Full disclosure – I am obsessed with Korean food. It’s partly because I lived there for two years and partly because it’s insanely delicious and unlike any other cuisine out there.
Of course, it’s not the nicest cuisine to look at:
You’re so delicious, I don’t care that you’re ugly!
If San Francisco has a Korea Town, then the Richmond is it – that is, if a Korea Town was spread out over a radius of several square miles. Luckily for me, many excellent Korean restaurants are within walking distance from my house, and a notable entrant at the top of the pantheon is My Tofu House, a restaurant so Korean that I immediately become overcome with nostalgia as soon as I see the neon lights.
Inside, there are booths, usually filled with chattering groups of Koreans, with dishes of banchan laid out in front of them. My Tofu House specializes in soondubu jiggae, a spicy soft tofu soup. You can get many different versions, and it’s served bubbling in a stone pot and honestly – it looks a little like the devil’s cauldron. You then drop in a raw egg and stir it in vigorously. The portions are huge and the soups are a great deal at just over $10 – this includes a delightful range of side dishes and plenty of rice. You will not go hungry here.
This is before the soup even arrives. I ignore the tiny fish.
You can choose the level of spiciness of your soup (‘spicy’ packs a punch but doesn’t leave you gasping), and there are many other Korean favorites available to accompany your broth, including barbecued meats, savory pancakes and noodle dishes. The staff are efficient and will smilingly refill your empty kimchi dish (this is something that will encourage me to return to a Korean restaurant, always). My Tofu House is also the closest to authentic Korean food I’ve found in San Francisco, a city that pales in comparison to L.A., its superior, Korea-towned southern neighbor. On a chilly, foggy night in the Richmond, a generous ladling of My Tofu House’s soondubu jiggae is never unwelcome.
My Tofu House, 4627 Geary Boulevard, San Francisco, 94118 Phone: 415-750-1818 Do you agree with this review? Let us know in the comments section, or via our Facebook and Twitter accounts!