One of the most popular restaurants in K-Town, BCD Tofu House has a line at peak dinner hours, even though there are three floors of seating. So we went on a Saturday for lunch and were able to get seated right away. BCD Tofu House is a restaurant group with several locations in California, New Jersey, and in K-Town in Midtown Manhattan. There’s lots to love here and it’s my go-to place for soondubu (Korean tofu stew). Three things that keep me coming back:
1. The banchan
The little tapas-like dishes with great flavors that start every Korean meal. I love the large selection, and BCD’s specialty is the fish. I have made trips here just for this fish.
2. The freshest tofu
The tofu is the freshest I’ve tried; however, the flavor is standard fare. Not bad, nothing to write home about, but still provides that satiated feeling of comfort food. A plus is that BCD Tofu House offers a non-spicy soondubu, which most Korean restaurants don’t, so it’s worth noting for a friend group with varied tastes.
3. The excellent service
The servers are noticeably busy and will hurry through their tasks, but they’re never rude or impatient. Rice is presented in individual clay pots and a great touch is, after the rice is scooped into metal bowls for eater, warm water is added to the clay pot to create a soup and served as a light, last course.
4. The seafood pancake
BCD does the Korean pancake very well. I prefer the kimchi one, but for this visit, we shared a seafood pancake, since some of us didn’t eat spicy. BCD offers their pancakes in a choice of a small and large portions. A server cut and served it tableside, leaving the rest in a bowl. No struggles with knives and chopsticks!
5. The menu
BCD’s non-soondubu entrees are solid choices as well. I’ve had chicken teriyaki, bibimbap, and a few others, and they were great choices for sharing or for introducing a wide variety of Korean dishes to the newly initiated.
In all, BCD Tofu House provides a pleasant dining experience that is great for dining alone or in groups and hits the spot when you’re craving Korean fare. On my list of go-to spots!
BCD Tofu House, various locations in the U.S.
A foodie in perpetual wanderlust, Rose makes it a mission to sample the best ugly delicious delights around the world, but also enjoys the occasional dress-code-required fare and is always ready for a spot of afternoon tea. Currently based in the Boston area, she has been writing for GMF since 2013 and called DC, NYC, and Mexico City home. Rose is a graduate of the University of Virginia and New York University, and is on the board of the University of Virginia’s Asian and Asian Pacific American Alumni Network as well as the Thomas Jefferson Partnership Fund, which supports the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia. She pays her bills by helping companies communicate with Wall Street as an investor relations professional.