Kong Tofu & BBQ Korean Cuisine

Had lunch here today. The service was ok but the food was tasty and the unlimited side dishes and rice were a huge plus. Would go back again. Wife had the kalbi plate and I had the sliced rib eye soup, both of which were meaty goodness. Prices are in line with most other Korean joints. Next time we will try the tofu soup!

They got my vote. This is the stuff I would eat in a Korean family’s home.
Ordered (2) tofu soups and (2) stone-​pot bimibaps, and my family scarfed it down… after each of them had said they weren’t hungry. The food was scarfed. Like magic.
1 – 2 years ago they weren’t anything special, but they definitely upped their game!
Now hands down the cleanest Korean food I’ve had in the South Bay (Mom’s in South SF is another winner). I will be back with friends.

The tofu stew is pretty good here (which is what I usually get), which comes with an unlimited amount of side dishes, rice and an egg. The biggest downside of Kong Tofu is that they are always super busy and packed, so it takes forever for someone to bring you more side dishes if you ask them (or anything else for that matter). I especially like their japchae and kimchee, but the side dishes also come with spicy cucumbers, potatoes, tofu skin and beansprouts. As with any tofu place, you can pick your meat and level of spiciness, and make sure to drop your egg in as soon as it arrives so it’ll be mostly cooked (or mix it up in the tofu stew to make sure it does cook thoroughly). You can also pick white rice or purple rice, but the purple rice is an extra 59c (though sometimes they don’t charge — but don’t count on it). You can request more rice too if you eat it all.
I’ve also had the spicy ramen noodle soup, which was good, but seemed a bit meager for the price. There wasn’t much of anything in the soup, even though you get meat (if you order that one), rice cakes, egg and green onion in addition to the ramen. Note, this ramen is like instant noodle type ramen (not the Japanese meaning of «ramen»), which was thankfully, well-​cooked but not over-​cooked, so an acceptable dish overall, but a bit pricey for $ 9.
This biggest thing that bugs me (but lots of restaurants do this), is that Kong Tofu has a «dinner» menu, which is basically the exact same menu as at lunch, except with all the prices jacked up by $ 1 – 2.
Overall, service here is fair (the owner can be really nice, and other times, kind of offensive), and the food is decent. I would definitely come again for the tofu stew, but I would recommend making a reservation so you don’t have to wait an hour to get a seat, or come early or late to avoid peak hours. They do use a buzzer system, so you could wander off a bit in the plaza while you’re waiting. Also, come during lunch if you can to avoid the «dinner» price. Another tidbit — they are NOT OPEN Sunday for lunch! I’ve come by a few too many times to see an empty and closed restaurant.

We come to this place often.
The food here is good. I would say they are slightly better than many Korean restaurants around here. But the difference is small.
Like most Korean restaurants (the ones we’ve been to anyway), it is tasty enough for you to go back to occasionally, but not something you rave about.
Tofu soup is good. BBQ ribs are good. The small side dishes are good.
The place is usually very crowded. Location probably has a lot to do with it.

Came here for quick simple dinner after class with my boyfriend.
I had the pork dumpling ramen. It was really good and I like how they accommodate different levels of spiciness. However, the vegetable bibimbap was horrible. The staff was very friendly and refunded the dish since he barely ate it. I tasted it too, pretty bad. Definitely never get that. I love how they give free chocopies at the cash counter.
Will be on my list for frequent visits.

I honestly don’t get what the hype of this place is. Maybe it’s the only korean place within a 5 mile radius but this place is always packed. Like always packed. We ended up going but called in for reservations so by the time we came, they saved a table for us. The food itself is typical soon doo boo (korean tofu soup) that you can get at any korean restaurant. Maybe it was a bad batch but the purple rice tasted litteraly the same as the regular rice, minus the extra 59 cents you have to pay. But I will say the one plus is that they give you unlimited white rice so eat to your hearts content.
Don’t get the hype of this place at all, but I guess it’s convinent since it’s the only korean restaurant in Cupertino.

KONG is one of the few staple South Bay joints that are always going to be popular, delicious, and with a wait time.
Like many Korean places, KONG starts you off with an array of banchan. I’m sure they will gladly refill your banchan once you’re finished with one, but I’d save room because you’re going to have to once your dishes come out. Our family of four ordered two tofu soups, kalbi, and bibimbap. Those four dishes plus banchan totally stuffed us up! We ended up taking home two cartons to go, and full hearts/​stomachs.
We had great and speedy service – this is especially spectacular because LEGIT/​no-​fuss Asian restaurants don’t really care for quality brown-​nosing service. We had various servers refill our tea, take away empty plates, and basically take care of us the entire night. So they seem very teamwork-​centered here at Kong! PLUS!
All tables have lots of spacious seating, and it’s just the wait time that turns people away. But fret not! Once you’re in, you basically feel like royalty. Service is great and they even have clean restrooms! Good luck finding parking during peak times, and just bring a book or something while you wait to get seated.
I’d say Kong is up there with Orenchi and SenDai (as three of the more popular asian restaurants) in terms of wait time, but this is one Korean food spot that you just have to go even if it’s just once.

Came here for dinner last night as my girlfriend and I were craving some Korean tofu soup and had a good experience. The restaurant was pretty full on a Saturday night, but we were able to get a seat with no wait around 9pm. Overall, the menu had a variety of options but our focus was tofu soup and side dishes. Prices were pretty standard.
I went with the spicy seafood tofu soup which definitely hit the spot! The tofu soup came with an abundance of clams and one large shrimp. Most places I have had this dish typically would come with less clams and only small shrimp.
The side dishes were also very tasty as well, specifically the the seaweed with fermented vegetables and the fish cake. Was definitely hoping the kimchi was spectacular but would have to say in comparison to other places I have been to, pretty basic.
Kong Tofu definitely earned the four stars! I would have to highlight the extremely friendly staff, tasty side dishes, tofu soup, and the décor.
Make sure to grab one of their mints on the way out. we thought those were delicious!

Can I say I have found my favorite Korean restaurant!!! Try any of their broths they are to die for. Service is good, and the owner always checks on you to make sure your doing alright. There’s always a wait but it’s worth it. And it’s definitely affordable!

I don’t know what the hype is about this place, maybe its the only tofu korean place in Cupertino… the service is slow and the waiters are unorganized and seem lost. The tofu soup is bland and has very little ingredients, the only bright side is that it was not salty. The seafood pancake is very oily and did not seem to have much seafood. Bibimbap had mushy rice and very little toppings. The only good thing was they make really good purple rice.
The side offerings are decent and they do refill if you ask enough. Wait times are ridicolous, i suggest you make a reservation if you can.

My lady was craving the tofu soup so I guess I agreed to come here. It’s located in the same plaza as Gyu kuku, supercue and wingstop. Parking is plenty and the restaurant itself seemed pretty spacious. When we got there. there was only like one other table seated. After browsing the menu for several minutes, I decided to order the Beef Hotstone Bimbabop and well. she ordered the Tofu Soup.
Didn’t really to get try the tofu soup but she said it was somewhat bland in flavor.
The Beef Bimbabop was pretty good in terms of all the different ingredients used. Add the hotsauce onto it and it was a MEAL. Although the solid quality food, there wasn’t anything SPECIAL about the dish itself. There’s other spots with similar taste and quality but it still deserves the credit for the food.
If you’re thirsty, slide over to supercue in the same plaza and you can quench your thirst there with my now new favorite drink; Milky Mango (Option 2 on the menu I believe…)
Overall Kong Tofu& BBQ Korean Cuisine… good stuff but not a place I would crave again and again.

3 ½ STARS! Mostly for it’s great location and customer service, not so much the food. I came here because I was craving tofu soup. And because it was extra cold, I wanted something warm in my stomach. Got seated immediately because we conveniently arrived there right when they opened. Tons of previous reviews about this place said they’re usually busy, but we didn’t have to deal with that since we came early. Phew!
Our waitress offered us tea/​water right away. I love Korean tea (barley/​wheat tea) — I don’t know what it is about it! After taking our order, she served us our banchan and always asked if we needed any refills during our meal. He ordered the beef bibimbap in a stone pot and I got the beef tofu soup. It was more expensive than other Korean places, I can tell you that. I personally felt that their tofu soup (even when I got it medium) was very bland. Tofu is very bland in general, but I have tried more flavorful tofu soups than the one I had here. I was rather disappointed and didn’t want to take my leftovers home.
I can see why some people say that the service is slow. When I was here, there were only two waiters working so it was a bit hard to flag them down when asking for the check. I didn’t really mind though because once they noticed us, they came by with a cheery smile and kindly got us our check/​refills.
This place isn’t really something I’d pay a second visit to. There are other restaurants/​drink places in the same plaza that are far better than this like Gyu Kaku, Super Cue, One Pot Shabu Shabu (which I hope to try sometime!)

This place is the real deal! This is not a fancy but a simple place… with great authentic Korean good! Though they are very famous for their Tofu Soup (which is great), my favorite is the Galbi which is amazing!
If you’re in the area, highly recommended!

real review: 3.5 stars because sometimes service can be a mixed bag
Convenient and popular lunch spot for Korean food in Cupertino. They’re pretty
accommodating for large groups — just make sure you call ahead of time so that you can secure your own table!
Food’s good, but not the most amazing Korean food ever. The seafood pancake is a little too doughy in my preference, but is still good. The soft tofu stews and bbq short ribs are pretty good though. And for those who are health conscious, Kong offers purple mixed grain rice in place of the traditional white rice for an additional $ 0.50 :)

A cute, spacious Korean restaurant (I liked how homey they made it feel with hints of Korean furnishings!
The food was delicious too (I got the seafood bibimbap) which came with a side of seaweed soup. It was a bit pricy ($ 13.99) but it seems that other places in the Bay Area that I’ve been to charge around the same price (but maybe $ 2 cheaper).
The service was friendly (They did take a bit longer on getting me my order though).

I always come here and it’s always so good. I get something different every time but the last time I came here, I got the short ribs and they were amaaaazzzing. Service is always nice and super fast.
The side dishes that they give you are always good, the potato one is my favorite.
Lunch time is pretty crowded, but dinner is always packed so come early! Love this place though!

Didn’t like anything here. I’ve been here before when they first opened and left a review, but looks like they removed it. Well, I still don’t like it even though it’s been a few years. It doesn’t feel like an authentic place compared to the ones in Santa clara… catering more to nonkoreans. The service was friendly, but the food left me dissatisfied.
Ordered yukkaejang (spicy beef with veggies, jjigae type broth). Nothing stood out. Shredded beef, bean sprouts, green onion, egg and a type of root you sometimes see in bibimbap. Extra charge for purple rice too unfortunately.
Banchan: 6 kinds including odd tasting kimchi, odd tasting fishcake, bland jabchae, potatoes cooked differently, bean sprouts, and dried shrimp with cucumbers that don’t taste korean. Everything tasteless and below average, but jabchae was do-​able. Would’ve gone to marukai, but no bentos left. I’m not sure if it’s really korean owned btw.
Should’ve gotten pizza or something else. Not very many choices, never saw any Koreans dining in… bad sign… I give this a no thanks.

I come here really frequently! Almost once every 2 or 3 weeks… hahaha.
I love the soondooboo. It is SO Delicious. I always get the mandu soondooboo!
Be careful though, because they are not joking about the spicy level. I generally don’t eat spicy stuff (wth? ya ya I know…), but at most tofu soup restaurants, I get mild. Here, I can’t even handle it HAHA and the server knows, so I always get white w/​the spicy sauce on the side. (It doesn’t affect the taste at all!)
The seafood pancake is very good too! I almost always get it. The fried potsticker dish is good too (but I don’t usually get it because I am already getting it in my tofu soup).
I can appreciate that even when the place is busy, the servers always try their best to be helpful and attentive. Also, there is a grandpa (owner I think?) who walks around and talks to some customers. He always tells my friends and I that hot water is better for our stomach than ice, and brings over some boricha tea. It is very sweet: P

Kong is one of my go to places for tofu soup when I am in this area. It’s often very crowded, but the last few times we went, the wait was only a few minutes.
Their clam tofu soup is really good and so is the assorted one which comes with your choice of meat, clam and shrimp. I’d go with their recommendation of pork as I got beef and the beef wasn’t that good. Upgrade to their purple rice for 39cents! So much better than the white rice. Tofu soups are around $ 10.99ish which is standard for this area. I would say their spice levels are more intense than other places. I got the mild and it was extremely spicy for me so beware of that.
Their Kalbi short ribs for $ 13.99 were also delicious. Fair amounts of meat and super tasty.
Great selection of banchans.
Service is great. The older man who walks around is really friendly and funny. I think he’s the owner? Always walking around cracking jokes at tables. Love it!

My go-​to Korean place during the work week. Close enough from the office for a drive and never fails to satisfy my soft tofu soup cravings :)
I’ve practically given up on getting anything truly spicy when I ask for extra extra spicy but Kong Tofu manages to give me that slight spicy kick that I look for in my soft tofu soup. The soup doesn’t taste too heavily MSG’ed and I don’t get the awful food coma afterwards.
Their bibimbap is also really yummy. They add slivered almonds and an egg and present it really nicely. I would pass on their seafood pancake – it tastes way too «doughy» to me and you can barely taste any seafood. I’ve been far too spoiled by Jang Su Jang’s seafood pancake where its like 75% seafood and 25% dough. Kong’s seafood pancake ratio is the reverse…25% seafood & 75% dough.
Pricing is pretty comparable to other Korean restaurants. Soft tofu soup is $ 10 and bibimbap is $ 12.