Tofu House

I work down the street from this place, so I try to go at least once every couple of weeks. The only reason I don’t give it 5 stars is due to mediocre customer service. Getting someone’s attention can be a struggle, and close to impossible once the place gets packed. No one is especially rude, but it’s just somewhat difficult. I’ve grabbed my own Coke/​plate/​utensils before. I’m honestly not too bothered by it, but I could see it rubbing some folks the wrong way. There aren’t too many waitresses so they’re always running around busy. Also, I’m not sure if it’s just true for Korean dishes, but substituting stuff or removing ingredients seems slightly frowned upon.
Anyways, like I said, the food is great! Try to come in by 11:30am for lunch, or be prepared to wait for a table to open up. A smaller sized spot that fills up quickly. My go-​to dish is the Seafood Tofu Soup with the Purple Mixed Grain Rice, which I always try to order extra spicy! It’s a solid dish. The spicy chicken and Bulgogi is great too.
If you like quick, delicious Korean food with minimal fuss in the San Ramon/​Dublin area, I’d definitely give this place a try!

My recent experience here was «meh». First of all, do NOT get the BBQ dishes if the lunch specials are not available (M-​F only, holidays excluded). It is not worth $ 20 for a sizzling plate of mediocre Korean BBQ. With the lunch special, it’s $ 10, which is acceptable. I had the BBQ spicy pork, which was very soft and salty. I was initially afraid that the pork was undercooked. I’ve had the chicken as well, which was tasteless. The purple rice they provided was overcooked and mushy. The banchans are decent but they are stingy with refills. I couldn’t get my tea refilled so I left very thirsty due to the salty food. Disappointing food and service.

I have been here on two occasions. On both occasions, the customer service was meh. The first time I came here I had so much trouble waving down the waitress for a water refill that I ended up walking up and pouring my own water from the water pitcher. Second time around, same deal. It also took me awhile to get her attention so we could get the banchan refilled, which I soon learned was NOT unlimited. According to the waitress, you can get one refill for up to 3 dishes. Killing my banchan spirit.
The food’s not bad. Ordered the assorted tofu soup, which comes with beef, shrimp, and clams. I’m not sure if it’s because we waited too long to add the egg, but our egg remained raw (must remind myself to add egg IMMEDIATELY). Also had the hot bibimpap, which was quite tasty with the addition of the complimentary sauces.
If you’re looking for a place in the East Bay (outside of Oakland) to satisfy the Korean tofu soup craving, this place will do the trick.

Love their tofu soup, which comes with an assortment of Kim Chee appetizers and a small fried fish. This is one of the few places that serves a mixed grain bowl of rice (instead of steamed white rice). They serve beer and shochu and have a television to watch sporting events.
The restaurant fills up quickly, be sure to put your name on the list. I also saw a couple call in their order with sit down service. The food was ready and on their table shortly before they arrived!

I love their Tofu Soups, try any kind and you will love it. The price is reasonable. They are busy during prime time. :) TOTALLY recommend.

I always seem to be coming back for more because the food here is just so good and definitely worth the price.
This restaurant is located in a fairly large plaza that also has a nicely sized parking lot that makes finding a parking spot super easy. The overall décor is very simple, not too much to say about that.
I come here pretty often and almost always order either the bbq chicken combo ($ 19.99) or the bbq beef short ribs combo ($ 21.99). Both come with a hot stone bowl of tofu soup, many small sides, and one bowl of rice. Both meats are always very consistent and are cooked and seasoned to perfection. Also, something to know is that the meat dish for combos are around half or ¾ the size of the non-​combo dish. The combos are great to share between 2 – 3 people depending on level of hunger. I like my tofu soup more on the mild side which is perfect for someone that can’t handle too much spice but still wants some more flavor and a little kick. The soup comes with a raw egg on the side that you can crack and mix into the still boiling pot bowl of soup and has a good amount of soft tofu. I’m not a huge fan of the sides besides the little fried fish they give you, but I do really enjoy the purple rice they have.
The main complaint I have here is that their customer service here is more often than not on the rude side. They a lot of the times seem like they are annoyed with their customers and are always very bland.

This is a well-​run restaurant with tasty Korean BBQ, tofu, and bibimbap.
Beef or seafood tofu: ⁵⁄₅ stars, big portion and tasty broth with generous meat and lots of sides
Stone Pot Bibimbap: ⁵⁄₅ stars as well (I always enjoyed it whenever I order)
Kalbi BBQ Ribs: ⁴⁄₅ stars tasty, but the meat quality is a little on the fatty side (I’m sure others prefer it this way but I like a good balance of meat/​fat)
They used to give a free rice drink as dessert, but they stopped in 2015. I highly recommend they bring this back because it’s a great palate-​cleanser after a heavy meal!
Also, if you order take-​out, the portions are huge (unlike other take-​out places). This is my fave Korean BBQ & Tofu house in the Tri-​Valley!

Stopped by on my way home from a recent wedding that I went to in NorCal. I had just finished a pretty terrible round of golf in 100 degree heat in Livermore, so I felt like I deserved some good old fashioned Korean food. My friends and I ordered an assortment of food, the Mul Naengmyun (cold buckwheat noodles in an ice cold broth), gabli (Korean Spare ribs), BiBimBap, and an order of the Kim Chi Jeon (kim chi pancakes). All the items were very tasty, and really hit the spot. Though it didn’t taste as good as my mom’s cooking (nothing ever does), it was MUCH better than I have tasted in other Korean restaurants in the area.
For those that haven’t tried it, Mul Naengmyun is great for hot days, but make sure to put in vinegar and hot mustard, as these will enhance the flavor. The Galbi, was perfectly cooked, and slightly sweet (like it should be, and a perfect compliment to the Naengmyun), and the Kim Chi Pancakes… well if you haven’t tried them, you NEED to. What’s better than battered kim chi, dipped in soy sauce and rice wine vinegar? Not much my Unilocal friends… not much. Well, I guess Mint Chip Ice Cream, Sour Patch kids, peanut M&Ms…hmm, but I digress.
Obviously, I might have had a better experience since I am Korean, but the staff spoke to me in both Korean and English, and the service was quick and efficient. Our ban chan were always refilled, and our water glasses were never empty. I will definitely be back!

+/​-​THE FOOD
The food is decent here, but not the best I’ve ever had. I’ve been here a few times due to the close proximity to the mall but it doesn’t come close to my favorite Korean restaurant. I most recently came by and ordered the gal bi tang, the beef short rib soup. The soup needs a bit more flavoring but it’s not terrible. The portion size was huge for this as I could only finish half. The short ribs were a bit fatty and didn’t have much meat. The best part of the meal was the side dishes. They had a lot of my favorites– sweetened potatoes, fish cake, bean sprouts, broccoli, and spinach.
+ THE ENVIRONMENT
Plenty of seating around the restaurant! The place is very clean and spacious. It can get pretty packed during busy lunch and dinner hours but you don’t ever have to wait too long.

Pretty solid location in the back corner of a small shopping center.
I like that Tofu House is more ‘hole-​in-​the-​wall’ versus upscale. There aren’t any grill plates or anything fancy, just various Korean goodies.
I had the seafood pancake, jap chae, bulgogi and the beef rib soup. The normal sides came with the meal along with some rice.
The jap chae and the bulgogi were hits with my kids My daughter loved the jap chae and also the purple rise they served. My son enjoyed the bulgogi. I had mix feelings about the beef rib soup. It reminded me of some of Filipini Nilaga, but the ribs were a little tough. I think it could have used a few more vegetables as well, but I can see how that wouldn’t vibe with the noodles.
Overall, this was a suitable place to get my Korean fix

Tofu House is a standard go-​to location for the Potato Farmer and me. Both of us enjoy KOREAN food quite a bit, and in MY opinion, the quality of food at Tofu House is higher than MOST other Korean restaurants in the area. We came back yesterday afternoon for some lunch and the place was PACKED (~wait was about thirty min). This time around, I ordered the Kimchi Bibimbap in the Hot Stone Bowl.
The food, per usual, was very good — the bowl was H O T and the rice around the outside crisped up nicely. I should have broken the egg quickly though, because by the time I got around to eating the egg on top, the whole egg had been cooked through (I LIKE RUNNY EGGS OVER RICE). However, the bowl was yummy times a million, and PLUS the portion size was HUGE so I didn’t even finish the entire bowl. Potato Farmer ordered one of their tofu soups (not sure which one, although we both have tried many of their soups). The soups are generally smaller than the bibimbap bowls (although extremely filling, nonetheless). The waitress always cracks an egg inside the soup and it ALSO comes with complimentary rice + a small fish. Tofu House always gives the BEST small dishes. My brother and I are STRAIGHT OBSESSED with their kimchi — it is SO flavorful and delicious, I’ve never had such good kimchi. Additionally, their fried potatoes are some of the BEST! ***BEWARE, however, they can be very STINGY with providing extra sets of appetizers (even when the party is LARGE).
SERVICE, strangely, was REALLY good that day (waitresses actually smiled at us). AS MUCH AS I LOVE THEIR FOOD, the service is usually… not…very…good (always rushed and impatient). Maybe they were happy because the restaurant was receiving such good business that day? I DON’T KNOW but I’m NOT complaining.
YAY — you know I’ll be back. DUH (even though they don’t serve the complimentary sweet rice dessert drink anymore — LITERALLY that used to be the highlight of coming here…).

The people who work here are always super sweet.
Their dinner/​weekend prices make me cry a little, but I’m usually in such a deep food coma I don’t mind too much.
Their tofu soup, seafood pancake, and spicy pork/​bulgogi are super good.

Came here on Labor day and place was packed and full of Korean.
Good flavors HOWEVER VERY SMALL PORTIONS. For the ribs and spicy pork, compared to other places I have been, their portions are TINY! Not worth $ 21 for the ribs or $ 19.99 for the spicy pork. However their TOFU soup was really good and the kimchi was well flavored. The people were accommodating, friendly and fast as well.
Will probably go back to the Korean place in Hayward when I’m back on the East bay.

I’m no Korean expert but I think that Tofu is worth a shot if you are in San Ramon and are craving Korean Food. I’m assuming you’d have to dig deeper in the Bay like the South Bay or Peninsula to get awesome Korean food. For what we have here, I think that I’ll definitely come back.
Our group ordered off their lunch menu which was nicely priced nothing above $ 13. I had the Bulgogi beef which was pretty tender and plenty flavorful. The next time I go, I’ll make sure to get their Hot Stone Bibimbap. My friend ordered it and it looked 10x more appetizing than my Bulgogi.
As far as their sides and kimchi dishes, everything was good and I had nothing to complain.
If you come, try to get there before noon. When we got there, we were the first or second group. By the time we left, the place was full.
Bön Apetit

Sorry not sorry, NorCal food cannot compare to SoCal food. I stopped by here for dinner with the S.O. one weekend and the restaurant wasn’t too busy. The amount of banchan was incredible! Had me satisfied while we were waiting for the food to come out.
We shared the BBQ ribs, seafood soon tofu, and beef bibimbap. The ribs were pretty good but I was a little disappointed in the tofu soup. The soup flavor just didn’t satisfy my cravings. I asked for it extra spicy and all I could really taste was the spiciness and nothing else in the soup. (I always order extra spicy when I go to tofu houses, there’s usually more flavor than that).
The service was fantastic, the waitress made sure our waters were always filled and always asked if we were okay!

My friend and I came here this evening because we were craving some yummy Korean food! This was my first time and it didn’t disappoint.
Rundown:
— the restaurant seems like one of those cute family owned shops
— the staff is super friendly and helpful. Service was great!
— I ordered the «Cold Noodle Soup» which was really yummy! I’ve been craving this for a while so I was ecstatic!
— The side dishes were also really good! (my favorite were the fried potatoes)
I’ll be sure to be back here to try their other dishes! :) Check this place out if you ever get the chance!

3.5 STARS
I want my bibimbap-​bibimbap-​bibimbap-​bibimbap.
I want my bibimbap-​bibimbap-​bibimbap-​bibimbap.
I want my bibimbap-​bibimbap-​bibimbap-​bibimbap.
Their meal deals are big enough to feed 2 people plus! Me and my bff always get the dol sot bibimbap with tofu soup. They always provide enough banchan to cover up half of the dining table. Don’t forget to add the seasame oil and hot sauce over the bibimbap to make the flavors POP! We always leave full and sometimes with left overs.
It’s good prices, good service, and good food.

Name is Young Dong Tofu House Korean BBQ. Was trying to find Phở Saigon, but didn’t look too hard and once in this strip mall saw Tofu House and decided to eat here instead.
Place was busy for lunch on Thurs 5÷14÷15, but we were able to get a table.
They have lunch specials M-​F 11−3pm that is good, saves a little bit of money.
I got: Kimchi tofu soup w/​pork $ 10.99. It came with a small bowl of boiling hot tofu soup, some pork, some kimchi, and 10 panchans and a small broth soup on the side and bowl of wild rice. Tasted pretty good.
Friend got Pan fried Yellow Croaker Fish $ 9.99 — it looked fried and tasted Dry! I don’t recommend it.
FREE hot tea tasted fine. I asked for iced water and got it.
Separate bathrooms, women’s on the Left up front.
Hrs:
Closed Tues
Other days 11am-​10pm

I was craving for Soon tofu soup and this restaurant really hit the spot with their seafood tofu soup– incredibly soft silky smooth tofu.
I ordered the stone hot bimbimbap that comes with tofu soup, we were pretty surprised that it came with clams and shrimp which was a nice surprise.
They have quite a lot of side dishes compared to your typical Korean restaurant in the bay, all in all, a great experience. It is a casual place with lots of children.

East Bay has somewhat slimmer pickings of Asian food compared to South Bay, and Tofu House in Dublin is no exception. It’s perhaps not bad for the area, but it pales in comparison to similar restaurants such as SGD Tofu House in Sunnyvale and Palo Alto.
This establishment is located towards the corner of a small plaza, and the interior is rather minimalistic. The service seems to vary depending on which waitress is working at the time; when we first arrived, our waitress was impatient and short, but halfway through our meal, another waitress showed up who was much warmer and more attentive.
Banchan:
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I appreciated that there were quite a few side dishes to go with the meal, but none of them stood out to me as being particularly noteworthy except for the fried yellow fish, which only comes with the tofu soups. The fishcake was a little more limp than I’m used to, and the bean sprouts seemed a bit dehydrated, although the broccoli crowns were poached to a good texture. The fried yellow fish was also pretty fresh, albeit with quite a few bones.
Mushroom tofu soup:
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This kind is probably the best of the tofu soups, with a medley of mushrooms sprinkled throughout. I wish there had been a bit more mushroom, but the flavoring was good. If you’re a fan of more liquidy tofu soups (as opposed to the kinds with lots of tofu), you would probably enjoy this. I usually get my tofu soups white, but I had a sip of the mild and it wasn’t too spicy.
Dumpling tofu soup:
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Because this soup had kimchi in it, the mild was spicier than the mushroom tofu soup’s mild. There were also just two dumplings distributed throughout, and they tasted rather like the pre-​frozen, store-​bought version, which I was not a fan of. I haven’t really tried the dumpling versions of tofu soups elsewhere so I can’t compare, but I wouldn’t recommend this.
Spicy rice cake:
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This rendition of sauteed rice cakes in spicy sauce was probably my least favorite that I’ve tried in a while. The rice cakes were overcooked to the point of having almost no texture, the sauce was bland (not to mention the hue of barbecue sauce), and the presentation was unappetizing. It definitely wasn’t worth the asking price, and this was my least favorite dish of the meal.
I might stop by again for a quick meal if all my other options were exhausted, but it probably wouldn’t be my first pick.