Lighthouse Tofu — Restaurant in Annandale

My family's been going to Lighthouse Tofu for as long as I can remember (close to 20 years probably). For the past couple years we've been hesitant going to either of the locations since we've had problems every now and then each time we'd go, but after our last visit we don't plan on ever going back.

It's unfortunate that Lighthouse Tofu, along with a lot of other Korean restaurants in the northern Virginia area, has been falling short on quality and flavors. It seems in recent years that due to the hype in Korean culture and increased interest by the western world, the flavor notes seem to be adjusting to the western palate. It boggles me why Korean restaurants feel the need to adjust to other's palates instead of keeping true to the traditional authentic Korean flavors. The side dishes used to be consistently good, but in recent years the seasoning is awful. They plaster on the mediocre seasoning. The 나박김치 / water kimchi side used to be great, but the flavors now are unbearable.

Typically in Korean tofu soup restaurants it's custom to serve the rice in the hot stone bowls. You scoop the rice and the parts that stick to the hot stone bowl get scorched and the server adds the hot tea to it to make 누룽밥/scorched rice. Lighthouse Tofu has always served this, but in our recent visit they just served us regular old rice (you can taste the difference). We asked where the stone pot rice was, and the server was confused what we were asking - first red flag. A Korean waitress came over to assist and we had asked about the rice. Her response was unnecessary and rude to my mother. In translation she had said, "Then you should've asked for it in the beginning instead of asking about it now." How were we to know that something you served for 20 years was no longer being served now? There was nothing on the menu to indicate that, and nothing was mentioned when you took our order. Truly appalled by the amount of disrespect. The waitress told us that when it's busy they don't serve the rice in the hot stone bowl, and also said that they ran out of the stone bowls which is why we didn't get one. We looked around the entire restaurant, and not a single table had the hot stone bowl rice...

We ultimately did finally get the hot stone bowl rice within the following minutes, which meant that they in fact didn't run out. For whatever reason they had it ready on deck, and just didn't serve it (or who knows they could've just nicely placed the regular rice into the bowl). In the past during non-rush hours when it was slow, there was another instance when this same issue happened, so obviously serving the hot stone bowl rice was not a matter of being busy or not. Quality control is not of high priority any more, and there is a major lack of service. This is not the Lighthouse Tofu we have grown up with. It's quite...

I’ve been a loyal customer of Lighthouse Tofu for 14 years, but over the past few months, I’ve noticed a significant decline in three key areas: customer service, food quality, and value.

Customer service: The customer service has plummeted recently, a stark contrast to what I’d come to expect. I suspect a change in management might be the cause. The warm, attentive lady who I have known to be the managing the restaurant appears to no longer be there. I was a loyal customer (1 to 2 times per week) during challenging times (covid) when customer traffic was extremely low in order to show my support. Now, the atmosphere feels unwelcoming. On my last two visits, I felt unwelcomed. A man, possibly the manager, treated me with indifference and neglect. During one visit I asked him about a particular item that appears to be missing from the order. He didn’t have a clue as to what I was talking about and seemed uninterested in helping. On my next visit, I order a soup. The sides are delivered almost immediately, but I almost finished eating them because the soup took so long (30 minutes) – despite the restaurant being nearly empty (3 tables of customers). Meanwhile, a family who arrived 15 minutes after me received their full order, including soups and a meat dish, in half that time. When I raised this with the man (who appears to be in charge), he dismissed my concern, insisting the wait wasn’t unusual and shrugging off my frustration. I told him I wouldn’t return, yet he showed no interest in resolving the issue. In 14 years, I’ve never experienced such abysmal service here.

Food Quality: The soups, a longtime favorite, have deteriorated. On my recent visits, they were overly salty and pasty, lacking the fresh, natural flavor I once enjoyed. Even the sides now carry an unpleasant, uniform saltiness.

Value: Prices have surged by about 60% over the past three years. Initially, portions held steady despite the hikes, but now they’ve shrunk—along with missing sides—while prices continue to climb. Combined with the drop in food quality and poor service, I’m effectively paying double what I did three years ago for a far worse experience. The value is simply no longer there.

This decline is disappointing for a place I’ve supported for a decade and a half. I can no longer recommend anyone...

I'll be the first to admit that I'm a bit of a soondubu jjigae addict, so when I learned that there was a tofu house right here in the DMV area, I knew I had to make my way there immediately. Sure, Lighthouse Tofu can't compare to the likes of BCD Tofu House or a tofu stew from a Korean ahjumma's kitchen, but it sure comes pretty darn close. The soondubu jjigae is absolutely delicious, comforting, and cozy. You really can't go wrong with any of their variations -- I've tried their kimchi, vegetable, and mushroom choices, and each one has been packed with flavor and deliciousness. I haven't had the opportunity to test their meat or seafood options, but with a base stew that's so incredibly flavorful and meat dishes that are, according to the testimonies of my more carnivorous friends, absolutely delicious, I can't imagine that each of their soondubu jjigae options are anything short of perfection. Their stew is the perfect consistency, just thick enough to make you feel like the stew has body and isn't a watery mess, but also not so thick that you're left wondering where the actual soup is. They offer a variety of spice levels, and I, personally, find their hot / spicy tier to be perfect, as the extra hot version dips over into the "spicy enough that this might not be particularly fun tomorrow morning" territory.

They also do a phenomenal job with the banchan, which includes kimchi, jangajji, cucumber kimchi, and a light and refreshing cold, vinegary kimchi stew that's just the perfect way to end the meal.

Their delicious food is paired with absolutely incredible service -- the servers are all incredibly kind, attentive, and friendly, and oftentimes the entire waitstaff will pause what they're doing to welcome you in and see you out. Service is speedy, the servers are always on standby to refill your banchan or barley tea (or water if you somehow aren't a barley tea fan), and the entire experience is just all-around perfection. For those who are multilingual, they offer menus in English, Korean,...