Today, I wanted to introduce Korean favorite foods and places you can get them. During my research, I was really surprised to find that a food that has become popular overseas is Soondubu. However, it seems to be a standard in restaurants around the world such as in America and Europe. There are even chains that specialize in just this spicy, silken, soft tofu stew. When I was in New York City last year, I ate at one of the famous places for soondubu and I was surprised to find that the dish and the side dishes were quite different from Korea.

So first of all, what is Soondubu? It is uncurdled and unpressed tofu in a stew. It is similar to silken tofu. The classic dish is just plain tofu boiled in broth. This is called chodang sundubu. The popular version of this dish is a seafood soondubu (haemul soondubu). In this version, first a chili oil is made and then a seafood broth, seafood such as clams and shrimp, garlic and blocks of silken tofu are added. As the dish is bubbling, a whole egg is dropped and the dish is immediately served. It is a classic dish that is a staple meal that can be found at most Korean restaurants. However, the best places for these dishes are where they make the tofu fresh. These artisan tofu places place special emphasis on sourcing the best soy beans and to use seawater to curdle the tofu.

The word soondubu translates to “pure tofu” and the famous city for tofu is on the east coast city of Gangneung in Gwangwondo. Here they have a village and the tofu is curdled using fresh sea water instead of a salt brine. This was discovered by Chodang Heoyeop who was the magistrate of Gangeung City. He loved the taste of the local water from the spring in his yard so he decided to combine that with the local sea water to make the tofu. This combination of the local spring water and sea water created a pure tasting, fresh style of tofu that the area is famous for. The tofu here is not in whole silky blocks like you can get in the stores, instead it is crumbly like cottage cheese. In Gangneung City, the dish is served hot with a seasoned soy sauce. But it is also boiled with sour kimchi and seafood such as oysters and clams. In the tofu village of Gangneung there are restaurants that claim to have a 400 year history of making the tofu in the same traditional style.

Some recommended Restaurants in Gangeung are the 400 Year House and Gohyang Sanchon.

Soondubu is a popular dish overseas. This is surprising since I thought non-Koreans were only familiar with dishes like Korean barbecue and bibimbap. I have learned through my guests that Soondubu is a popular among young people after clubbing in Los Angeles and in New York City. This “international” version most guests are familiar overseas uses the packaged blocks of silky tofu and not the fresh made version in Korea. “J.K.” says on his Yelp review of BCD Tofu House in New York City, “Their spicy soup and tofu can’t taste any better after hours of clubbing and drinking.” “David Y.” wrote “A favorite spot to detox after a night out clubbing” on his Yelp review of Tofu House in Los Angeles. “Jay K. wrote on her review of “Naru” in London, “The soondubu was unexpectedly rich…in flavor, which was great.” It looks like Soondubu is becoming as popular as barbecue and bibimbap overseas.

When I asked a food tour guest, Adrienne of Colorado, why she really liked Soondubu, she said, “It’s great because the tofu is so creamy like cheese and the restaurants have different varieties like bulgogi, sausage, or cheese soondubu. Plus there are some people in the group that are vegetarian so soondubu is a great option for everyone.”

Not to be outdone, you can find a number of great soondubu restaurants in Seoul. Some of my favorite places are Cheongdam Soondubu and Jaedong Soondubu.