House of Tofu Soup — Restaurant in Burnaby

I have been to this restaurant many times in the past, and it was always acceptable, so I often come back for their food. However, I haven't been to this restaurant for 1 or 2 years because I do not live in this neighbourhood. And I have never eaten here during dinner time. Below experience was during a dinner time.

So my group and I, we called at 8:30pm to ask if we need to reserve a table, and they said it's fine just walk in. We went there, and it was fairly busy. We quickly ordered our food, and we did not wait long for our food. One of the waitress, she asked who ordered for this dish she was holding it, and my friend pointed at me, and I also looked at the waitress. BUT she insisted to put the food right in front of my friend, and he does not have much space in front of him. The waitress said I have no space to put food, but I actually move all my plates away to make her easy to put the dish. Before she left, she was pushing both of her hands in the air, suggesting "push all your dishes away, it's so tight here". We were very surprised at her rude attitude. I have been to many Korean restaurant, but I have never seen a waitress telling me to do this? In fact, I always make space for any upcoming food because I was a waitress once.

That was not the most rude moment I've got. I know the restaurant will be closed at 9:30pm, because I checked Google before I come, not because anyone informed me at the door or our table. At around 9:20pm, one waitress just threw our bill at our table, and telling us "we are closing in 5 mins", and left immediately with taking our sauces away. They did that to other tables, too. Normally if you are closing, people usually kindly ask the customer to pay first, not just threw the bill to customer.

I stood up and went to pay. Right after that at 9:23pm, one of the waitress stood at the other corner of the restaurant, and started switching the lights on and off. She is telling us to LEAVE RIGHT NOW. Ok, so I asked for a togo box and packed away my food. Then right after I packed, though my friend was still sitting and finishing up his food, all the waitresses came immediately and very roughly throw all the dishes to the bin. One of the older waitress said, "let's all leave together! They paid already anyways, just cleared up!" in Korean. In about 20sec, everything was gone on the table. And we were shocked and standing by the...

Food is consistent, very affordable for value and service is mostly fair. (Yes prices went up and portions got smaller but in this economy their deal still doesn’t seem unreasonable at all)

There was this one staff member, though. The waitress taking orders blatantly ignored me and went to every other table first, not sure why. Maybe because I look younger than other patron, was alone and/or don’t look like I speak Korean. She dismissively waved off my attempt to call her and tried to take orders from a table next to mine even though they weren’t even ready, and then walked off to every other table. I was not served drinking water until another staff came around even though the lady in question already got to every other seated table, which were 5 including myself at the time. If it was by order of seating, I wasn’t the last to walk in from our cluster of the lunch rush.

Maybe she was just rushed and preoccupied since it was opening hours, as this was never an issue in all my years of patronage (I’ve visited on and off since it first opened). Still, it was very off-putting. After reluctantly taking my order a good while after, she never once came back to check on me until I left. The other waitress (who I’ve seen from previous visits and was the one who got me my water and food) was cordial enough to not ruin my appetite completely. The 2 remaining “service” stars are there entirely for this other person.

Hoping this was a simple circumstantial misunderstanding. Not sure I’ll visit again anytime soon to find...

Been here regularly for its soup base. Tried its newly open branch at Hendersons Plaza food court as well. However the staff is not giving the right proportion of side dish. We used to get one set of side dishes (one egg, kimchi, green veggie and potato salad) for one Tofu Soup order. They used to be willing to give refill for veggie/kimchi as well. On Nov 7, we came as a group of five, ordered four tofu soup and one seafood pancake and they gave us four eggs and ONE set of side dish for radish, kimchi and potato salad. One set for five people! We of course asked for more kimchi etc, they were not servicing it right, like gave you reluctant face and very slow in giving the refill.

We came twice again from mid Nov till today, as a party of two. Again they gave us only one set of side dish for two people. First time, we asked but given long face. Today, we were DISAPPOINTED but didn’t want to ask. I don’t know whether it’s a standard but it’s my expectation that we can at least refill kimchi in these type of Korean restaurants.

If they are doing that for cost purpose, they should make it clear on menu, saying no refill request. But I honestly think it’s fair at least one set of side dish for one...