Bada Korean BBQ Tofu House

Really sucks this was a great place that serves more of a chance!!!
If you reopen in another close by location make known!!!

I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sad. After dining at BaDa for our umpteenth time (many more times than the check-​ins I remembered to make), I learned that they will be closing their doors on Tuesday or Wednesday (Dec. 30 or 31). Ugh. I am just beside myself with grief. They are such a good Korean restaurant, and not that I am such an authority on this kind of food, but I know flavor, I know what I like, and from the many Asians I’ve seen dining here, I’m guessing I’m on the right track. However, not enough people ate here, at least more often, including myself, because the owner just couldn’t sustain the overhead costs associated with running a restaurant, and so, they must close. Instead, mediocre restaurants to the tune of Chili’s, Denny’s, and KFC remain. Bada, you are badass when it comes to Korean cuisine. It’s tough to make a small business work, but keep trying, and maybe we’ll see you in another location… where foot traffic is better, and where you will be seen and recognized for your wonderful Korean food. Thanks for the great food… I hope to see you REAL SOON.

This is why I check Unilocal on a continuous basis. You never know when a brand new restaurant is going to pop up out of nowhere. My husband and I were thrilled when we heard that Bada had opened in Moorpark. I agree with another reviewer that it is more of a Tofu House and that Korean bbq with the burner at the table where you can bbq your own meat is in a different category. But for a Tofu house, this place is fantastic.
I tried their Korean Bbq tacos, and they were wonderful. I had them with the bulgogi, per the waiter’s suggestion. It comes with three tacos, salsa and cilantro on top of a tortilla. I wish that they offered them with different meats. I would have liked to try one taco with the bulgogi, one with the spicy pork, and one with kalbi, but you can only order 1 meat per order. My husband ordered the bulgogi combination plate, so it probably would have been smarter for me to try a different meat. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed it. My husband also loved his plate with the soon tofu soup. I got a side of the glass noodles with veggies, and I loved it.
You can tell that the waiter was really passionate about this place. He said that his girlfriend opened it up and was the one cooking in the back. I love places where people are excited about their food, and are invested at making it the best they can. We are looking forward to going back soon to try the bibimbap and other dishes.

I couldn’t believe there could be a good Korean BBQ/​Tofu in Moorpark. I was proven wrong! This place is owned by Koreans = authentic.
I ordered the Bibibop and Tofu soup lunch combo and that was really filling and it was tasty. I ordered the dumpling tofu and I was disappointed that they only gave ONE dumpling. That was a fail, but luckily the tofu was soft and flavorful.
They also give you sides before you get your entrée and the sides are pretty typical at any Korean establishment
They ALSO have boba here, but I didn’t order any because they don’t have a variety of flavors. Another fail.

This isn’t one of those all you can eat places with the burner embedded in your table. It’s really more of a tofu house. Consider my review within the perspective of a tofu house. I consider the other AYCE «BBQ» places a different genre.
First of all, I’m thrilled there is even a tofu house in the Simi /​Moorpark area. Last time I went to one (see my other reviews) in Torrance it sucked. The food was good but the servers were bitches and looked like they were always sucking on a lemon.
Bada is run by a young entrepreneur. Her mom does the cooking. The brother helps out over the weekends. I haven’t met Mom but the two kids are very nice, interesting, and enthusiastic. Cut them some slack, will you? If things started out a little rough (this is a relatively new restaurant), they’ll figure it out. Plus, why not just tell them how to be better instead of slinking off and writing a scathing Unilocal review. Yeah-​yeah, I have written my share of bad Unilocal reviews but generally the business already knows my complaint or has been sucking for years and just wants to suck more.
My husband, adult son, and I have been here at least 10 times for lunch. Each time the food has been very good and the service has been gracious. Sometimes too gracious. Like, some clown went in there and ordered a drink and rice and filled up on the little side dishes because they’re free and «refillable». Seriously? Tacky.
Of the little side dishes, I like the kimchee, cucumbers, and fish cake the best. They ferment their own pickled veggies and kimchee, which I appreciate. If I want to eat pasteurized kimchee out of jar I’ll get some at Albertson’s. But fresh fermented tastes great and is full of probiotics.
I have ordered the hot stone bibimbap combination, which includes Soon Tofu. It was really good. And big! I usually order the dumpling Soon Tofu, but I’ve also had the beef Soon Tofu. Both taste great; the dumpling is a tad heartier and remind me of pot stickers. Unlike phở, the Soon Tofus stay with you. If you go there for lunch and only order that, you’ll not be starving two hours later. You won’t be ravenous come dinner time.
My husband and son like the spicy pork and BBQ chicken. Both have good amounts of protein and savory-​spicy sauces. My son ordered the K-​tacos once. He said they were savory and refreshing.
Everything is served piping HOT. It practically vaporizes it’s so hot. Not only do they not undercook their meats, I don’t see how they can. I think they keep their plates and bowls in a 1600-​degree kiln. Even if you were to put raw meat on those plates (which they don’t), it would cook. Unilocalers complaining of undercooked meat must be trolls.
I realize I’m white lol. Don’t be that Asian person who thinks white people don’t have cultured taste. I and my melanin-​challenged buddies live in Southern California after all. There are lots of examples of good ethnic food within a 50 mile radius of here. Speaking of Asian people. When we go to this restaurant, there are plenty of Asians hanging out and enjoying the food, so they must think it’s authentic too.
You Unilocalers griping about the décor. WTF. It’s minimalist but you make it sound like the place is like the DMV. It’s decorated modern and unassuming. I’d rather have that than funky weird crap hanging all over the place.
They’ve applied for a beer & wine license. It will be great when they get it because I’ll go there for dinner and enjoy an adult beverage with it. Oh, and other beverages. My only suggestion (and it’s a big one they already know about), is to get a soda fountain. Canned drinks suck and boba is more of a dessert.
So, go there. You’ll like it.
PS: While I’m yapping about things being authentic: Whoever said they spent $ 46 for two entrees? I don’t think so. Can’t be done when the entrees are less than $ 15. I know I shouldn’t feed the trolls but I couldn’t resist because these kids don’t need trolls. They need real reviews. :-)

My wife and I are big Korean food fans. There’s a bit of a void of Korean restaurants in the Conejo Valley/​Moorpark area. When we make the trek to a Korean restaurants, we almost always go for the bibimbap. We have tried most of the bibimbap within a 30 minute drive of the Conejo Valley (basically between the West San Fernando Valley and Oxnard) and Bada Korean is our new favorite. The spicy chicken bibimbap is excellent and only mildly spicy. They also offer brown rice in the bibimbap, an uncommon and nice offering.
While the bibimbap was awesome, the real stand out dish was the Korean tacos. These tacos are insanely good. If word gets out about these tacos, Moorpark could become the Korean taco culinary capital of the world, people would flock and it would take 6 months to get a reservation at Bada. So keep it on the down low.
The service was great, The waitress was knowledgeable about the menu and friendly. We will definitely be return customers.

I have to say this place was amazing! My best friend is Korean so I grew up with true Korean food. This place was pretty darn good! We will be coming back and bringing our friends!

Floors are sticky which is kind of gross…
The Korean food is pretty legit. I really enjoy the food. The boba is alright. It’s hard and tasteless but the drinks are good. Overall a good place. Glad to have Korean food nearby

Not as good as Korean BBQ in Korean town, but considering as a local Korean BBQ restaurant, it is good!

I’m always up for trying new places, and this place sounded promising after reading some of the reviews here. I’m a big fan of supporting small businesses, and especially ones that add some ethnic «flavor» here in Moorpark where we could definitely use it.
I’ve been to a number of of places in the San Fernando Valley, others here in Ventura County, and some of the more popular ones in Koreatown. While Bada Korean BBQ Tofu House did provide an interesting menu, they failed to deliver on all accounts. Let me break it down for you:
Ambiance (1 out of 5)
This establishment is part of a strip mall, which is not a problem for me, but the inside had nothing going for it. The inside was really dark. I believe the walls were brown, and the décor was seriously lacking. The whole layout is uninspiring and it seemed like there was a musty smell when I was there. Ceiling tiles don’t do anything for this place either. Definitely do not take a date here.
Service (3 out of 5)
The owner was pretty enthusiastic about the menu, and gave us his recommendations. He talked about how his girlfriend does the cooking, and how they use high quality fresh ingredients. The food coming out was a little slow, and the drinks didn’t come out before we received our side dishes.
Food (1 out of 5)
This is where Bada completely loses it. Yes, they have many of the dishes you see at other authentic Korean restaurants, but the ones we tried here were poorly executed.
Side Dishes (banchan) — I don’t know the names of all of the side dishes, but these were average. Nothing stood out for me, but nothing was bad either.
Tofu Soup — I had the beef tofu soup, while my wife had seafood tofu soup. I had a hard time finding beef in my soup, and when I did the meat was chewy. My wife couldn’t find any seafood in her soup. Both soups were under seasoned and seriously lacking in flavor.
Galbi — I always look forward to this dish at a Korean restaurant, and I must say this was one of the absolute worse I’ve ever had! I’ve never seen bones so big that they took up basically half the piece of meat. The little meat that was there was so chewy and underseasoned! I was very disappointed.
Spicy Pork — The trend continues… another dish that was under seasoned. The texture could have been improved if they browned the meat a little, but again definitely below average.
BBQ Chicken — The best dish I had that night, but that’s not saying much. Decent flavor and seasoned well. Nothing to write home about, but not bad.
I really wanted to like this place, and it seems like the owners genuinely care about their establishment. It feels like they are a little over their heads, but hopefully they learn and get better. Bada does not really have any redeeming qualities, and it’s not cheap for the amount and quality of food you get. I cannot recommend this place, when almost any other Korean restaurant I’ve been to has been better than this.

The overwhelmingly positive reviews of this place both surprised and confused me.
I went a few weeks ago, excited at the prospect of enjoying authentic Korean food so close to home. The experience, however, was utterly disappointing. We had a friendly and attentive server, but while the customer service was wonderful, the food was much less impressive. It took on the appearance of Korean food, but was lacking in the rich flavoring of Korean food.
To start off with, the side dishes were horrible. Now I realize that being the Korean food lover that I am, my standards might be too high. But these was no way to look at these side dishes positively. I can’t even call them banchan. The BBQ chicken was alright, but not at all like any Korean BBQ chicken I’ve ever tasted. The japchae, overly chewy and dripping oil, didn’t taste anything like japchae should. The soondubu itself wasn’t bad, but I wouldn’t go so far as to call it good. Without finishing our food, we decided to call it a night and ordered taro flavored boba, which again, was a bit of a disappointment. All in all I felt extremely let down by the whole ordeal. Now I’m not expecting Seoul-​quality food, but they could have done so much better.
The interior of the restaurant is cool and unique for a Korean restaurant, but not in a bad way, and it’s a great idea of a Korean restaurant in Moorpark. This place has a lot of potential, it’s the food itself that could use improvements.
Seeing all of the positive reviews, I’m hoping that my experience was unique in it’s unpleasantness. It’s entirely possible that on the night I went the chef was having an off-​day or there was some other issue that may have impacted the quality of our food. I’m willing to give it a second chance, but until I taste some quality Korean food, I can’t give this place a better critique.

Great authentic Korean food!!!
I’m so happy they opened up in Moorpark. This area is lacking in real good authentic asian food. We’ve been to Bada 4 times now and each time the food has been great. The spicy pork, kalbi, bulgogi, bibimbap and tofu is yummy!!! The service has been great, never had any issues with any long waits. Whenever we need something, someone is there to respond. The owner Jenny is super nice as well.

Finally a Korean place near TO. We ordered
Ck dumplings
Japchae
Soon tofu
Bulgogi
The good: food
The bad: slowwww. It takes them a long time to prepare dishes. Also disappointed w our lack of side dishes. They have us kimchee, cucumber, and fish cake. Normally korean food gives you like 6 – 8 side dishes
Tip: get there at 530p. Don’t want to even think about how slow they would be when it’s crowded.

The food is decent, and it’s great that there’s finally a Korean restaurant in the area.
But the owners are too cheap to hire proper help. We waited 45 minutes for appetizers. The waiter was so overwhelmed by orders that he couldn’t figure who ordered what.
We had to ask for our water and side dishes. They also ran out of the sides by 8:30, and claimed that we’d come in too late. 8:30! Their dinner «rush» is 5:30−6? Really?
The appetizer finally came, but we didn’t have plates to eat from. The waiter just kept apologizing, but nothing sped up.
Come here only if you are feeling patient!

$ 7 for a lunch that has generous portions, fresh ingredients and is super yummy? I’m in!
Went for the first time today, just for lunch. Called in a take-​out order, drove over from the college and only waited for about 5 minutes. Had the tofu, which was served with glass noodles, the normal Korean-​style side dishes, salad and rice. Everything was cleverly packed in a takeout container — very nice presentation! Could have used a larger portion of kimchi, but that’s no big deal, I always need to ask for extra.
It smelled good even from the parking lot. I’ll be back to work my way through the menu.
A Korean family restaurant in sleepy little old Moorpark — what a treat! Here’s to their success!

A marvelous experience! Who would expect to find this gem in Moorpark tucked a nondescript shopping center?! They start you with little dishes of Korean home land specialitys. Refreshingly different and light. Superior steaming Bibimbap with perfectly crisped rice, sizzling rice, fresh veggies, sunny side up egg to mix into the sizzling iron bowl of delish. Rivals the best I’ve ever had. Soon Tofu soup is outstanding with its creamy soft tofu. It too is served in a hot steaming caldron and a raw egg that one cracks and stirs in, which cooks in seconds.
Now the chicken appetizer pot stickers. 8 for $$ 5.95. These are beyond great. I could make a whole meal of just those and head back the following day to get them again!
In our group we tried the BBQ Beef served sizzling on a bed of caramelized onions. Tasty, tasty.
The ambience is clean, simple and understated. This place is about the food and the experience. The staff is helpful, attentive and genuine.
What I love about Unilocal is sometimes writing a review is like standing on a mountain top and shouting it out-don’t miss this experience!!! Home run!

I was surprised to find this authentic Korean restaurant in Moorpark. Decent Korean food has always required a trip down to Koreatown or a few select places in the San Fernando Valley.
Just found out about this place yesterday. It was a bit cool today so I stopped by on my way home from a yoga class to try the Seafood Tofu soup. It was clean and fresh and spicy, just the way I like it. Nice traditional side dishes as well. I like simple food and look forward to trying the stone pot bibimbap on my next visit.
This is a great option for anyone needing an introduction to Korean food as well as the those familiar with this cuisine.

Excellent service for the one waitress that was on the floor. Bulgogi was decent and hot stone bimibap was a good sized portion.
I was excited about boba being on the menu so I wouldn’t have to go out to Simi Valley, but the boba here was pretty off. Strawberry tasted like bubble gum to me for some reason. Boba was plain, not honey flavored at all. Pretty disappointing even for ventura county standards (viet/​chinese places do it better in simi/​Thousand Oaks)
Was hoping to find a good local kbbq spot, but if it’s about the same price for just decent tasting bulgogi… I’d rather drive out to Gen’s in Oxnard for AMAZING quality all you can eat kbbq at $ 20/​person

Absolutely obsessed. Came in 20 minutes to close with my boyfriend– and asked if it would be okay for us to still dine in– and they encouraged us to come in. The staff– Abraham and Tran– are so incredibly sweet and hospitable!
Now the food– we ordered the Galbi and Bulgogi– and it was so savory and delectable. They even brought us japchae, which was such a perfect side to the meat. Thanks so much! This is going to be our new spot!

I was craving Korean food on New Years Day so I came here with a couple of friends. At first, we were a bit skeptical since there aren’t many Korean places in the Ventura county area, and when we walked in it was a bit empty (this wasn’t surprisingly since they opened the day before on New Year’s Eve).
After tasting the food on the menu, we were pleasantly surprised. We had three signature combos, which is an entrée plus the tofu soup.
1. We chose the Spicy Pork, Bulgogi, and Stone Pot Bibimbap, and having tried all three, I must say that they are all incredibly delicious. Unlike a few other places, the sizzling stone plate really is sizzling (it isn’t just a heated plate) = flavor explosion.
2. The soup is just the cherry on top of the meal. You can opt for mild, medium, or extra spicy, and we all got extra spicy – it was the perfect amount of spice without being overpowering. The soup comes in a sizzling stone bowl and contains tofu, beef, and a few other ingredients. The tofu is super soft, the beef is tender, and the fresh egg drop makes the other two even better.
This combo will run you about 15 bucks, but it’s well worth the price since the amount of food you get will definitely fill you up. We were three hungry guys and we barely finished everything plus the sides. You can also ask for additional side dishes and rice if you’re that hungry, but I doubt you’ll need to.
Overall, I am really happy with the food and service in this place. I frequently eat at joints in Ktown to sate my Korean cravings, and I can say that this place is on par, if not better than many of the places inside Koreatown. BaDa’s side dishes aren’t exceptional, but the main courses will definitely keep you happy. I’m just so glad to know that I won’t have to drive 40 miles into LA to get proper Korean food.
You should note that this place is not a KBBQ with open grills, and everything is prepared in the kitchen by the chef. It’s more of a casual sit-​down restaurant with booths to eat with a few friends. The menu has limited options for its dishes, but everything that it does have is very well made. In total, there are only 4 appetizers, 3 soups, and 7 dishes. In this case, fewer menu options really does equate higher food quality.
Other notes: Didn’t get to try the boba or the appetizers, but will definitely get it next time I go.
⁵⁄₅ Will definitely bring other friends to eat there again