fried fish is a nice touch but aggressively salty, we didn’t eat ours. Our dishes weren’t good. The seafood Soon tofu was minimal (one small shrimp, one mussel) and the dumplings are disintegrated in my friend’s dish. We had the toasted dumplings and they were greasy, with huge air pockets after the meat. Half way into our dishes, she brings out our rice which is supposed to be served with the dish. At this point, we aren’t surprised and just want to get this meal over with. I love Korean food and this was hardly up to standard. Korean food is substantially better in, quite literally, almost every way in other restaurants throughout the Annex and North York. I think the positive reviews may be coming from the fact that there are few Korean establishments in the area giving this place a bit of a monopoly. The food just is not good here. No way is this place worthy of a trip just to dine here.
Restaurant– outdated. In the middle of a strip mall type this. The kitchen, where they make the tofu, is absolutely filthy. I don’t see how it could be sanitary. Especially considering their apparent lack of human resources in serving and in the kitchen. I saw one person in the back preparing the food. The bathrooms are tiny and it was rather dirty in there as well.
Overall, poor experience in food and especially service. I always try to eat at small establishments a few times before posting any review, and each experience was regretful. Very disappointed given all the good reviews and don’t see where these reviews could come from.

Chodang is a little restaurant that doesn’t seat many and it’s usually pretty busy (unless you go on a weeknight) because it’s gaining popularity everyday. They are known for making their own tofu in the back of the restaurant. They sell the tofu seperately as well.
Their menu is simple enough to read since it’s in Korean and English. They don’t have a lot of variety but most people that go there eat the Soontofu (tofu stew). The portions are for one person and it’s definitely enough but if you’re hungry enough, you can try the boiled or toasted dumplings!
As with all Korean meals, it comes with side dishes that include fried fish, cold tofu, bean sprouts, kimchi and sometimes tofuyaki if the restaurant is not busy.
I ordered the pork soontofu and Monica ordered the oyster soontofu. Each bowl of soontofu comes with a raw egg that you can break into the stew to make it thicker if you want. You can choose how spicy you want the stew to be. She prepares the rice into a separate bowl and then pours hot tea into the stone pot to loosen the rice. You eat the soaked rice at the end and it’s good for digestion.
The price including tax and tip is around $ 10 for each bowl of soontofu and it keeps you very full and is a great source of protein. It’s definitely a place worth checking out as it’s the BEST soontofu in Toronto. We go every couple of months with famiyl and friends.

I love Korean food — gamjatang, bibimbap, pancakes, dumplings, rice wine — but I had no idea what soon tofu was. But after reading all the great reviews here, we decided to go for it! And I must say — where have you been all my life soon tofu?!
I had the dumpling soon tofu which came with purple rice and fried fish and it was so so so very good. They also give you an egg which you need to break and stir into the steaming hot bowl so you get a poached egg and creamy, think sauce. Nom nom nom.
I still don’t exactly know what soon tofu is — soup, tofu, rice, whatever — all I know is that it is a bowl of yumminess and deliciousness that I still dream about days after I had it. Maybe I should go again tomorrow…
PS: I would have given 5 stars if not for the slightly slow service the night we were there. But hey, it was well worth the wait!

The thing to order here is any of their soontofu. Bibimbap is decent too, but my real enjoyment is in their stews!
Personally, I’m not really big on katsu/​schnitzel meals, so I don’t order them. However, I do notice that their Eastern European clientele tend to order these dishes. Again, I like slightly more balanced meals, so I skip this section of the menu!
Yesterday, I ordered Spicy Chicken Bento. And although I loved the other elements that came with the bento, particularly their tofuyaki/​yam makis (side salad is also very fresh), I wasn’t totally in love with their Spicy Chicken.
Note: It actually is spicy and there’s lots of it! A good 2 – 3 servings for me, so I took the rest as a takeout.
What I’m not fond of in their Spicy/​Teriyaki Chicken is the cut of chicken that they use. I think it’s dark meat which also includes the skin, some fat/​gristle.
So going forward, I think I’ll stick to one of their homey stews and if I’m really, really hungry, an app of their tofuyaki!