Must Eat: Tofu-Ya, Los Angeles, CA

My brother and his family are visiting this weekend. For lunch, per his request, we went to his favorite restaurant in LA, Tofu-Ya. Let me preface this post by explaining that outside of Los Angeles, it can be difficult to find good Korean BBQ. Luckily for us, we've heard that there are quite a few options in Los Angeles. We haven't gotten around to try many of the ones in Koreantown yet, but we do give Tofu-Ya props for it's convenient location on the West Side and for it's consistently delicious food. Every time we've eaten there, we have left happy - satisfied and very full.

I always get the Dolsot Bimbimbop (Korean fried rice). It is nicely balanced, with a generous serving of vegetables and meat. The BBQ meat platters (cooked in the kitchen vs at your table) were all fantastic, though our favorite was the pork bulgogi.

Pork Bulgogi

Kalbi-Short ribs

Beef Bulgogi

In addition to the BBQ meats, Tofu Ya serves delicious bowls of Soon Tofu (tofu stew) that you can order by itself, or as a combo. A filling meal including complimentary appetizers ("banchan" - customary in Korean cuisine), rice, BBQ and tofu soup for approximately $20 a person will leave not just your stomach, but also your wallet, happy.

PS - If you have room for dessert, you can go to bearded papa (cream puffs) and volcano tea (bubble tea) down the street!

Tofu Ya

http://www.tofuyabbq.com/

2021 Sawtelle Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 473-2627