DuBu

This was my first trip to DuBu and the experience ensures that it won’t be my last. My family and I checked in with the host, he gave me buzz disk and told me it would be about 10 minutes.

Wait time and décor:
The décor was warm and earthy. I loved the wall paper consisting of the process of making Dubu. I was also pleasantly surprised to see a little play area for kids. I loved the idea of a play area as you know kids have a ton of energy and this keeps them from running around the restaurant. The wait wasn’t long, less than 10 minutes actually.
Food:
We had a very nice server who checked in on us without being hasty. She was very mindful of giving us the time we needed to go through the menu. We ended up ordering the fried dumplings and japchae for our appetizer to share. Mom ordered a veggie soondubu (not spicy), dad ordered the seafood soondubu (not spicy), brother ordered the Kimchi soondubu (3^rd level spicy), husband ordered the veggie soondubu (4^th level spicy), and I ordered the mushroom soondubu (2^nd level spicy) with a stone pot rice with the name «nutritious» due to the fact that it had a hodge podge of nuts, carrots, and peas (I highly recommend!).
The little dishes came out first and my family and I loved every dish. It consisted of kimchi, fried fish (each one of us had our own), mashed potatoes with some veggies in it, broccoli with mushrooms, soft tofu in a spicy marinade, and a dish of either fish cakes or tofu cakes.
Food in general was delicious and the flavors were well balanced in each dish.
If you’re still reading this, I encourage you to drop on by. You won’t be disappointed.

So I understand, we came in close to closing time — 9:45pm (ok so sorry), so why not just let us know before seating us that the kitchen is closed or that you’re not serving anymore? Instead, we get seated, served quickly, then told not to come so late next time (he tried to be polite about it), and within 2 bites of our entrees — 10:15ish, we are handed the check to pay because they’re closing their cash register. I honestly would’ve been ok if they told us kitchen is already closed instead of rushing us to eat within 10 minutes of being served. The food was ok, but overpriced compared to other Korean restaurants. Service was just super rushed and they made sure we were out of there on the dot at 10:30. My friends and I should’ve won the quickest sit down experience at a non-​fast food Korean restaurant.

5 stars food, 5 stars service!
My cousin and I had decided to come here for lunch and I remember him being very Asian with his eyes popping out when he saw Dubu’s menu prices. I tried to assure him that Unilocal reviewers have said the food is worth it, but dear cousin was skeptical (guess we know who’s better at saving money).
Well, this restaurant is doing something so right! Cousin said, «I gotta admit. This is really good and worth $ 20 after all (LA galbi soondubu jeongsik).» He also LOVES kimchi and said it was the best he’s ever had and because of it, he went from «I don’t know if I’ll ever be back because it’s so far» to «I will be back just for this kimchi!» He also said the soondubu was really good.
Me? I absolutely fell in love with the sides! I especially loved the fish. I just loved the variety of sides they give you and all were yummy. And the service! I spoke a little Korean, but the staff knew from me constantly switching back to English that I was not Korean, but unlike some other Korean places that I’ve heard, your service does not get worse just because you’re not Korean. Our server, a middle-​aged Korean lady, was so kind and respectful, and even joked around with us. And all the staff members always say hi and bye to you. It’s really wonderful that they take that extra step!
Dubu, thank you!

Coveniently located near Hmart. I was impressed as soon as I walked through the door. The décor is clean and classy. It’s not your mom and pop Korean restaurant! The have a play room with a tv screen in the dining area to monitor kids while you’re eating and they’re playing.
Service was friendly and quick and food was reasonably priced. I appreciated that they automatically replenished the side dishes without us having to ask. We ordered the small korean pancake ($ 9) and 3 different kinds of soft tofu soup ($ 13/​each) — chicken (it was a special), mixed (seafood and beef) and dumpling. Refer to the menu for the amount of spice you want. Everything came out perfectly and delicious!

Very impressed with the taste of the food and the employee there is super nice. Omg I would definitely go there again. Spent about $ 40 and there is so much food served with the main plate. The service was really fast there, the food was up in less than 10 – 15 minutes and it taste sooo good. I would definitely recommend others to come here.

Visited here with a group of friends and I really liked their clean and modern interior. It’s good for larger groups and intimate one-​on-​one meals. If you have kids, they had a little play area that’s glassed off (for sound) with a climbing rock wall. And there’s CCTV set up so that you can watch your kids from your table while you eat. So that’s different and very family friendly.
Now as far as the food goes, it’s just ok. There’s amazing soondubu down the street on 5^th (Jong Ga Jip) but that place is not as clean or family friendly.
Service here is better than most other Korean restaurants so that’s a big plus.
There’s also a Caffe Bene right next door so if you’re up for some desserts afterwards, it’s convenient to have that right there.
All in all, an ok experience for me mainly because I found the food to be ok. I’d come here again with friends if they wanted to but I wouldn’t make this my first choice in soondubu.
Parking: Shared lot
Price: $ 9+
Wait: 15 mins after ordering

This place does a lot of things right. Moderately priced Huge portions of Korean food. The fried fish that comes in the beginning of your meal will definitely appeal to the older Korean generation.
Moving on to their main attraction; the soft tofu stew. The taste is right up there with another tofu place a few minutes away, but I do feel that they have a bit of catching up to do with the ingredients used. Again, the taste is there but the contents can feel a little lacking. Will not stop me from visiting again and again though

Lunch specials/​combo is good deal!
Classy restaurant
The best kimchi and the most tender kalbi
Excellent staff
Dinner is also great. Kalbi jim is excellent.

HOLY. CRAP. This is my favorite restaurant in Philly right now, I can’t even think about this place without drooling and wondering when I can go back next. I’ve gone with Korean friends on multiple occasions, and we’ve gotten all sorts of dishes… but my two favorites are Jeyuk Dubu Kimchi (pork and kimchi served on a hot plate, with tofu on top – friggin DELICIOUS), and this kalbi soupy dish with the fat sweet potato noodles they use in japchae – oh man I just couldn’t get enough. Sorry, don’t know the name, it was on a special menu.
My friends and I were supposed to go back on Monday, and due to a conflict we didn’t end up going – and I’ve basically been crying in a corner for several days and trying to find another time for us to go back. MOAR KOREAN FOOD. ALL THE KOREAN FOOD.

4 stars for food
3 stars on overall experience
Lots of comparisons to Jong Ka Jib, my take is that they are very different styles. Jong Ka Jib tastes light and clean, flavors are subtle and it seems more soupy. Du Bu tastes heavy and dense, like sensory overload. A much thicker consistency. The flavoring was excellent though.
We went on a Sunday for a late lunch. They had a play room up front for kids which I guess encourages families to come. There must have been a large gathering in the back room because there were probably 7 – 8 kids running wild all over the restaurant. Keep in mind that there is piping hot tofu soup being served and it just doesn’t seem like a good idea. Neither wait staff nor manager made an attempt to keep the kids from running around and screaming all over. Also due to the layout of the seating, wait staff have to walk in large circles to serve food so the wait staff all seemed to be running around as well.
All in all just felt like a very hectic/​chaotic experience.
Food is a toss up depending on what style you prefer but I much prefer the peace and quiet of Jong Ka Jib.

Going to have to agree they are better than Jong Ka Jib in terms of taste for their soft tofu, but they were inconsistent on their spicy level and I encountered poor service during dinner times (never lunch though — perhaps it’s a sign I should only go for lunch hours)
Disappointments:
— was given the soft tofu (soondubu) bowl with noodles, but the egg cracked inside would not cook so my boyfriend ate around the raw egg (yuck)
— my family did not receive the orders they asked for
— the spicy level was inconsistent; our 3 tasted like a 4, and the 4 tasted like 5 making it unbearable in the mouth to eat without gasping for air and a cup of water
— checks were messed up and charged wrong
Not to discourage anyone from trying DuBu, they are solid in terms of taste, just be careful and aware when you’re ordering

I was very impressed by the restaurant, and how friendly the staff was!
I love the appetizers, and the soup
I had the mixed soondubu soup I loved it.
The manager showed me how to prepare it for eating. It’s was busy and he took the time to show me how to eat it. I’m always willing to try different things as well as learning a new culture
I would recommend Dubu to anyone that enjoys
Korean BBQ and Dubu
Dubu has a very pleasant atmosphere about it
Stop in and enjoy!

DuBu is a new competitor in the market of Korean restaurants in the area and to be honest, I think they are strong competition. The restaurant is located on the left side of H-​Mart, in a newly constructed building with its own parking lot. But you can park at H-​Mart and walk over. Upon entering, you can see a small children’s play area with toys and cameras so parents can keep an eye on their kids in the dining area.
There’s booth and table seating areas throughout the restaurant. Once seated you get rice water or rice tea which is seriously my favorite thing. It’s so refreshing because I don’t have it often. For lunch, they have a special where you can get DuBu and an entrée for one price which is totally worth it! For dinner, you would have to order the two items separately. With any Korean dining experience, you’ll have Banchon, which are side dishes that accompany your meal. Here in addition to the banchon, you get your own fried fish where was really good.
Once you food comes out, the servers scoop your rice out of the stone pot for you and fill it with hot water. After you complete your meal, you’re supposed to eat the porridge from the stone pots which is the best thing!
This place is definitely worth the price and drive (depending on where you’re coming from)

My new favorite Korean restaurant (when eating with non vegetarian friends) in the Philadelphia area. I went twice in one week. The service is fantastic. I am extremely impressed as most places, the service is average, at best. Now onto the food…
— Haemul Topokki: I would not recommend it. The sauce is just spicy; no sweetness and it is very seafood tasting.
— Haemul Pajeon: Recommend. Its not as large as most Korean places, but it is pan fried very well. Crispy on the outside. A little chewy on the inside with lots of seafood and scallions.
— Seafood Soondubu: Recommend. Close running with Jong Ka Jib. I only got the lunch portion (that came free with a meat dish), so it was a bit smaller. However, it was delicious. Great broth. Lots of ingredients. And they have rice in stone pot as well.
— Pork Bulgogi: Delicious. Well marinated. A little spicy. A little sweet. Lots of onions. On a hot pot. Very tasty with rice.
Side dishes aren’t the best but the kimchi is so good!

At any Korean restaurant the pre-​meal ban chan can tell you about the meal you are about to partake in. Here, the number of options were slightly less than others, but the quality of each little dish was high: spicy kimchee, chive pancakes, potato salad, cold calamari salad. The cold tofu was exceptionally good, a good sign.
Tofu was also appreciated in another appetizer form– fried and stuffed with meat alongside a tasty sesame dressing coated salad (dubu gui).
Jap chae is never something that gets my juices flowing, but Dubu’s, served hot with pieces of finely chopped meat, was exceptional– perhaps even my favorite of all times. It really comes down to those bits of meat, clinging to the sticky noodle.
The pajeon was greasy in the best way and packed with seafood, we finished our wedges quickly.
From the many types of soondubu, tofu stew, we tried a mild dumpling and a spicy kimchee. Our waiter cracked a raw egg in to each stew tableside as they bubbled. I started with the milder tofu bowl, savoring the more subtle flavors and the well crafted dumpling. The fiery kimchee stew spooned over rice impressed everyone at the table, all who happened to be soondubu pros.
I generally really love galbi– Korean Short Ribs– Dubu’s come out sizzling, but the smell of it compelled me to immediately grab a rib to gnaw on. And I couldn’t stop. My pile of bones was impressive.
Dining in Dubu is a pleasure. The staff is accommodating, parking is plentiful, and there is even a kid’s room. Most importantly they put out quality food that can go head to head or even surpass the best Korean spots in the city.

Breh, the best soondubu evarr! Try any of them, it will be tasty.
Only con is it isnt in center city or chinatown…
Along with the amazing sides, I never had such a well balanced meal in my life. Im a definite regular.

Dobu is a must visit Korean BBQ place. Food is not BBQ on table though. Ambiance is good. Service is excellent. Has wine and beer on menu.
Has good parking.

I loved eating here!!! The staff was really friendly and very attentive. Had SoonDubu with seafood which was amazing. I also have to say that the Tteokbokki was the best I have ever had! The Banchan dishes were really tasty too! I left so stuffed and regretted overeating, although it seemed to be the right thing to do at the time.
They also have what looks like a really fun playroom for kids, and they have TV’s with video feeds of the playroom so parents can see their children. Very well done!

I went for dinner with a group of nine. The service was impeccable. Everyone was very friendly, attentive, and not too invasive. The water was refilled timely and they gave us enough banchans for our big group. DuBu is not stingy with their food and their ingredients. I was very surprised that I got chunks of beef in my kimchi beef soft tofu. (Probably due to the fact that I frequent Jong Ka Jib’s who barely gives anything.) I enjoyed my food and it was very nice for the server to serve my rice for me and then pour the tea into it. I also really like their fresh kimchi and was surprised that they used raw oyster. Ate the oyster by accident and it was super fishy but it didn’t effect the rest of the kimchi so I don’t know if I hate the fact it has oysters or not.
I am excited to comeback to try other things off their menu. I do want to mention that their lunch menu and dinner menu are priced differently so be warned! And it seems that they rotate what banchan they serve.

I am sincerely excited that this place has opened. Finally, a 5-​star worthy Korean restaurant in Philly that I can proudly take my NYC Korean friends when they visit!
My parents and I tried this place out yesterday. Walking in, we see a room for kiddies with a mini rock-​climbing wall. The place has high ceilings, plenty of seating with wooden tables and also private group rooms in the back of the establishment. There is a private lot that also connects with the H Mart parking lot next door.
The banchans were good– the Mook (acorn jelly) was the best I’ve had in the Philly area: great sauce, but the texture of the mook was dense with the right amount of bitterness. We also each got a plate of Gulbi (fried croaker), which was nice, though the size is smaller than you’ll see in comparable restaurants in NYC.
I tried the Dumpling soondubu, and the soup had great flavor, though I only got three dumplings. My parents got the Spicy Octopus Stir-​Fry which came on a fried tofu bed! The sauce for this was amazing, and I wish I could’ve made fried rice out of it. My parents especially enjoyed the Spicy Raw Crab– they remarked how great the sauce was, but most importantly, how substantial the crabs were. This dish isn’t offered as an entrée in other Philly restaurants, and I would come here for this dish alone.
Overall, we loved all the dishes. The prices are higher than that its competitors, but everything was delicious. They also offer a Naengmyun (cold noodles), Korean BBQ and also a special section for vegetarians. Another note-​worthy thing is that the staff is multi-​ethnic, so English is not a problem here.