Korean Tofu House

Little basement place. Very simple menu, no appetizers, nothing fancy, but really good food. The Kimchi was excellent. If you order something in a stone pot, believe me, it’s searing hot. As with most places in the U-​District it wasn’t the cleanest place in the world, but didn’t bother me much. Great place for lunch!

This is the best Korean place I’ve ever been to! I love the appetizers that come with every meal. I usually get the seafood tofu soup, which is wonderfully spicy and hearty. But they also have great short ribs!

Honestly best legit Korean food on the Ave! :) Although the waits are long during Dinner time, if you are really craving your GOOD Korean food here is the place!
WHY?
FOOD (⁵⁄₅):
Side dishes are the bomb: (Kimchi, soy marinated potatoes, fish cake, green onion pancake, sesame oil bean sprouts etc, and you can eat as much of them as you want= you can take some home=Basically FREE FOOD) CRAZY yes.
–BUT they are known for their tofu soup, which is always piping hot, a little spicy and great deep flavor. Plus they have a good soybean soup as well! The flavors are rich + definitely aromatic, you WILL smell like it when you leave :)
SERVICE (⁴⁄₅):
–Its always busy here so it can get hard for them to notice you if you need more side dishes etc.
AMBIANCE (³⁄₅):
–Crowded and loud hole in the wall type of place. Kind of old looking and awkwardly placed restaurant downstairs.
Overall, go for the food and great takeout!

I’m always up for a trip to this spot! It’s my favorite for soondubu in Seattle and I’m usually willing to make the extra trip. Stick to the tofu soups (soondubu) here. I have tried the meats and other dishes and have found them fine. In most Korean restaurants, find out what they do well and stick to judging the dishes off of that.
Try this place! It’s delish!!!

I used to come here a lot because my friends like here. The food is good but I think the quality of it is going down though. The side dishes are not that fresh, and portion becomes smaller too. But it still has good selections and flavor is the best on the Ave. However, the service is just more than terrible.
One time we had this girl waitress who like literally smiled at her colleagues when she was talking. But as soon as she approached our table, she just put on a poker face. I was just like wtf. The service is super slow when it is busy which is always. I honestly just feel like the food is not even that good to worth the pain to tolerate someone giving you a distasteful face.

Pretty good Korean food! I LOVE the Banchan here! I was just casually strolling when I smelled this restaurant, and I was like «ok lets just try out», and I’m so glad I did!
It looks like a sketchy korean restaurant, but it’s actually quite popular.
My favorite part of my experience here was the Banchan. The portions are pretty large and you can ask for free refills. They gave us beansprouts, kimchi, sweet potato, and the fish cake.
We ordered the mixed tofu soup, the green onion pancake, and the hot pot bulgogi. I wouldn’t recommend the bulgogi. The main entrees came with red bean rice which was pretty good.
[Mixed tofu soup]
There’s not enough content (meat, clams, etc) in the tofu soup. The tofu soup flavor was very singular and salty. On the bright side, it had real shrimp in it.
[Green Onion Pancake]
The green onion pancake was ridiculously oily and greasy that I had to stop eating it.
[Hot Pot Bulgogi]
Very meh. Too soupy, generic flavor. I can make this at home :/​
The banchan saved my experience here. This is a good place to go if you’re on a tight budget.

The best korean food is always in the sketchiest places I’ve learned. You have to walk down a set of stairs to eat here and everyone recognizes this place because of the stairs. «That basement Korean restaurant?» «I’m down!» is how it usually goes~ hahaha
This place always seems to be lit though because there has always been a wait whenever I have came in to eat. But definitely worth the wait.
The banchan here is the best! Love the potatoes! They should be careful and not bring banchan out too early. I swear I could just eat their banchan and be full since it is free refills~
I’ve had their tofu soups, bibimbap (both stone bowl and regular), the pancakes, deokbeokki, and more!
Their tofu soup has always been excellent for me! Always get medium spicy and has always felt the kick. It comes out boiling hot and they break the egg in right in front of you. It comes with a side of rice (usually purple rice). I ordered the beef one last time. Wish there was more beef and less tofu but was still really good. ⁵⁄₅
The bibimbap is pretty regular compared to most places but I wish the stone bowl was cooked longer. I want that hard rice on the bottom. That’s like my favorite part but the bibimbap is still pretty good. ⁴⁄₅
The pancake is probably their most popular dish and they actually ran out last time O_​O I was so sad but it’s okay. It shows how popular the pancake are! I do think the pancake is pretty pricey. I believe it’s like 11 or 12 dollars! I would consider that an appetizer too since it’s a good item to share~ but even at 11 or 12 dollars, I still think it’s worth it. ⁵⁄₅
The deokbeokki has always been okay for me. A little too soupy for me and I wish it was spicier. But the rice cake has always been chewy which is perfect and there has always been enough fish cake. Would give the deokbeokki ³⁄₅.
Overall, even though it’s a small restaurant with a terrible location, it’s my favorite korean restaurant on the Ave. Service could be better, they rarely ever come around to fill your water, but the food is spectacular. Highly recommend!

I don’t even know where to start with this review, but I have to say that in general I’m pretty happy with all of my experiences here. I end up coming to this restaurant a lot more often than planned since it’s one of the only places that pretty much all my friends can agree on for enjoying.
I’ve had both the tofu stews (that feels so weird to say lol) and the bulgogi dish and I’ve been pleased with them every time. They serve the perfect meal amount and it always tastes great. The food always comes with a variety of sides, and one of the perks that my friends especially love is that the sides are unlimited. If I recall correctly, the sides include beansprouts, kimchi, potato (?), and the green onion pancake.
The service here is generally subpar but it’s not too bad, especially on the Ave where I don’t expect all too much. The servers do their job appropriately and are around to refill the banchan and water when needed.
Overall, this is probably the tofu house that I would recommend the most by UW. They feature pretty affordable prices for great food. NOTE: they charge $ 0.75 for using your card if your total is under $ 10, just a heads up.

Tofu House is one of the best restaurants near the Ave. I usually get their spicy beef soup and sometimes bulgogi. The food is to die for! :) The food is fresh and made into generous portions. Service is usually on-​point and always friendly. It’s a great place to go for a casual lunch, dinner or even better: take out! :)

Just came here with my wife and had the Dolsot bibimbap and Budae Chiggae. The food was excellent, the price was reasonable, and the service was quick and professional. Also, I believe the food to be authentic; I lived in Korea for seven years and my wife is native. Although the workers/​owners had an interesting accent on their Korean, I believe they are either from North Korea or they were Koreans living in China (perhaps even first or second generation North Korean refugees). I didn’t care, but some people commented that they were Chinese and the food is not authentic. Nevertheless, the food was authentic Korean, and this is the first time I’ve ever seen Budae Chiggae served individually (usually you must order it family style).
Another bonus for this place: they are quick to refill banchans (side dishes) – even the little free fried fish.
I’ve seen negative comments for cleanliness. If you lived in Korea, the cleanliness would be on par with a local shik-​dang in Seoul.
I am eager to return and try additional items.

I expect more than tofu and beef when I order soon du boo (spicy tofu soup), especially from a Korean-​run restaurant. There were 5 pieces of beef in my stew, and slivers of onions but no other vegetables. It was served bubbling and boiling, which was deceiving because it was still unable to cook the freshly cracked egg. I will say that the restaurant does live up to its name and packs their bowls with tofu and although the portion was filling, the dish was overall underwhelming for $ 9. Onto the next one!

So i came here after a long day of classes and group discussions, and it was a clutch. Got me fueled up of energy again. My friend and I both ordered tofu pots. although i planned on ordering topokki, which was usually my favorite Korean dish. but it was a chilly day and I needed something warm and boiling hot!
The tofu pots were good. they met the average but wasn’t outstanding. Still a pretty good bargain for its price and it came along with a lot of side dishes. The side dishes were, just like the main course, average at most but acceptable. I liked the kimchi, but I didn’t like the pancake causes it was cold and flavorless. Anyway, this is the place to come if you’re on a tight budget but was starving. I got wayyy too stuffed after dinner though!

The short of it: EAT HERE because of the amazing flavors and textures! Ignore the odd service, septic uncleanliness and unpleasant décor. That’s not what you’re here for, adventurers!
The long of it: This is the essential «Diamond in the Rough». The diamond: The food here is always, always good. Sizzling bowls of spicy, fermenty, steamy, rich goodness with all the delicious trimmings. Mind-​blowing flavors, sensual textures.
But the service is spotty and distracted at best, aloof and actually openly rude and unkind at its worst. Don’t look for a warm welcome here.
Tables, chairs, floors, and walls are filthy and food splattered. And you are welcomed at the front door by a reeking bucket of filthy mop water the color of untreated sewage, and a mop that appears to have been used in that water daily and never washed. Ever.
It’s almost as if they are testing their customers’ loyalty. «Yeah, we have great food… but will you eat it if we’re rude to you? Forget about you? Will you eat it in a filthy room an an unwashed table? How about now.?» A sort-​of reverse Sam-​I-​Am scenario.
So you might be wondering, why 4 stars from this old kitchen hand? Normally, this would get 2.
Bourdain once notably said that eating was an act of submission. And I argue, that when the food warrants it, that is absolutely true: we literally take whatever the place dishes out when the vittles are to die for, and that is certainly the case here.
So, why not 5 stars? Maybe because it doesn’t have to suck quite so much to test my loyalty. No, actually, I think it’s just that damned mop bucket. I’ll gladly put up with the rest to get my #6!

This is usually my go-​to for my korean food fix on the Ave. It’s not bad, but I can’t say it’s amazing either. You get a fair amount of side dishes, but the side dishes aren’t the tastiest. If you get refills, the next «round» that you get can taste extremely different. Usually when I’m here, I only get their soondobu or their bulgogi hotpot. It definitely fills me up and I usually have leftovers because I fill up on side dishes, so it’s a good way to budget for a cheap college/​grad student. It’s also usually pretty packed, so most of the people who work here aren’t too happy (except for this one guy who I’ve seen a couple of times). So overall, I can’t say I recommend this place, but it gets the job done.

Can’t believe I haven’t reviewed this restaurant yet.
They are by far my favorite Korean place in Seattle. Hidden on the lower level of a building off the Ave, and not glamorous when inside, the food here is just incredible. They first give you a ton of side dishes, my favorite of which is the scallion pancake, paired with bean sprouts, kimchi, potato with some kind of sweet sticky sauce, and fish cakes. All of it is delicious — only for politeness’ sake for my fellow diners, do I not eat all of the sides. I usually order the hot stone bowl bibimbap (which a fresh raw egg is cracked into), or one of the soups (also with a fresh cracked egg). I can never finish all of it, and it’s so cheap! I can eat for 3 meals for what I spend for $ 10-​$ 12 here.
You will have enough food to take home, so pack it up in containers that are stored on a cart near the front register. Just grab one and pack yourself. You pay up at the front and let them know what you had ordered; they do take cards but they have a fee if it’s less than a certain amount. And then you waddle home full of Korean food and ready for a nap.

Great tasting food at a decent price (8.99 for tofu soup, rice, and the best sides).
Been going here for years and we never get sick of the food! Highly recommend their tofu soup, shredded beef spicy soup, and bbq beef short ribs! Whenever its cold and rainy out, we treat ourselves to this place!

We came as a group of 6 for lunch over the weekend.
The restaurant is surprisingly simplistic — all function, no form.
The menu is interesting and we ordered family style. I’d rank all but one of the dishes three out of five stars. The one dish I really liked and would order again was the Topokki (spicy rice cakes + ramen).
The free side dishes aren’t really so «free»… consider the BBQ beef short ribs for $ 14.99, which is several dollars more than at most teriyaki joints but the portion size of both the meat and rice was much smaller than you would find at most teriyaki joints.
The worst part was the fly that would not leave us alone during our meal and that got a little annoying over the course of an hour.
I might get the Topokki to-​go for a quick work lunch but can’t see myself choosing to dine in at Korean Tofu House again.

I don’t ever do Korean, but when I do, I go to the Korean Tofu House! I love their seafood tofu soup. It’s good on a rainy day, it’s good on a sunny day (I’m willing to sweat for it), hell, it’s good on any freakin’ day! TBH, I haven’t had tofu soup anywhere else, but why fix something if it ain’t broke?
There are other items on the menu like a yummy bulgogi, bibimbap, seafood pancake and the likes. I have tried all of those and they are delish, but none more than my beloved tofu soup. All of these dishes come with their purple rice and side dishes. The side dishes include bean sprouts, kim chi, green onion pancake, sweet potatoes, and something else marinaded in fish sauce I honestly don’t know how to describe. You can ask for more side dishes and they’ll gladly bring you more! I don’t know why I have been going here for years and just found that out recently. So if you don’t know, now you know.
If you’re going for lunch while UW is in session, prepare for a wait. There’s hardly any room to stand inside while you wait so make sure you are wearing your North Face jacket when it’s raining outside. Once you’re in, you’ll be enveloped by the smell so if it’s sunny, leave your North Face jacket at home because that smell will be with you for days. Also, they charge a 75 cent fee for card purchases under $ 10.

Guys, this tofu soup is SO good that I ate it on a hot, 86-​degree day. And I don’t do heat… at all. But guess what? They have AC! And plenty of fresh ice water.
A friend of mine from Sacramento actually discovered Korean Tofu House on Unilocal while she was visiting. I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t eaten at many establishments in the U District, so I was eager to try it. Plus, I always love holes in wall, which Korean Tofu House surely is; it’s located downstairs from ground level, so it could be hard to miss at first glance.
The last time I ate tofu soup was when I lived in Los Angeles, so I was super happy to find a local place where the food is really tasty.
My friend got the #1 mixed tofu soup (beef, clam, and shrimp) with an egg. I got the #3 dumpling tofu soup (pork dumplings). The soups were accompanied with potato, egg cake, sprouts, kimchee, and rice. Both my friend and I couldn’t finish our orders because we were full, but they were absolutely delicious. The soup was actually a bit spicier than I am used to, but once it cooled down and I got used to my nose running profusely, I was able to eat it with some regular rhythm.
Prices are super cheap for what you get. Our soups were $ 8.99 each! Service was top notch and friendly. I will definitely be back… and you should, too.

Great place to eat around the university! They have a delicious seafood pancake — comes in a large portion and was very filling. I got the standard tofu soup, which was also great.
When I came here, the service was a little slow as they were clearly understaffed. The waiters were still nice and friendly (when they could be). Would recommend this place if you like Korean food. I even ate the leftovers the next day and they still tasted great.

I came here after some recommendations, but i didn´t like it. I had a very greasy beef dish that i wouldn’t recommend.
However, my friends had some noodles and loved it. Sizes were really good. Sharing is totally possible.
If you are looking for this specific type of food and don’t mind about the rusty decoration, you can give it a try.