So Gong Dong Tofu House

Great food! We both had the bimbimbop and it comes out in a sizzling stone bowl. One order is really a lot of food. It also comes with the various ban chan, Korean side dishes. The service is not really warm and friendly you just flag them down if you need anything, which is fine by me. It was kind of weird and annoying that an employee was watching some show on her phone at max volume. There is not really much of an ambiance anyway, but that definitely took away from it. All in all, reasonably priced great food in a somewhat sterile strip mall. We will be back for sure!

This was my first time at this korean spot – small, kind of obscure location, seemed pretty authentic. Ordered the usual beef tofu soup. However, the next day I suffered from EXTREME stomach pain and ended up by the toilet (no need to elaborate more). I can’t be 100% certain it was because of this meal, but I didn’t eat anything else. You have been warned.

Great restaurant and enjoyed everything about it. I’m always thankful for these Korean family-​owned small businesses because honestly they make the most delicious and authentic food than the more «Americanized» ones. The service is wonderful, the owners are a wonderful couple who engage in a conversation with you with a smile. The restaurant is clean including the restroom. Usually the best indication of a restaurant’s overall cleanness can be found by the status of it’s restroom. This is my first time trying soondubu with ramen actually. I loved it, this was a great idea and I’m thankful to have tried this for the first time.
Parking: keep in mind of certain parking spaces that have a time limit to it, the best is obviously in front of the restaurant as the owners will know it is your vehicle. Don’t park in front of the donut shop unless it is closed, it has a 3 minute limit. Just park in the main parking lot, it isn’t much of a walk… only like 30 more seconds. If you can’t walk that much longer, I don’t know. Exercise is good for you right?

In A Nutshell:
–I come here not only b/​c the food is just spectacular, but it’s a place that reminds me of my grandma before she recently passed away. One of the last meals I had w/​her was here :)
–Now on to the review. The location is lovely. It’s right off the 280, even though the Saratoga exit can be a nightmare, it’s all worth the effort.
–The go-​to dish I order is the Al Jjigae (Fish Roe Stew) — it’s served in the truest essence of Korean soups/​stews, in a piping hot bowl. After you crack the egg you get and mix it up a little, make sure you break apart the fish roe so the broth becomes thicker. Writing this now just makes my mouth-​water. I won’t write about it anymore, just come here and try it yourself.
–Their other dishes are also so so good. I would recommend everything on the menu here.
Overall, it’s definitely a small mom/​pop restaurant and space is limited, but the owners work very hard to make you happy and you can eat all the banchan (side dishes) you want while you wait for your food. Just don’t eat too much of it so you can save your appetite for the main course (s). COME HERE NOW.

In order to get the tofu soup base right, it’s harder than you think! I was pleasantly surprised that this little restaurant packed so much flavor. I got the dumpling tofu and the flavor or the soup was perfect. The side dishes, «banchan» were tastey as well. I’m not sure what they added into their kimchi, but it tasted a little different, Good different. I wasn’t a fan of the bulgolgi though, It was a little oily for my taste. And don’t expect service to be spectacular in these small restaurants. It’s a mom and pop shop… they’re trying their best.

Super yummy comfort food! We brought my in-​laws here and had a great experience! The food was fresh and tasty. We had the Kim chi bibibop, short ribs, combo tofu soup and spicy pork skillet!
A little small so the wait can be long if you come late. Not able to accommodate large parties.

Never coming back here again.!!
My boyfriend and I wanted to try this place. When we first entered the restaurant it smelled delicious.
But the service was horrible. When we were ordering we asked if we can have extra beef and extra rice to the bibimbap because we wanted to get soup to go with our dinner. The lady didn’t know what we were asking for. We tried to explain it to her multiple times, «can you add extra meat and rice?» And she still shook her head and got angry with us because she didn’t understand what we were trying to ask her.
She slammed her hands down on the tables, grabbed the menus from under us and walked away. We didn’t even get to finish ordering our dinner and we didn’t even know if she understood what we were trying to ask.
It was horrible. We asked another server if we can finish ordering and she just smiled and left.
We both got up and left. How rude of her. Never going back !

Oh Kimchi Soft Tofu I love how you do what you do!
This is the second SGD I have tried (been to another on Blossom Hill Rd in San Jose). The restaurant is definitely a little small but we were able to grab a table right away around 1:30p. The server came right up for drinks and then came back for our order. I had of course Kimchi Soft Tofu with Beef and it was delicious. My buddy had the #7 Soft tofu with ham and sausages which was a nice twist on what I’ve typically seen from Korean tofu soups (it’s probably influenced from Lions Supermarket in the same shopping center). My buddy says now he will never doubt me and my food selection choices because I told him to give it a go and he finished the whole thing after he had told himself he’d take some home for his bride to taste, yeah he lied!
The banchan came out, before the soups but unfortunately they took a little longer in bringing them out. When they did come out it was a nice selection including a japchae style glass noodle. One drawback was the kimchi had a stronger fish flavor than I’ve had before. Most fish sauces used in the fermentation process don’t leave a strong smell or taste is fish but this one did and I have to say I didn’t care as much for it.
In the end it was a great little meal and when I’m in the area it will fill and warm my belly again!

I came in 10 mins after its opening time, so we didn’t have to wait. I ordered number 11 the standard hot rice pot while my friend ordered the bbq short rib. The small dishes were good and standard tasting. The hot rice pot was served after 10 – 15 minutes. There wasn’t as much meat as I expected for the rice bowl, it wasn’t great or bad either. It was an okay! I tried my friend’s bbq rib and it was a bit tough. The server forgot to bring our water, but he apologized. With so many Korean restaurants in the Bay Area, this place was average to me.

Hard to see the sign from the road but it is super delicious! I came here with the hubby and his old coworkers for some serious eats. So much food!!!
What was ordered:
#17 (short ribs)
#11 (Bibimbop with BBQ beef)
Tofu soup with Seafood
#30 (rice cake dumpling soup)
Rice
Tea
Food coma was serious… Everything was delicious… Will be back!

Consistently delicious. It’s kind of hard finding because I don’t think they actually have an SGD sign. I think it just mentions «bbq» in the shop front.
Also don’t get this place confused with the SGD on El Camino. Both the taste and menu is different but at least it still lives up to the SGD tofu name. They definitely still do tofu stew right :)

Authentic delicious Korean food. Highly recommended!
First hint that we are in for some good Korean food is when we hear Korean words spoken when we step into the restaurant.
Ordered a Kim Chi Tofu Stew with Pork and a BBQ Beef. Shortly after placing our orders, we were served the Korean appetizers. Absolutely love the small side dishes, a little of everything and definitely whet your appetite. They serve free flow tea which is awesome too.
The Kim Chi Soup was super good, we went for medium spicy, the taste was so good. The tofu were so soft and well infused with the Kim chi taste. Every mouth of that was just so comforting and good. Needless to say, we slurp the bowl clean.
The BBQ Beef portion was relatively huge, despite so, every single slice was thoroughly marinated. They were well cooked and moist. Every bite was so delightful!
Totally recommend this place! One of my favorite Korean food joint!

Banchan — 6 good sized dishes. Kimchee, Broccoli, Bean Sprouts, Fish Cake, Chapchae Noodles, and Zucchini.
Nice variety of Tofu Soup. I had a tasty Pork & Mushroom. Raw Egg provided without asking. If you’re a Virgin Tofu Souper… Crack the egg and empty into the boiling tofu soup to let it cook. Mix as needed for your desired egg result. Do not dump the un-​cracked egg into the soup and expect to eat a hard boiled egg! Although that would be a great story to tell your family and friends!
Bibimbap is served on a hot iron flat platter and not a bowl. My wife and I liked this concept as the rice is spread out easily for a more even crisping. Probably the same amount of hot surface area as a bowl but we felt it was easier to scrape with a more even thickness on the rice. Yeah… we be nerds!
Clean location in the Strip Mall containing the Lions Grocery Store. Unisex bathroom that was clean and bright. Restaurant seats around 40 – 50 and is busy with a constant turning over of tables. Can be hard to get in and out of the parking lot due to traffic congestion on Saratoga Ave. — especially during the Christmas holidays. But you will still want boiling tofu soup on a cold night thus overcome the traffic.
Service was quick, friendly, and attentive. Hot tea filled without calling the servers over.

WOW what a surprise this place turned out to be. I arrived exactly at 11 am so the place was empty. The staff/​cook who served me was super friendly. What is also super cool is he speaks and writes fluently in Korean.
What was the WOW factor at this place wasn’t necessarily the food, but the portions I received. Most Korean restaurants I go to usually skimp on the banchan and the meal itself (see pictures attached). The food was alright, but the service of the friendly staff/​cook made it a very enjoyable experience.
Overall, I would love to return to try some other dishes as it was a pleasant experience!

I love this place. Their service is good and quite fast. The place is not that big so you have to come before dinner or lunch time. My favorite is the ham and sausage soft tofu. Love it! I came to this place many many times and I haven’t got bored with the taste: D

HIDDEN GEM ALERT!
Hidden in the lion plaza, with a deceiving sign stating BBQ, this tofu house is a MUST. (Theres a row of 3 establishments that look like «musts» actually, if tofu house is full, try the chinese or ramen place next door!)
Anyhoot, the banchan they give you here is real deal. I’ve noticed a lot of Korean places in the area have a tendency to skimp on the banchan, but not this place! Sides on sides on sides. Most of our sides were 80% devoured by the time our food came out. I always appreciate a hefty portion of japchae.
The tofu soup comes in many varieties, can comes bubbling over for a delicious cooking of your raw egg.
My only compliant is that it could be spicier.
GO HERE.

There is no good Korean food in San Mateo, which was why the moment I stepped into San Jose my heart was set on getting a bibimbap. My boyfriend recommended So Gong Dong. Since it was named «Tofu House» I decided to get the tofu soup instead of the bibimbap, and my boyfriend ordered the short ribs. Eating here definitely fulfilled my craving for Korean.
Their small dishes were really yummy. There were five which included of japchae (which was a little under seasoned/​oily but still good), broccoli, kimchi, picked cucumber (my favorite!!), and korean tofu (which was amazing). The servers were really courteous and once they saw that we ran out of one small dish, they would ask if we wanted refills! There are a lot of Korean places I’ve been to in the past who were very stingy on this front, so it was a good sign!
As for the entrees, the tofu soup was delicious. The soup was really well flavored, and just the right amount of spicy (I ordered the mild). I believe they have different rice options as well, but I ordered the white rice which wasn’t too sticky as in a lot of other asian places. The short ribs were so flavorful and delicious (I’m not a huge fan of meat and I would order this again).
Overall I loved this place! Looking forward to my next visit.

Tucked away in a corner of the Lion plaza on Saratoga avenue, you will find a humble branch of the famous So Gong Dong Tofu House. Rather difficult to find, but at least there’s ample parking.
Upon entering the restaurant, one fateful evening, I found that it was rather empty. I was told to prostrate myself down at any available table and was promptly handed a menu. Many of your typical Korean comfort fare could be seen upon browsing their extensive list, including their famous Soon Tofu. However, on that particular night, I had come with a singular focus, a hunger for Bibimbap.
*Craving mode activated. Devour: ON.*
As always, the tiny, perfectly plated banchan came swooping in first. In my humble opinion, I’d say this particular branch offers better banchan than the other SGDs I’ve visited. I’m particularly partial to their Kimchi and fish cakes.
Next came my desire: the crispy and oh-​so-​delicious Dol-​pan Bibimbap. Topped with layers upon layers of colorful vegetables as well as a plentiful amount of perfectly cooked beef, this Bibimbap was one of the biggest I’ve ever come across. Tip: When it arrives at the table, sizzling away in all its glory in that hot stone pot, do attempt to leave it alone for ~10−15 mins in order to maximize the formation of that incredibly crunchy and crispy bottom layer.
Y-E-S…yeah, you’ll thank me later.
Further rounding out my lovely evening was the attentive and spot-​on service. When next I feel the stirrings within for good Korean food, I know where I’ll be going… oh, and uh, Soon Tofu? I’ve got my eyes on you ;)

They open until 10 not 10:30pm. We came in at 945 and ordered two soft soup. Side dishes came in right the way with generous portion. I love how they refill the side dish for you. Our tofu soup is great not like some that are watery with like 2 pieces of beef.
Will sure come again!