Jong Ka Jib Soft Tofu Restaurant

This place is the best. You won’t be sorry. It has it all — food, ambiance, service and value. Simply the best for what it has to offer.

Delicious soon du bu! Bowl was filled to the brim with spicy flavorful soup and tofu. The traditional appetizers were good as well, and tea is offered instead of ice water which is nice in the wintertime!

Been waiting for the right moment to try Soondubu and today was the day. Since so many Unilocalers suggested Jong Ka Jib we had to go. Thank you to my fellow Unilocalers. You never let down. My adventurous husband and 11 year old son enjoyed their experience here as much as I did. I ordered the vegetable clear noodles and the beef soondubu and my son and husband enjoyed the pork soondubu. We plan to return soon. It was yummy

So as a native New Yorker, I will always claim everything is better in New York. That said, this is easily the best soondubu spot in the North East. Nothing in New York can compare. The one in Fort Lee, NJ comes close but still falls short.
Of course the caveat to all this is that you have to like tofu soup to begin with. If you do, this is totally your jam. I haven’t been here in years but came after a trip to Atlantic City this past Christmas and was not disappointed.
My favorite combination here has always been the seafood soondubu and the pork kalbi. The beef kalbi is only okay, but the pork kalbi is perfectly spiced and finger licking good. I like it spicy so I go for a level 5 spice level on my soondubu and it is ridiculously good. I promise you that no other spot gives you more tofu. I highly recommend this spot.
It’s only not getting a 5 because it’s so far away. You need to open more locations!

Updating my review, quality is back up to what it used to be. I prefer the soondubu here over the new dubu place around the corner.

This is my go to place for soft tofu soup since I was in high school. The prices have gone up in recent years, but overall it is still moderately priced.
I love the fact that they give you rice in a stone pot to make nurunji after your meal. The rice in the stone pot also tastes a bit better in my opinion than regular rice.

I thoroughly enjoy Korean food, especially at this establishment. I usually get the same thing every time, a Kim Chi Soondubu (Level 5 Spicy) for $ 10 and BBQ Beef Ribs for $ 17. We usually get just those two orders for two people and we’re full by the end of our meal. Total cost comes out to be roughly $ 30 which is a great deal for great food! The sides are awesome as well and they aren’t stingy about it. Probably the best Soondubu that you can find in the Philadelphia area.
Another great perk about this place is that it is BYOB!

Not bad. Foods are salty. But I love this place. They are good but Im a picky person so I gave them 4 stars. Theres not many restaurants like this one in town

We arrived knowing nothing about this style of Korean cuisine, except that it existed. The wait staff is wonderful and helpful, although language barrier limited their assistance. I would suggest Googling and reading about the customs of soft tofu stew before going, just to eliminate those few moments of confusion.
We had a bowl of the seafood tofu stew, and one of the beef+kimchi. Both excellent! Level 4 was mighty spicy enough, and glad we did not go for 5. $ 10 for most selections ($ 12 for the most expensive) gets you a bowl of your choice of stew, rice, tea, and side dishes, and a raw egg to crack into your bowl. Your stew arrives still boiling. A giant, cheap, exciting, and satisfying meal!

Solid Dubu Place! I liked the décor of the place; definitely has a lot of traditional Korean components to it. I ordered oyster dubu, and my husband got seafood+beef dubu. Their dubu was yummy; I personally prefer their dubu over light-​house tofu chain in Northern VA/​MD area. Their side-​dishes were very good too! I will definitely come back here for my regular soon-​dubu fix.

Combination Soon Du Bu, level 4 on the spicy scale (5 is my favorite but I won’t lie, it ruins some of the taste at times because all you get is heat). You will not leave disappointed.
The little side dishes they serve are all delicious, my favorites are the spicy cucumber and kimchi. Very nice looking place with attentive staff and reasonable prices. I highly recommend this place to anyone who likes Korean food, and though I haven’t tried much else aside from the pancake (awesome) I have to imagine it’s all fantastic.

This place is known for their soondubu and they definitely do not disappoint. My girlfriend, who’s Korean, swears it’s the best soondubu in the city, and she’s the one who ultimately took me here. After hearing her rave about it for a while, we finally ended up going together and it really was as good as she said. They definitely don’t skimp on the spiciness if that’s what you’re in to – I was sweating up a storm. But don’t worry, you can customize the level of spiciness.
Speaking for her, she’s been here countless times and only ever gets the soondubu. There are a lot of good Korean restaurants in the area that could probably give this place a run for its money with other, more well-​known dishes (like bibimbap), so stick with the soondubu. You won’t regret it.

I’ve been here numerous times over the years. I don’t particularly gravitate towards soft tofu so I usually order other stuff on the menu.
I think they are decent Korean restaurant. The BBQ is sometimes overly marinated and sauced but still enjoyable. The side dishes are good.
I think I like this place mostly BC of the theme… The interior is really unique, I assume Korean inspired. Also the parking lot feels safe when you go to this neighborhood at night.

Great place for above average Soon Do Bu (soft tofu soup)!
Advised to come here with at least one person who can speak Korean since most if not all the waiters prefer speaking in Korean versus English.
Any of their Soon Do Bu’s end up tasting all about the same whether you get seafood, beef, pork, ect. You can control your spice level by ranking 1 – 10, 1 being least spicy, 10 most spicy. I recommend ordering their seafood pancake as well to complement your Soon Do Bu if you are eating among a group of friend (s). They usually allow you to refill their panchan (free side dishes) once or twice before being difficult about it.
For the rice given to you in the stone bowl, I recommend pouring the hot water they give you in a pitcher, into the stone bowl, once you have eaten most of it. This easily allows you to scrape off the crusted/​hardened rice on the sides of the bowl.
Parking can be difficult when their lot is near full as it is weirdly laid out. If you are having difficulty, street parking nearby should be ok although area does not seem the most safe.
Otherwise, pretty good Soon Do Bu, esp. on a cold, rainy, or snowy day!

Unbelievably great food accompanied with great service. Tofu soups to die for plus so much more. Definitely a must go if you’re a foodie.

Finding this gem was seriously fate. Moving away from a place where all kinds of Asian food, including Korean food, were so easily accessible, I never expected to be 10 minutes away from such a heart warming meal! Hot steamy tofu soup… I love you so much!
The soup itself is very flavorful; one of my friends from home even thought it was better than what we could find in California! Per usual, the assortment of banchan was equally gratifying. Spicy kimchi, pickled cucumbers, bean sprout salad, pickled daikon, seaweed salad, oh my! I love it all. I’ve also tried their Japchae on two occasions. While I’d still order it again, its slightly too oily for my taste but I’ll take what I can get in the Philly suburbs!
I do wish their parking lot was bigger or maybe better structured but that won’t stop me from coming back. I will visit this place time and time again because it helps transport me back home and who doesn’t like a hot bowl of soup for those cold winter nights? :)

If you like soon do bu (soft tofu soup with meat), I highly recommend this place. I couldn’t give it 5 stars because there was not enough meat. I got the seafood tofu and there was like 2 shrimps and 2 clams in the entire soup. Soon do bu was only $ 10 for any kind (maybe that’s why there wasn’t much meat?). Broth is delicious. I recommend cracking the raw egg and mixing it into the broth.
I also got the galbi, it was really flavorful!

I’ve had Soon Du Bu at other places (including the popular BCD in NYC), and this is still the best tasting.
There’s a reason this place is also known as «Soft Tofu House» — it’s their specialty and they do it right. All the Soondubus are a flat $ 10 and come in various spicy levels — none, little, medium, more, or very. I started off at little, and over the past 10 years, made my way to more spicy. It can be inconsistent at times, so I would suggest erring on the lower spice level if starting out.
The bonchon (side dishes) are good here, but there isn’t a large variety. I haven’t seen fish cakes or squid in a looong time — maybe they are no longer offered.
The soup themselves comes out in a stone bowl, piping hot. So be careful. And the soup is also served with a side of rice, also in a stone bowl. They are also served with a raw egg — so make sure you crack it into your soup while it’s bubbling!
The service is direct — take your order, serve your order, clean up. Don’t expect a chatty server. But you can chat amongst your friends over drinks, because this place is BYOB.
The pahjong (seafood pancake) and dol sot (rice bowl) are also very good here, but it’s impossible to try all that food in one visit. But if you’re up for the challenge, go for it. Personally, I just find myself just always returning for a visit.

BEST FIND EVERR
At least for me and my Korean food cravings :) I’d contend that it’s one of the best places for Korean food in Philadelphia, but there’s a lot more to this restaurant that makes it definitely deserving of 5-​stars!
For starters, I say it’s the best «find» ever because it is a good distance north of the city and you’d probably need to drive there. Since I don’t have a car, I would never have known about it if it hadn’t been for friends who HIGHLY recommended it (for good reason, I discovered!). However, they do have a parking lot, so at least that’s off your list of worries.
The inside of the restaurant is spacious and pristine, giving off a casual ambiance with a touch of traditional Korean elements. Hence, it can accommodate small groups fairly easily. For example, on my first visit, I think I came with a group of 6 – 7 and we all fit comfortably around a table, and could have probably seated just as many more on the adjacent table.
And now, the menu! As the name of the establishment suggests, its specialty is the soft tofu (soon doo boo) and it is SUCH a great deal at $ 10 for their different kinds! Kimchi soft tofu, seafood soft tofu, clam soft tofu, beef soft tofu, etc… yum! And they do it legit too — providing you with a raw egg that you crack into the stone pot of hot soup. Oh, and before I forget to mention, you can also adjust the level of spiciness when you order (if you don’t specify, they will just give you the average spicy level, I believe). If you’re not in the mood for soon doo boo, they do have other Korean food options on the menu. Admittedly, I typically gravitate immediately to the soft tofu whenever I visit, but I’ve tried the dak galbi once, which was also delicious and fairly generous in its portions.
Speaking of portion sizes, the restaurant is famous for their amazing side dishes that they refill if you ask when you finish (can’t imagine how many plates they have to wash!). With the side dishes and the rice that comes with your main meal, it’s a lot of food in my opinion. So basically, go hungry :)
And a final adorable touch is that they typically give you a little mint candy with the check, which gives the feast the proper conclusion that it deserves. Definitely a meal worth every cent in my book!

Was recommended by a friend. I love soondubu, and the last great place I’ve been for soondubu was in Parsippany NJ. I happened to be driving through the area, so I decided to stop by for lunch. The place had a few diners, but I was also early for lunch. There is ample parking in the lot on the side. I ordered the seafood pancake and the beef (very spicy) soondubu. Delicious!!! It was a lot of food, but I really wanted to try them both. The seafood pancake was good. I enjoyed the sauce it comes with it more. cause I tend to like a more crispier bite. The soondubu was just perfect how I like it. Usually order very spicy and it never is that spicy, but this was spicy! The banchan is your typical, but the bean sprouts stood out for me and had an enjoyable flavoring.
Great place! Highly recommend!