Mr. Yu Tofu

I am so sad at the low ratings for this place! Mr. Yu Tofu overtook the place of Dolce Café and Bakery, and when you walk in, it still has its décor/​mosaic art/​furniture, and even a tiled ‘Dolce’ lettering on the wall. Ms. Connie Yu, who was the owner of Dolce, decided to renovate the space and focus more on a tofu-​centric menu. The menu is pretty extensive, offering appetizers (such as Tofu Steak, Mung Bean Pancakes, etc.), soondooboos (spicy soft tofu stew with your choice of the spiciness level (3 levels) and ingredients (Assorted (which is seafood and beef), Pork, Kimchi, Vegetable, Non-​Spicy, Beef, Clam, Oyster, or Ham & Sausage)), cold noodles (such as mool nengmyun, hwe nengmyun, etc.), entrees (such as grilled mackerel, ohjinguh bokkeum, LA galbi, etc.), bibimbop, and alcoholic/​non-​alcoholic beverages. The hubs and I came here for an early lunch and tried: a Medium Spicy soondooboo with pork (this had a very strong pork taste to it, so I wasn’t a fan of it at all; however, the soondooboo itself had a clean taste with a lot of soft silken tofu; I would probably opt for the kimchi version next time); a ‘Mister Galbi Jjim’ (braised short ribs; this was definitely super sweet! It came with a good amount of short ribs, but they were not tender, as well as potatoes, vermicelli noodles, and veggies; the hubs had the whole dish (as he prefers a more sweeter galbi jjim, but I wasn’t a fan); and, my personal favorite out of the 3, the soondooboo ramyun (labeled as the Spicy Soft Tofu Stew Ramen) — you don’t choose the spiciness level (as it automatically comes as ‘Medium Spicy,’ but you choose the ingredient (seafood, bulgogi, kimchi, oyster, assorted (which is the seafood with beef), or clam); I opted for the kimchi. I actually REALLY REALLY REALLY enjoyed this jjigae as it was a big stone pot full of soft big chunks of tofu, ramen noodles, onions, kimchi, and a poached egg — I loved the flavor of it, as it was soothing, had the right amount of kick, and was pretty flavorful (note that all of the other soondooboo places’ bases are a ramen broth, so if you’re not a fan of that, you won’t be a fan of this; plus, the place doesn’t seem to use copious amounts of MSG!) — in addition, it wasn’t ‘heavy,’ but carried a ‘cleaner’ taste. In addition to this, the banchans were super delicious (JEONG L. AND JASON C. WERE RIGHT!) — pickled boiled eggs, bean sprouts, kimchi, pickled radish, napa cabbage with ssamjang, marinated eggplant, mook (acorn jelly; their version is pink!), and stewed daikon radish were some that we received! I was obsessed with the gamja jorim (which is a braised soy sauced up potatoes), and could eat this with a bowl of rice 24÷7÷365! Note that any of the side dishes comes with free refills! Service was super friendly and welcoming, and I’m so glad that I was able to give this place a try! I’ll definitely be back for when I get a soondooboo craving, and with the weather getting (somewhat) colder, it’ll be more on a frequent basis: D
+Spicy Soft Tofu Stew Ramen — kimchi (soondooboo ramyun) :D
+delicious banchans! (gamja jorim!!!) :D
+super friendly staff: D
+plenty of parking

Great for cold days! They’re known for their tofu soup that comes out bubbling and sizzling hot also known as «soondubu» Crack an egg in and you’re set! They have a variety of options for which type of soup including seafood, beef, pork, or a combination. The soup was okay tasting, I’m generally more used to Lighthouse Tofu, which I’ve been a regular at for years now. I didn’t think it would hurt to try something new. I’m not Korean, so I don’t know what the soup should taste like to begin with, but I realize different places make it differently. The soup here wasn’t thick but it was light and more liquid as opposed to other places where they tend to be thicker. I ordered the medium spicy which didn’t seem so spicy to me at all. Taste was decent and not bad. I also ordered the seafood scallion pancake or «pajeon» which was okay, it was a little doughy still like undercooked. It fell apart pretty easily.
Comes with a variety of side dishes like kimchi, broccoli, etc.
Interior is really nice! They have a bright and vibrant tiles with a refreshing atmosphere. The ladies that work here are very nice. Although the service was a bit slow at times, it was bearable. They don’t really pay attention to your water until you’re about done with your meal. It took a while for them to get the paycheck.
Other than that, it was an okay experience. Prices were reasonable and food was very filling. I couldn’t even finish. Would recommend that everyone at least try before judging based on reviews.

Not sure why it says Mr. Yu Tofu when it just says Mr. Tofu on the outside. This place has slowly won a place in my heart. I particularly love their seafood scallion pancake! It isn’t mushy like other places and you can actually taste the freshness. Their cold noodles are pretty good as are their mackerel dishes. And, as always, the side dishes are plentiful! I always have a great experience here. The waitress doesn’t seem to speak much English but she’s very nice and eager to please. Highly recommend this place.

The atmosphere is really nice like a café! Their spicy galbi stew is really good and they give you a generous amount of galbi!

Ughh… I would really love to give this place more stars but for a place that’s suppose to be known for their tofu dishes, this place sucked. My fiancée and I were wanting to go to Ara for a quick meal but they were closed at the time. So we decided to try this new restaurant out and I was sooooo disappointed.
We ordered LA kalbi and soft Tofu stew (soondubu). For the stew if you order the one for 2ppl they let you pick 2 different things to put into your soup (kimchi, beef, seafood, clams, oysters). We picked kimchi and clams. I was honestly expecting something like what you get from Lighthouse Tofu… boy was I wrong. We received the soup boiling which was great and it came with ramen noodles in it. I dipped my spoon in to taste the broth and what do I taste??? Shin ramen. Now if you have had spicy ramen before, then you’ll know Shin ramen… one of the more popular ramens around. It literally was soft Tofu thrown into shin ramen… oh and they forgot the kimchi! At this point I was too hangry to care about it though.
The kalbi was a little meatier than other places which was great. The bonchons seemed fresh but it looked like they went to Hmart and bought all of them instead of making it in house. The waitress were nice and the menus are in English for those that can’t read korean.
Overall, if you’re looking for soft tofu soup go drive a couple more miles down the road to lighthouse tofu… you’re welcome.

This place is good. Don’t listen to the bad reviews
You get all these side dishes, and the food tastes clean and fresh

Not sure what all the bad reviews are about. Yes the décor is a little weird, but the food is good, prices are reasonable, and the service was standard. The soondubu came with a lot of sides and the mandu was tasty. It’s a good alternative to Lighthouse — would come back.

The service here was neither good nor bad. The food also was neither good nor bad. The soon dooboo was ok to good. the nengmyun was bad to ok — served with marinated bulgogi (yikes). the seafood pajun greasy.
This is definitely not a place you will go because you want good attentive service. It’s for the soon dooboo only. I would go back for that reason.

worst customer service ever !!! i went there with my friend to have lunch. they weren’t even busy at all at that time, but my order took so long time. my friend was almost finished her dish. i asked my server to check my order. she didn’t even say sorry and just gone and never showed up. what. then manager came to my table,(also she didnt apologize at all) she said to me if i come next time, she will give me an extra service and asked me to wrap my order with check. oh, they are so fast when they gave me a check.
i do not understand their attitudes. never go back. save your money guys.

Mr. Tofu is a new Korean restaurant in Annandale that specializes in Korean tofu stews («soondubu» in Korean). It is located next to Ara restaurant.
The menu is in Korean and English, and it is easy to read and order. Each dish is made according to a scale of spiciness, so make sure to let the server know if you want it mild, medium, spicy or extra spicy. We ordered a tofu stew that was extra spicy and it was ridiculously hot.
Note: The stews come out BOILING. They give you a raw egg with the stew… so drop it like it’s hot!
They have a great variety of side dishes. I liked them more than other restaurants I’ve been to in the area. Make sure to ask for more! The servers are gracious with their side dishes. I asked for three potato salad dishes :)
The service is slow like most Korean restaurants in Annandale. In the beginning, it seemed like the server forgot about us. I had to get up to grab some menus and get water and utensils for my table.
The food is the star of the restaurant, and I really enjoyed my food. The spiciness and flavor are there. I am definitely coming back!

Everything I ordered here, from the dumplings to the tofu soup, was authentic and it came with like 10 side dishes. This is rare since most restaurants in the area only give you around 3. You could also tell that the food was made from scratch. The service was great and the restaurant overall was really clean.

I’ve been here twice. The first time was for an early lunch (before 11) on a Saturday. We were the only people at the time, and received incredible service and were over-​the-​moon about the food. We ordered the dolsot bibimbap and a vegetable soondooboo and our waitress brought out a large assortment of banchan and continued to bring out additional ones throughout the meal as well as replace what we had eaten. There was a separate waiter for refilling water and tea. The dolsot bibimbap is served on a large hot flat plate, not bowl, which offers more surface area for contact with the rice which produces a really nice fried/​crunchy texture– really fabulous. The soondooboo was equally top notch– a punch of flavor. (I ordered «medium» spicy but when I ordered «mild» heat during my second visit, it was just as hot as before so I wouldn’t recommend this to heat– sensitive folks.)
The second time we went was during a weekday early dinner time. The restaurant had a few tables of people but was still relatively empty. Service was very good but we didn’t receive the same degree of VIP service as our first visit (which may just be unreasonable to have expected anyways.) We ordered the dumpling appetizer– there were plenty and they were great.
The restaurant is very attractive, with high ceilings and modern décor and nice wooden tables. The bathroom looks newly updated and was very clean. There’s a wine-​dispensor wall which is unusual to see here in the US. The parking lot is a little tricky to access but you can see the sign from Little River Turnpike so it’s was enough to find.
I would definitely recommend checking this restaurant out for lunch (some dishes are a couple dollars cheaper at this time) or dinner, and it would be a great place to go out with friends. Unlike many other Annandale Korean restaurants, this venue is neither cramped nor too big.

This adorable Korean foods in Annandale. The flavors are tofu soup. We tried the Seafood tofu soup and Gal-​bi-​tang. it was delicious! I didn’t realize that there are lots of side dishes. Every single dish was so good.

I don’t understand all these previous negative reviews. I absolutely love this place. I hate Light house tofu because its tofu soup is super thick and sweet. I have no idea why that place put sigar in its tofu soup.
This place does have spicy level option unlike what the previous reviewer said. Also, I really love having more than Kimchi for side dishes. Mr. Tofu gives you potato salad, egg, beans, sprouts, fish and more.
Yes the decoration is little odd for a tofu soup place but it was very spacious and quiet. Service was ok. I had nothing to complain about.
Overall, I will give 90 out of 100 because I believe it can do better. If you are happy with Light house, stick to it but if you are looking for something more authentic then try this place.

Don’t waste your time & money. Drive about a block and hit the original Lighthouse Tofu.
Went there for lunch and it was ¹⁄₃ full. Soondubu for $ 8.99 (lunch price) and rest of the menu items were $ 12.99 or higher for lunch. Soup tasted so plain and you don’t get to choose the spicy level. Sure they give you more side dishes, but what’s the point in that when the main dish tasted bad.

The waitress was SO rude. She wont even look at us while taking the order, and left while we were in the middle of speaking! Not only that, but when i ordered cold water and she asked me if i wanted ice water, I nodded my head and repeated my order of cold water. She then glared at me and asked in a very annoyed tone «isnt it the same thing? i said ice water! «I was speechless. no one came to refill our cups, no one came to ask if we needed anything. They only came once the whole time we ate and that was only for the check. And the food was very unsatisfactory. Save the disappointment and go to Lighthouse Tofu, where they have a variety of dishes, amazing food, and good service. Not coming back here.

3.5÷5 stars
*NEW to the Annandale area**
Mom, dad, and I decided to give Mr. Tofu a try after a rather uneventful weekend of eating. Of course, the most well-​known soondooboo place in Annandale is Lighthouse and it’s been that way for years, so Mr. Tofu brings some much needed competition to the area. Upon walking in, you’ll notice Mr. Tofu’s décor situation is a little odd as it still resembles the previous establishment, Dolce, a wine bar/​café. There’s actually still a wine bar inside of the restaurant and plush velvety chairs, but décor is unimportant when you’re on the hunt for no-​nonsense Korean food.
We started with the buchim (Korean pancake), which was quite enjoyable. It was really thick and starchy, definitely had a nice crunch to it. My dad got the spicy mixed soondooboo (mixed = seafood, pork, beef), my mom got the galbitang (beef short ribs soup), and I went with their bibimnaengmyun (cold, spicy buckwheat noodles). I had a taste of my parents food, and all in all I can say that the flavor of the food at Mr. Tofu is very mild. That can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on what you’re looking for. When I say ‘mild’, I mean to say that the food has a pretty low flavor profile; it tastes very homemade. Lighthouses’s soondooboo has a way of KAPOW-​ing you in the face (there’s also quite a bit of MSG), but Mr. Tofu’s soondooboo is gentler, milder. Again, it just depends on what you’re looking for.
My bibimnaengmyun was pretty standard. Cold, buckwheat noodles, sliced radishes, a little bit of beef, ½ boiled egg, and spicy marinade. I prefer eating bibimnaengmyun with cold yuksu (beef broth) on the side as it tends to add a little more complexity to the naengmyun. Don’t forget to add generous amounts of mustard + vinegar! My mom really seemed to enjoy her galbitang though she did add some salt to her soup, which is rare since my mom prefers her food on the bland side. This speaks to what i said earlier about the flavors at Mr. Tofu being quite tame. They definitely go easy on the salt here, which is what I prefer, but may not be to others’ liking.
Service was really friendly and quick. The staff was genuinely interested in what we thought about the food. Oh, and I’ll end this review with… save some room for banchan (side dishes)! Mr. Tofu offers a generous spread of banchan. I was quite surprised with the variety though I didn’t really get a chance to sample much of it myself because I was so full. I’ll definitely be back for more. Next time with Will C.

The restaurant opened up last month in July in hope to gain some of the clienteles from Lighthouse Tofu. We stopped by this restaurant with high expectations, sadly they were not met, the wife especially was disappointed. As we walked in, no one greeted us, so we sat ourselves at a table. The décor is a little off, wooden chairs & tables on one side & velvet tufted chairs on another side. Our waitress didn’t write down our order & asked us 3 times to repeat, which was annoying. She later redeemed herself by providing excellent service. The menu is small & quality, flavor of the food so so. The Tofu Soup here is comparable to one you’d get from a Korean Grocery store’s inside food court. 1^st our fried dumplings came out: soaked with oil & saggy. 2^nd our Seafood Pancake: worst than the dumplings, badly soaked with oil & as you pick it up, it all falls apart. 3^rd the main course arrived, Combination & Oyster Tofu Soup: smaller size than Lighthouse Tofu, flavor was good but not great. We won’t be returning to Mr. Tofu, Lighthouse Tofu still reigns supreme in Annandale.