Chung Dam Tofu — Restaurant in Artesia

Updated on 4/12/21

Stopped by last minute for a quick bite and they did not disappoint. Place wasn’t very busy around 8:30pm on a Friday night, so outside was already cleaned up and only had tables set inside. I told them we had a dog with us and preferred to sit outside instead of leave our dog inside the car and they quickly set us up outside even though they had to bring out the chairs again with all the place settings. Needless to say, service was excellent from there on and food was on point as usual. Kalbi ribs, bulgogi, tofu soup and cold noodles were all fantastic. ———- They are open for dine in! I wish I lived closer as they are quickly becoming a favorite Korean dining spot for me. They didn’t have the chayote squash I loved before, but the cucumber kimchi was the best I’ve ever had. The night was pretty chilly but I promised myself that I would try their cold noodle (neng myun) special, which is BOGO. The picture shows one traditional cold noodle and the other being spicy noodle (no broth) but found out you have to order two of the same type, so we went with the traditional which is my favorite. It didn’t disappoint, but I did learn that the 2nd/free one doesn’t come with meat or egg, so not best for sharing. Really good if you’re hungry and want extra noodles, broth and veggies. Will revisit for next warm afternoon. Also ordered the kalbi ribs and tofu soup combo. Pricy at almost $30, but some of the best tofu soup I’ve had. Tofu soup seems tp be pretty standard for every neighborhood these days and most are pretty good, but when you have a chance to try a premium version like the one here, you appreciate the extra care and layers of flavor, not to mention having protein in every bite vs searching for it and wondering if there was any. The kalbi is good, but have to admit it’s not the best but right up there with some of the best and not as greasy or fatty as some others. All in all, a great experience including service which is spotty at many Korean restaurants due to language, but they do try very hard and is more than above avg our drinks were refilled, banchan refilled and they checked on us frequently even though we were outside and the only ones dining in. It’s too bad the seating is limited outside since the set up is so nice, but hoping they can keep the business running until we can eat...

Drop what you're doing and go to Chung Dam Tofu! This place was incredible and is the perfect spot for authentic Korean cuisine. The staff was incredibly welcoming and helped walk me through the menu. The menu provides plenty of options for groups so make sure to come hungry with friends. I ordered a few dishes and was not disappointed! I put in an order for the BBQ beef short ribs, the chilled soup of buckwheat noodles in beef broth, and the bimbibap with kimchi. Each dish really shined and showed the quality and care of the chef. I would definitely say that each dish was crafted and thought and precision put into each dish. Here is a breakdown of the dishes I ordered:

-The BBQ beef ribs were my favorite. The meat was tender and the perfect balance of sweet and savory. I loved every bite!

-The most authentic Korean dish was the chilled soup of buckwheat noodles in a beef broth. There are not many restaurants around that serve chilled soups and definitely not many that make em this delicious!

-The bimbibap was also incredibly delicious. The rice was cooked perfectly and the presentation of the dish with the vegetables was stunning and appetizing! The kimchi added the perfect tanginess, texture, and zing needed for this dish.

This is an incredible spot for truly authentic Korean cuisine. I highly recommend anyone to try this spot out, I definitely will be going...

I have never written a negative review before but I am so peeved. We stopped by this restaurant for dinner because we were craving Korean food. The food was alright, nothing special, had better elsewhere. However, the customer service was horrible. For the price you’re paying, it’s honestly not worth it. No one came by our table to check up on us even ONCE after our food was served. Didn’t even bother to flag down a waiter because they never even came our way. A waitress, an older Korean woman with short hair and glasses, rang up our bill and had the audacity to demand a tip. How do you shamelessly demand a tip when the service was entirely lacking?? We always tip reasonably wherever we eat but the fact that she rudely forced us to CHOOSE a tip option of 18% or 20% was ridiculous. We didn’t want to make a scene about it, tipped them what they didn’t deserve and got outta there. Just stick with your go-to Korean restos. This ain’t worth your...