Lee’s Tofu - Gardena, CA
Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008Address: 1743 W Redondo Beach Blvd, Gardena, CA 90247
Telephone: (310) 323-0006
Website: N/A
Bill: Approx. $8 / person
Recommend? Yes
It’s funny - I mentioned having Korean tofu for lunch one day to a colleague of mine, and she invisioned a slab of tofu being served on a plate. Oh no, that’s not close at all!
If you like meals that serve a lot of side dishes, Korean tofu is your best bet. Many Korean tofu restaurants serve a side of salad, kimchi, potato salad, seaweed, bean sprouts, and cucumber. Aside from all the tasty side dishes, there is a menu full of choices of which “flavor” tofu you want.
Seafood tofu, combination tofu, dumpling tofu, kimchi tofu, mushroom tofu, beef tofu, clam tofu. Then you get to decide how spicy you want it. White (which is not spicy at all - the soup base is literally white) , mild, spicy, or extra spicy. I can’t handle too much so I usually opt for the mild. It’s just enough for me to taste the flavors.
I ordered the seafood tofu, which has a little bit of shrimp, clams, and oysters. The tofu was very, very soft and the flavor is just right. The tofu comes in a stone pot and is still sizzling when served. They give you an uncooked egg so if it fits your fancy, you can crack the egg into the sizzling stone pot. It’s so hot that it will cook the egg - just make sure you mix it. You also get rice, which is also served in a stone pot. It’s very hot so don’t try to get the rice yourself. Have the waitress scoop it out for you.
Of course, tofu is not the only thing on the menu. There’s also the BBQ ribs that is marinated in their sweet BBQ sauce. That is served on a sizzling iron plate. You can also order the bimbimbop. It’s vegetables over rice mixed with their sweet red sauce.
The shop itself is next to a Japanese restaurant. It’s also a little bit small, but the service is great. Parking may be difficult to find if all the other restaurants get packed.
So would I return? Definately.
Have you dined at this restaurant? Share your experience with me by commenting below.