This place could have been Michelin with just the right touch. It's the ideal spot where chef Anthony Bourdain would meet chef Roy Choi to talk about cuisines from all around the world. Now with it's permanent closing? We will miss you, we will grieve you. Come back ST! :-)
Andrew H.
I'm so sad they closed. Their soondubu was the best I have ever had. Makes BCD taste watery, to be honest. Their soup had soul to it. So much depth and was absolutely delicious beyond compare. This place is a gem and I'm heartbroken they're gone forever... I wish them all the best. We'll miss you :(
Marc L.
Yelp Reviews: Quarantine Edition #27How do you miss something you've never known?That's the strange predicament I find myself in for Beverly Soon Tofu. While I have known about the legendary soondubu restaurant for decades, for whatever lame reason, I have never actually gone and eaten there. While bibimbap and soondubu are among many non-Koreans' first experiences of Korean cuisine besides kimchi, ironically, I have had many meals of tongdak, gamjatang, budae jigae, galbi jjim, kalguksu, sullungtang, and dwaeji gukbap... but none of my carnivorous Korean friends ever seem to crave soondubu. It's as if I stopped eating tofu soup after I started hanging out with more Koreans!When I read on Eater LA that Beverly Soon Tofu was tragically closing their original location, I felt the familiar pangs of missed opportunity. You see, I have experienced some of the worst pain imaginable for a human being... the death of a favorite restaurant. Yeah, yeah, human/pet life is more important than food, but besides the profound grief one feels when a loved one has passed, the closest thing to that is losing one of your favorite places to eat. Seriously, you can never get it back.As someone who loves Korean food, loves Koreatown, and lives in constant admiration of LA's world class food scene, I HAD to give the historic Beverly Soon Tofu a try before it closed for good/bad. Little did I know, however, what an ordeal it would be to actually get in that first/final order.For the last 2 weeks of the restaurant's operation they had 2 options for customers: online ordering through their website and walk-in orders. After days of following Instagram updates and attempting to push an order through online, I realized that I needed to put some skin in the game and go to the storefront in person to secure my final/first meal at the renowned Olympic Boulevard classic.It took about 30 minutes to place my order and almost 4 hours before my order was finally ready... but how can you be mad at these people? These hardworking ahjummas (and I say that with great respect) and their kinfolk are incredibly humble and kind. The restaurant itself is located right where the Los Angeles Koreatown commemorative arches stand on Olympic, off Vermont, and the decor and vibes of the place clearly show that this place is inextricably tied to the history and growth of Ktown.I ordered 2 combo meals, a Mushroom Beef soondubu, spicy, with an order of Galbi and a Kimchi Beef soondubu, medium spicy, with an order of their signature Spicy Marinated Chicken. Both orders came with rice and their own special containers of banchan.As I mentioned earlier, my meat-loving Korean friends never seem to crave soondubu and I personally don't seek it out myself... but Beverly Soon Tofu is the truth. I'm glad I took my friend's recommendation and ordered the Mushroom Beef spicy; it didn't really ramp up the heat compared to medium spicy, but it did have a more full, savory flavor. On top of that, both soups were absolutely full and hearty, not skimping on either tofu or meat. The packaging and preparation were totally on point, preserving the quality of the food itself; if it's this good for takeout, I could only imagine how delicious it was dining in, back before the Quarantime.Growing up in Southern California, I've seen Korean food become trendy before my very eyes, with Kaju Soft Tofu holding it down in OC, Cho Dang Tofu House repping Cerritos, and BCDs spreading everywhere... but I gotta say, Beverly Soon Tofu stands out because of its bold flavors and generous portions. For $67 including tax and tip, it was money well spent. Now I know the magic of Beverly Soon Tofu, albeit as a latecomer who is catching the proverbial bandwagon as its making its final trip out the gate.There are rumors that Beverly Soon Tofu will resurrect at a new location one day, but the owners have been very coy about that. Take it from me, you never want to take classic restaurants for granted, so whatev
Elizabeth G.
CLOSING ON 9/20!!Beverly Soon Tofu is one of my favorite places to get Tofu soup. I absolutely love the care they put into the food -- even when ordering to go. I'm so so sad to hear they're closing after almost 4 decades of serving up some delicious food in KTown. If you have a chance to go, definitely get the combination tofu soup with beef! I usually do mild and grab a bottle of soju as well. Some important information from the website:After consideration of all options to remain open during this pandemic, we are sad to share with our customers and community that after 34 years in business, we have decided to close permanently at this location. Thank you so much for all your support. It has been a true honor to serve the many generations of family and friends since 1986. Our last day of service is Sunday, September 20th. As we have seen an outpouring of love and support which is so very much appreciated, we have been reaching maximum capacity and experiencing delays due to our small kitchen. Online ordering opens at 11:30 AM and will open and close periodically throughout the day. If the online ordering is closed for the moment, we are taking walk-in orders. Please expect 45 minutes to 2.5 hours for your order to be ready. We will be taking your phone number to text you so no need to wait at the restaurant! Our last walk-in order will be at 5:30 PM.
Brian Homer
Delicious food. It makes me feel like I'm back in Korea. Too bad they're closing.
Morgan J.
So sad to hear they're closing! I got the combination with bulgogi and a medium spice combination soon tofu. It came with rice and a side of banchan (mmm those cucumbers). Perfect level of spiciness, tons of flavor, and tons of leftovers. NOTE: it was really hard to get "in line" for online ordering cause they're getting slammed right now because they're closing. That said once I was able to get my order in everything else was easy. No fuss pickup after that.
Jeff H.
=== Pandemic Casualty ===Slammed after the news broke they're 2 weeks from closing permanently. LA love!! We'll miss you and thanks for the delish eats.Phone is busy nonstop and the online orders have been suspended for today only (Sept 8 only)
Su K.
This is one of my favorite soon tofu places in LA. I used to order the kimchi soon tofu with pork but recently I've cut back on meat so now I order the vegetable soon tofu, which also tastes amazing. Both dishes are great, I'm sure you can't go wrong with any of the options. My friends ordered the galbi and the stone plate bibimbap and loved their meals.There is a small parking lot but I can't remember if parking is free or valet (if it's valet, it's probably $3-5).
Miriam Harrison
Went on a whim to try out Seasoning Alley for some take-out Mediterranean food. Great yelp reviews, so figured we would give it a shot! I was quite pleased with the prices, quality, and speed that Seasoning Alley provides. I had a the Gyro plate, and my wife went with the chicken swarma.
Henry M.
During Covid, they serve food as fresh as if you were dining in. I really appreciate that they remade my plain tofu soup to mild, since I ordered it incorrectly on the app. Very thoughtful and hospitable. This is undoubtedly the best Korean tofu soup, galbi, and bimbimbap in all of Koreatown. Thank you!
No question this is the best soon tofu in Los Angeles. And you know what that means, so of the best worldwide. Authentic place, amazing soup, no frills, and tack on the delicious short ribs. A must have in LA.
Natalie L.
One Saturday afternoon, I was craving some spicy soon dobu because I wanted something that tasted like my old place in KTown and I wanted something to help soothe how sad I have been during quarantine. Beverly Soon Tofu honestly was a ticket to home I never thought was possible. My only experience with soon dobu in the past was BCD and I am never ever going back there for the sake of not tarnishing my taste buds after having had Beverly Soon Tofu. The pepper in the Bulgogi define pepper to a higher plane of existence I never thought possible and the Galbi make me wish I had dog for us to share bones (i know it's not good for them but bear with me). What I think made me love this place the most was interacting with the most sweetest women on Earth. The second time I ordered the soup I wanted it spicier than last time and the woman over the phone assured me I had made a great decision which was just wonderful and sweet! On a different afternoon I was having a hard time picking alcohol since they were having 50% off and one of the women told me that Jinro was very popular back in her University days and was reading the alcohol contents for me from each of the bottles I was picking (I legit was almost crying with just how overwhelmingly endearing each of the women were). I can't tell you just how utterly amazing this place is and I wish I had the bank to eat here everyday but every other paycheck I come back to have some of the best soon dobu in all of KTown.
Lady P.
So delicious and (as far as I know as a non-Korean person) authentic...you get a ton of food with each order which is great.
Eugene Lamoureux
Exceptional food, welcoming staff members, constantly fantastic ambience. They charge fair pricing and the food quality is excellent. 5 stars.
J K.
So delicious! I love this place, friendly and clean service, I will return once the COVID-19 is modified to allow dine in with safe guidelines of course. On a personal note, if anyone misses dining out like i do please remember to help small businesses so they can survive this financial hardship to collectively keep everyone safe. Thank you!
This place could have been Michelin with just the right touch. It's the ideal spot where chef Anthony Bourdain would meet chef Roy Choi to talk about cuisines from all around the world. Now with it's permanent closing? We will miss you, we will grieve you. Come back ST! :-)
I'm so sad they closed. Their soondubu was the best I have ever had. Makes BCD taste watery, to be honest. Their soup had soul to it. So much depth and was absolutely delicious beyond compare. This place is a gem and I'm heartbroken they're gone forever... I wish them all the best. We'll miss you :(
Yelp Reviews: Quarantine Edition #27How do you miss something you've never known?That's the strange predicament I find myself in for Beverly Soon Tofu. While I have known about the legendary soondubu restaurant for decades, for whatever lame reason, I have never actually gone and eaten there. While bibimbap and soondubu are among many non-Koreans' first experiences of Korean cuisine besides kimchi, ironically, I have had many meals of tongdak, gamjatang, budae jigae, galbi jjim, kalguksu, sullungtang, and dwaeji gukbap... but none of my carnivorous Korean friends ever seem to crave soondubu. It's as if I stopped eating tofu soup after I started hanging out with more Koreans!When I read on Eater LA that Beverly Soon Tofu was tragically closing their original location, I felt the familiar pangs of missed opportunity. You see, I have experienced some of the worst pain imaginable for a human being... the death of a favorite restaurant. Yeah, yeah, human/pet life is more important than food, but besides the profound grief one feels when a loved one has passed, the closest thing to that is losing one of your favorite places to eat. Seriously, you can never get it back.As someone who loves Korean food, loves Koreatown, and lives in constant admiration of LA's world class food scene, I HAD to give the historic Beverly Soon Tofu a try before it closed for good/bad. Little did I know, however, what an ordeal it would be to actually get in that first/final order.For the last 2 weeks of the restaurant's operation they had 2 options for customers: online ordering through their website and walk-in orders. After days of following Instagram updates and attempting to push an order through online, I realized that I needed to put some skin in the game and go to the storefront in person to secure my final/first meal at the renowned Olympic Boulevard classic.It took about 30 minutes to place my order and almost 4 hours before my order was finally ready... but how can you be mad at these people? These hardworking ahjummas (and I say that with great respect) and their kinfolk are incredibly humble and kind. The restaurant itself is located right where the Los Angeles Koreatown commemorative arches stand on Olympic, off Vermont, and the decor and vibes of the place clearly show that this place is inextricably tied to the history and growth of Ktown.I ordered 2 combo meals, a Mushroom Beef soondubu, spicy, with an order of Galbi and a Kimchi Beef soondubu, medium spicy, with an order of their signature Spicy Marinated Chicken. Both orders came with rice and their own special containers of banchan.As I mentioned earlier, my meat-loving Korean friends never seem to crave soondubu and I personally don't seek it out myself... but Beverly Soon Tofu is the truth. I'm glad I took my friend's recommendation and ordered the Mushroom Beef spicy; it didn't really ramp up the heat compared to medium spicy, but it did have a more full, savory flavor. On top of that, both soups were absolutely full and hearty, not skimping on either tofu or meat. The packaging and preparation were totally on point, preserving the quality of the food itself; if it's this good for takeout, I could only imagine how delicious it was dining in, back before the Quarantime.Growing up in Southern California, I've seen Korean food become trendy before my very eyes, with Kaju Soft Tofu holding it down in OC, Cho Dang Tofu House repping Cerritos, and BCDs spreading everywhere... but I gotta say, Beverly Soon Tofu stands out because of its bold flavors and generous portions. For $67 including tax and tip, it was money well spent. Now I know the magic of Beverly Soon Tofu, albeit as a latecomer who is catching the proverbial bandwagon as its making its final trip out the gate.There are rumors that Beverly Soon Tofu will resurrect at a new location one day, but the owners have been very coy about that. Take it from me, you never want to take classic restaurants for granted, so whatev
CLOSING ON 9/20!!Beverly Soon Tofu is one of my favorite places to get Tofu soup. I absolutely love the care they put into the food -- even when ordering to go. I'm so so sad to hear they're closing after almost 4 decades of serving up some delicious food in KTown. If you have a chance to go, definitely get the combination tofu soup with beef! I usually do mild and grab a bottle of soju as well. Some important information from the website:After consideration of all options to remain open during this pandemic, we are sad to share with our customers and community that after 34 years in business, we have decided to close permanently at this location. Thank you so much for all your support. It has been a true honor to serve the many generations of family and friends since 1986. Our last day of service is Sunday, September 20th. As we have seen an outpouring of love and support which is so very much appreciated, we have been reaching maximum capacity and experiencing delays due to our small kitchen. Online ordering opens at 11:30 AM and will open and close periodically throughout the day. If the online ordering is closed for the moment, we are taking walk-in orders. Please expect 45 minutes to 2.5 hours for your order to be ready. We will be taking your phone number to text you so no need to wait at the restaurant! Our last walk-in order will be at 5:30 PM.
Delicious food. It makes me feel like I'm back in Korea. Too bad they're closing.
So sad to hear they're closing! I got the combination with bulgogi and a medium spice combination soon tofu. It came with rice and a side of banchan (mmm those cucumbers). Perfect level of spiciness, tons of flavor, and tons of leftovers. NOTE: it was really hard to get "in line" for online ordering cause they're getting slammed right now because they're closing. That said once I was able to get my order in everything else was easy. No fuss pickup after that.
=== Pandemic Casualty ===Slammed after the news broke they're 2 weeks from closing permanently. LA love!! We'll miss you and thanks for the delish eats.Phone is busy nonstop and the online orders have been suspended for today only (Sept 8 only)
This is one of my favorite soon tofu places in LA. I used to order the kimchi soon tofu with pork but recently I've cut back on meat so now I order the vegetable soon tofu, which also tastes amazing. Both dishes are great, I'm sure you can't go wrong with any of the options. My friends ordered the galbi and the stone plate bibimbap and loved their meals.There is a small parking lot but I can't remember if parking is free or valet (if it's valet, it's probably $3-5).
Went on a whim to try out Seasoning Alley for some take-out Mediterranean food. Great yelp reviews, so figured we would give it a shot! I was quite pleased with the prices, quality, and speed that Seasoning Alley provides. I had a the Gyro plate, and my wife went with the chicken swarma.
During Covid, they serve food as fresh as if you were dining in. I really appreciate that they remade my plain tofu soup to mild, since I ordered it incorrectly on the app. Very thoughtful and hospitable. This is undoubtedly the best Korean tofu soup, galbi, and bimbimbap in all of Koreatown. Thank you!
Restaurantji Recommends
No question this is the best soon tofu in Los Angeles. And you know what that means, so of the best worldwide. Authentic place, amazing soup, no frills, and tack on the delicious short ribs. A must have in LA.
One Saturday afternoon, I was craving some spicy soon dobu because I wanted something that tasted like my old place in KTown and I wanted something to help soothe how sad I have been during quarantine. Beverly Soon Tofu honestly was a ticket to home I never thought was possible. My only experience with soon dobu in the past was BCD and I am never ever going back there for the sake of not tarnishing my taste buds after having had Beverly Soon Tofu. The pepper in the Bulgogi define pepper to a higher plane of existence I never thought possible and the Galbi make me wish I had dog for us to share bones (i know it's not good for them but bear with me). What I think made me love this place the most was interacting with the most sweetest women on Earth. The second time I ordered the soup I wanted it spicier than last time and the woman over the phone assured me I had made a great decision which was just wonderful and sweet! On a different afternoon I was having a hard time picking alcohol since they were having 50% off and one of the women told me that Jinro was very popular back in her University days and was reading the alcohol contents for me from each of the bottles I was picking (I legit was almost crying with just how overwhelmingly endearing each of the women were). I can't tell you just how utterly amazing this place is and I wish I had the bank to eat here everyday but every other paycheck I come back to have some of the best soon dobu in all of KTown.
So delicious and (as far as I know as a non-Korean person) authentic...you get a ton of food with each order which is great.
Exceptional food, welcoming staff members, constantly fantastic ambience. They charge fair pricing and the food quality is excellent. 5 stars.
So delicious! I love this place, friendly and clean service, I will return once the COVID-19 is modified to allow dine in with safe guidelines of course. On a personal note, if anyone misses dining out like i do please remember to help small businesses so they can survive this financial hardship to collectively keep everyone safe. Thank you!