The place is located in a compacted parking space, if you go late you probably would be waiting for a parking spot(just park on the street). The tofu soup here is better than some of the places I been to and the banchan(side dishes) are pretty good. It even comes with fried fish. The rice they serve with the soup is wild black rice so you’ll leave feeling full. In total around 13 bucks for everything. However, the only problem I had with this place is the flies that are around. They keep on hovering over the food and on me. It made me question how clean was this place.
Suzanne A.
Place rating: 5 Oakland, CA
So good, went back twice in a week. The power of kimchee drew me in a second time.
Marco C.
Place rating: 5 Union City, CA
The restaurant is a bit small so you’ll probably have to wait during busy hours to get a seat. I got to taste the beef bulgogi bibimbap in a hot stone bowl and the mushroom tofu soup. The bibimbap was pretty good with the nicely seasoned beef and crispy rice. Make sure to ask for the red sauce if they forget for some spice. If you don’t want your rice to be slightly burnt, make sure to mix your bowl as soon as you get it because the rice is at the bottom, but don’t forget that it is sizzling hot. I give this a 4⁄5. The mushroom tofu soup was amazing. The soup was flavorful and comes in various levels of spiciness. I give it 5⁄5.
Chin-Leng C.
Place rating: 3 Fremont, CA
Average tasting Korean restaurant. Service quality depends on how busy they are. One time experience is enough.
Alyse L.
Place rating: 5 Los Angeles, CA
I am so happy that Fremont has an authentic Korean Tofu Restaurant! The food tastes good and there are 9 different kinds of small dishes which surprised me! I am excited and enjoy the food and the greatest smile from the servant! It is now my «often visit» dinner place!
Lora O.
Place rating: 5 Union City, CA
Small, family restaurant. The ambiance inside is very simple and basic though the food is great! They have good bibimbap and they serve sides as well. Our server(possibly the owner) was super friendly and attentive. This place can get busy during dinner time. But the food is well worth the wait. Definitely recommend.
Shiela F.
Place rating: 1 Union City, CA
Ate here for the second time yesterday and the food is typically good although I found a fruit fly in my food and when I tried to tell the server she took a look at it and told me it was pepper, so I had to tell her to look closer. She told me it was OK cause it came from outside, but I knew it didn’t come from outside because she brought it out that way. I told her I wasn’t going to eat it or take it home, so I figured she was going to deduct it from my bill which to my astonishment she didn’t. When I came up to the register to pay she loudly told me it wasn’t their fault because it wasn’t from the kitchen. I explained again that the dish had the fly already there, but she insisted that it was not, apologized and had me pay the full amount. Instead of arguing with her I ended up paying the bill, so after that experience my partner and I decided that we weren’t coming back.
Dave K.
Place rating: 4 Hayward, CA
Yook Gae Jang(spicy beef soup) and Tofu Soup are good here. It’s kind of a small place so if you have a big group you may need to wait. The fried mandoo is not the big kind and the meat dishes are just ok. The soups are the way to go.
Daniel C.
Place rating: 3 San Leandro, CA
Saw that a lot of people got the Seafood Pancake, and was reasonably priced at 13.99 compared to some places that are around 20, so we opted for that along with a Bulgogi/Tofu Soup combo. I always get a combo if available since its such a great deal and we have to have Tofu Soup at a Korean place. The Banchan is also numerous and includes a fried fish which was new to me but pretty good. My major complaint was that there were a lot of little flies hovering around us throughout the entire meal. I don’t know if it was specific to the table we were at, closest to the drinks refrigerator, but it was a huge nuisance while we were trying to enjoy the food. Overall the food was just OK to me, the Seafood Pancake does stand out out of the items i tried. It’s nice and crispy and isn’t too heavy or doughy and didn’t get soggy at any point.
JT S.
Place rating: 5 Union City, CA
Love this place! Environment: Casual and clean, it’s a medium sized restaurant. It gets pretty busy in here, but we usually go right when it opens. Food: Delicious! Generous with their banchan, they will refill whatever you like. I love watching them crack the raw egg into our sizzling soft tofu soup. I always order the beef bulgogi with a side of sesame oil. yum! The seafood pancake is just the way I like it. Not too fluffy, crispy edges, but it is a bit oily. Drinks: I like the hot tea, I believe it’s corn tea. Light and cleansing. Price for quality and quantity: Fair
Jennifer H.
Place rating: 4 Dublin, CA
Meeting a friend mid way… he got there first and um, was unsure. It’s in a little strip mall off the beaten path. Since like minded Unilocalers liked it we gave it a try. It’s a small place, 10 – 12 tables. We ordered the tofu soup with bbq beef. Medium heat. Mine with kimchi, his with sea food. The banchan came, a good number of yummy sides. I should have counted, I think 8 – 9. With rice with bean — Tofu soup was hot and delicious. Dropped the egg in at the table. The service was great, very friendly and helpful. I’d go again.
Ryan J.
Place rating: 4 Union City, CA
Decided to try this place with some friends. I ordered the Spicy Pork Bibimbap and a Bulgogi Pancake to share. The pancake was great with good flavor and lots of slices perfect for sharing. Make sure to dip it in the sesame soy sauce to enhance the flavor. The bibimbap tho was pretty good too! It’s basically rice with a mixture of veggies and your choice of meat served in a hot stone bowl and topped with a fried egg. It’s so fun when you get to mix everything together and even better when you taste all of the delicious flavors with the different textures. Although I love the quality of the food here and the service, my only comment is their portions/pricing. Sure Korean food is more expensive than other Asian cuisines, but sometimes I feel like one order of Bulgogi or Galbi etc. is just not enough to balance the price. Even their hot stone bowls are much cheaper, but also have way less meat compared to other Korean restaurants that I have been to. This is just my opinion. Great food, but the value is questionable. Delicious food, but depending on how hungry you are, you might need to order more. Also I wish they offered more banchan! Other places give free jap chae and seasoned/marinated tofu as well as other dishes.
Andrew S.
Place rating: 4 Fremont, CA
Tried this place for the first time for a late dinner with 2 other friends. Its more of a lunch place with a simple setting. Bathrooms are through the kitchen. My friends and I split a bulgogi pancake, jap chae noodles, and a grilled mackerel. The pancake was alright. Good texture though not enough meat. Jap chae was good. Grilled Mackerel was pretty good. This was all complemented by a pretty good amount of banchan. Besides the usual, this banchan had fried fish and purple rice which was interesting. Good service, they kept refilling our tea and banchan. Would probably only come here with friends as its a tad on the expensive side for me.
Jenny N.
Place rating: 4 Fremont, CA
I had a Korean craving and haven’t been before so i took a gamble. I came out lucky though! The place is small but comfortable. The tables are all for four people so it’s spacious but the table would be small if you actually had 4 people and didn’t want to share dishes. Service — they were nice and sat us right away. She came back with water and took our order. During the meal, she spotted which side dishes needed refilling and promptly returned with them. Food — we had the pork stone bibimbap and mushroom tofu soup. The bibimbap was very yummy and more so with the purple rice they make it with. I love the crispy parts of the rice that get cooked by the stone. The hot sauce went really well with it too, so my stomach was very happy. The mushroom tofu soup was super mushroom-y and tasty. I ordered the medium spicy and it was a great kick. Side dishes — the best thing about more Korean places. They gave a fried fish, kimchi, fish cake, potatoes, seaweed, bean sprouts and a couple of unknowns to me. They were all good and the fried fish was a first to me. Definitely will come back and eat here for my next Korean fix. The prices aren’t too bad especially with unlimited side dishes.
Michelle C.
Place rating: 4 San Francisco, CA
Came here on an early Friday evening with the fam. We had decided to come here because of its distance from our house and the reviews I saw on Unilocal.When we first got there, we were the only ones in the restaurant and I’ll admit I was nervous that we should’ve eaten elsewhere instead. We ordered four items: Seafood Pancake, Beef And Seafood Tofu Soup, Kimchi Fried Rice, and the Galbi. Right after we ordered, we were brought mini sides of salad and I got disappointed that there was no banchan like i had seen in the pictures. However!, everything started to turn around for the better as the banchan was brought out soon after. Then one by one our dishes started to come out and the restaurant started to get packed with other hungry guests. As we finished dining, there was even a wait for a party to be seated. Our total bill for the 4 items was around $ 60 Overall, my experience here was a positive one and now I have a go to korean restaurant near my house!
Darrell P.
Place rating: 3 San Juan Capistrano, CA
The folks were craving Korean and I decided on Gangnam Tofu House based on its overall four star rating… ‘And the final verdict? — «It’s alright.» Our order(i.e. — Feast) Hot tea/water Complimentary Salad — «M’eh»; filler; garnishing Broiled Mackarel($ 12) — Good; a tad over salted; good portions(2 pieces) Kimchi Ramen($ 10) — Good; flavorful; good portions Jap Chae($ 11) — Okay; flavorful; so-so portions; chewy noodles 8( Kimchi Fried Rice($ 11) — Very good; flavorful; good portions Seafood Pancake($ 12) — Good; tasty sauce; good portions but a bit thin on the«seafood» Dumpling Ramen($ 10) — Good; flavorful; good portions ’And a Seafood Pancake to-go… ‘For those @ home who weren’t able to join us for lunch.(‘Another $ 12) Grand total: $ 82(+ tip) We arrived just after 1pm and the tofu house was still relatively bustling. Sue, the hostess/waitress seated the three of us promptly when a table was available. Sue was very attentive, helpful and friendly. She was great! However, I did take note and raise an eyebrow @ the following: No 1: Napkin rationing — When I asked for more napkins, our party of three received a ginormous stack of two whole napkins, of which one of them fell to the ground.(Insert buzzer sound here) Fail. I eventually had to get up and grab more napkins myself at a box sitting near the register. No. 2: Soy sauce — As I looked around the restaurant, I noticed that only a few tables had shoyu/soy sauce except ours. I hesitated to ask, fear that I might get a shoyu filled, mustard pack sized sample… So, once more across the shop to get yet another basic table item. No. 3: Banchan — Like the napkins, the sides are on the rationed side as well and the number of plates delivered to your table can range from six to nine. Inconsistent. If you browse through the Unilocal*photos of the banchan, there are clear examples of just what I’m talking about. The variety of banchan was none too impressive either, especially the plain broccoli florets. It was made very obvious when my nephew joined us a bit later and I requested more sides. Sue surprisingly brought out the small fried fish as part of the banchans… ‘BUT when she initially served us, no fish was served. Did I say something wrong, did I offend? Knowing me, I probably did w/o realizing… ‘OR was Sue the Korean Ramen Nazi… «NOSMALLFRIEDFISHFORYOU, COMEBACKONEYEAR!» I’m kidding, she actually was great BUT she could’ve been awesome! Sue, the next time a table of three requests more napkins, you many want to give a minimum of napkins to fit the party… ‘Just a friendly thought. Inconsistency is one of those things that I have a problem with… If you’re going to do it, do it right, otherwise what’s the point? That’s like going to Jiffy Lube for an oil change and the tech decides to only change half the oil rather than the entire pan just because, maybe you won’t notice? We had eight«fishless» dishes but as previously mentioned, a few of those banchans were pretty bare bones basic. These aren’t huge issues but rather quirky annoyances… However, the pick & choose inconsistency with the serving of the side dishes is a bit of a problem for me. After all, how can one expect consistent food/service if the banchan is brought out willy-nilly with no standard? That inconsistency along in addition to the rationing/self-serve aspect dropped the service from an easy four to a two star rating. The pricing is a bit on the steep side w/a galbi plate going for over $ 20. LOL — WTH? Is it Kobe galbi? I find the high price point at odds with their napkin rationing attitude… Well, maybe not, after all it is Asian.(I shouldn’t be too surprised.) **Okay, simmer down people, before you jump on that knee-jerking, «You’re a racist» bandwagon. I am not racist but stereotypes do exist for a reason! I didn’t create stereotypes but I’m damn well going to use them… ‘If it makes anyone feel better I’m hapa/mixed, Filipino, Korean, German, Irish, w/just a dash of Japanese.(So, if you would be so kind as to back the f*k off with that racist bulls*t card that would be wonderful, mahalo!) My point is this, if you’re price point for dishes are $ 10 to $ 20, I think you might be able to supply your clientele with sufficient napkins and condiments. If McD’s can do it with their $ 1 menu, I have faith that Gangnam can afford a few extra paper products, side dishes, and shoyu… «Call me crazy!» Overall, it was just«Okay,» a solid 2 ½ star rating.(Rounded up) I asked my parents what they thought and between the both of them, they gave it three stars. I was hoping this place would’ve been better than what we experienced, «Oh well, the good eats, food adventure continues!» Would I come back… ‘Eh, with the number of Korean shops around, it may be a while before I do. Live, love & laugh…(‘And eat, eat a lot!) — Big Aloha! Food: 3+ Ambiance: 3 Service: 2(Inconsistent banchan dishes; napkin/condiment rationing) Value: 2+
Deb M.
Place rating: 4 Fremont, CA
About a week ago I watched a few episodes of a Korean drama about a family who owned a Korean restaurant –the food that was being served… and…eaten…looked SO appetizing. It has been since then that I have had the most powerful urge to eat Korean food-exactly like I watched on that show. Tonight, I, along with a friend ended up standing in front of Gangdam Tofu House. I was very anxious to go in –that’s when I noticed all these people waiting around in front of the restaurant– apparently waiting to be seated– the upside… people waiting is usually a good sign the place is good ;) My friend went in to put our name down on the wait list for a table and was told it would be a 10 minute wait. I was ok with a 10 minute wait. Once we were sat at our table and placed our order-a variety of mini sides(banchan) were served before our meal arrived. We ordered: Pork Bulgogi — 4.5 well flavored, not fatty $ 17.99 served on a hot plate(a little pricey I thought) Kimchi Tofu Soup– 5.0 very well flavored, full of soft tofu and kimchi — I did opt for«spicy» and had our server drop the raw egg in it. Comes served in a hot pot –bubbling hot! Delicious !! $ 10.99 Pork Bulgogi Hot Stone Bowl Bibimbab-4.0 nicely flavored, my friend let me try a portion of his after he mixed it all up ;) yum! $ 12.99 Small hole in the wall restaurant located in a little shopping center off of Thorton. I definitely need to come back to try other menu items.
Eric J.
Place rating: 4 Fremont, CA
I really enjoyed myself on this first visit! Smaller restaurant in a busy corner with a few other busy restaurants. Parking lot fills up quickly, you might need to park on the street. All of the tables were full when I arrived. I waited about 10 minutes before being seated at a table. I ordered and a glass of water was dropped off at my table. 6 – 7 different sides were brought including a fried fish. I tried them all except the fish, not a huge fan. The kimchee is excellent. When asked, I was told they made it themselves. I ordered the stone bowl beef bibimbap. This was brought to the table just a few minutes later, simmering hot! I left the rice of the bottom get a little crispy before mixing everything together. I added a little of the sauce from the container on the table. Excellent flavor! Mushroom, beef, and the rice with the sides was just excellent! The waitress stopped by often to fill my water glass and to bring more kimchee as well as other sides. To get to the bathroom, you have to walk through the kitchen. Kitchen was busy, but clean. Everyone said hello! There was a steady stream of customers the entire time I was there. Is this the best Korean food in Fremont? Is it the most authentic? Beats me! I enjoyed my self! There’s obvious pride in what they serve and how they serve it. I’ll be back for sure!
Dee V.
Place rating: 4 Palo Alto, CA
After a busy week, it felt right to eat out on Thursday night. Wanted to try a new place– gangnam tofu house. Have been to the strip mall around 50 times but have missed this place. Thanks to Unilocal I found them. The board says just ’ tofu house’ that could lead to confusion. Getting to the food– it was awesome! The fixings that came with the food were many and delicious. We ordered the seafood tofu soup and the tofu bibimbap. I loved the bibimbap– totally delicious. After add on the sauce it was heaven. I didn’t like the seafood in the soup. It came whole and hard a hard time eating it– just not my preference. Next time il get just a veggie tofu soup. But the tastes were awesome and we had a great time.
Hurjane V.
Place rating: 4 Fremont, CA
All Korean food places start sounding the same after a while(not being racist here… but how many times have I seen the word«tofu» in their names?) so I wasn’t expecting much when I came here. Atomi’s had a waitlist of 10+ parties ahead of us, so we decided to skip the wait and fill our crying stomachs first. I came here with a party of two others on a Friday night around 7PM. We were quickly greeted by the cute ahjummas, and given our hot teas and menus. The room is cozy and small… intimidate and homey feeling! We ordered: –Hot tea //errrr… I got charged $ 5 for hot tea? And I didn’t even get refills! –1 stoneware regular bibimbap //sizzle, crack, pop! What amazed me about this bibimbap is that I didn’t get regular white rice. I got PURPLE(multigrain) rice! YUM! This definitely was a bonus, since it made the typical Korean dish into something that was much more, and much more pungent(in a good way!) And the red spicy sauce you squeeze out of that bottle? Right amount of kick! –1 bowl of chicken ginseng soup //A whole(small) hen chicken stuffed with a huge ginseng root, regular rice, and a red date! Soup was delicious, and chicken was tender! Not as «marrow-y» as I had hoped, but still good since I was craving soup. –1 bowl of beef oxtail soup //Flavorful!(Maybe a bit too much MSG?) Definitely a bowl of soup, without too much other stuff inside. There is daikon though! Definitely a good rainy day type of soup. Not super«marrow-y» but will suffice! –1 seafood pancake //Crispy, and a good size platter! Eat it while it is warm though or else the bottom gets soggy. It didn’t have that much seafood in it, but I like the thickness of it! Pros: –Homey service. When we asked for our banchan, the lady playfully told us «no». Haha, got me chuckling for a while! –Clean environment. While the outside looks not so appetizing, but the kitchen is visible and clean!(The bathroom is in the back.) –Tasty dishes! Served up faster, and more unique than other restaurants! Not too salty, and still kept the important flavors! Tastes just like«home» cooking. –FISHFORBANCHAN? Woah. I could NOT believe my eyes! Definitely too good to be true since I love fish! Cons: –A bit pricey. Maybe it’s the location that forced them to do so, but I was expecting my bill to be lower(doesn’t everyone?). At least I enjoyed my food! –Banchan arrival time. Most places give your banchan first? This is one of the few places that gives you to you a tad bit late. BUT it is for a good reason! You and your party will get to share a nice, crispy mini fish!(Not sure what kind…) Tips/Observations: –They accept Discover card! WOOT! –I don’t know if it was just that day, but after we had sat down, a line of 30+ people followed suite. If you want to give this place a try, come before 7PM! Overall, I would come here for a bowl of soup or even their bibimbap!