Chodang Tofu House — Restaurant in Elk Grove Township

I’m so glad that we found this place! We came to Chicago from Ohio to spend our long weekend and this is easily one of the best meals we had during our time here. It’s not located in the city so requires a bit of a drive but is so worth it. I love the homey atmosphere and the welcoming staff. The food tasted like mom’s cooking, warm, satisfying, made with care and love, and so so delicious.

We ordered a summer special - spicy cold noodles. I’ve never had this dish before but wanted to try due to how hot and humid it was the day we went. This dish was amazing. The spiciness and coldness was refreshing and got our appetite going right away. The noodles was cooked to perfection, chewy and full of flavors. The cucumber, egg, and beef slice, although simple, added a nice touch and so much flavor and texture. This whole dish came together so beautifully. If we come back in the summer next time, I also want to try the regular cold noodles and soy milk noodles. Everything looked so good!

We also ordered a seafood and beef tofu pot with white rice. I personally loved the rice and the brown crispy bits near the bottom of the pot. So thankful for the lady that came and shared with us how the rice should be enjoyed! I also loved how tender and soft the tofu in the hot pot is. Everything was so flavorful and the warming, and getting to add the egg to our own pot was amazing and added so much flavor.

I also wanted to say how awesome the side dishes are! It’s refillable and every single dish was so amazing. I’m thankful for the young lady that offered us cucumber, that, the fish cake, the bean sprouts and the radishes are my favorites.

I’ve never been to Korea but lived in Taiwan for a long time. There are plenty of nice Korean styled restaurants there, but I struggled to find delicious Korean places in Ohio after moving to the states. I’m so happy I found this place. We will definitely be back for more the next time we visit Chicago. Thank you for having us and feeding us...

After multiple coworker recommendations, I finally got to try this place and wow..!!! Definitely one of my favorite restaurants since moving to the state (honestly in my all-time top favs).

As other reviews have noted, the soondubu broth is very hearty and there’s a distinct depth of flavor that I don’t think other places have. The tofu itself is also very rich and doesn’t get overpowered by the spice or other ingredients. I also tried the kimchi and scallion pancakes, galbi, and bulgogi over my past 2 visits and everything was delicious. The pancakes were crispy yet fluffy on the inside without being too oily, and the BBQ items had just the right touch of sweetness. The nutritious rice was also amazing (perfectly nutty and a tad sweet) and I haven’t stopped thinking about it! I’m confident that this food would instantly make me feel better during a cold or after an exhausting day of work. Oh, and don’t forget about the banchan! I think their ojingeojeot (?) with the salted squid and daikon is the best banchan dish I’ve ever had in my life.

I must also mention the staff are super friendly and attentive and you can tell they really put so much love and hard work into preparing and serving each dish! I loved the banchan so much that I asked if they sell it, and our waitress gave us some extra to take home for free which was so kind. But I really do hope they’ll consider selling to-go packs of the banchan one day. Looking forward to...

This is the best soon tofu stew in the Chicago period. Sure, SGD tofu is more popular but its franchise and lacks flavor. Its hit or miss at SGD but here at Chodang, it hits every time.

After ownership changed, I havent had a time to try, and I was a bit skeptical thinking if the quality would be the same, but it was as good as before.

I'm glad they didnt change their banchan style, especially spicy squid. Although I want to say there were a bit less ratio of squid mixed with radish, considering the cost and etc, I understand.

I also tried their newest protein, intestine, and it was so good. I love intestine in any way, grilled or in a soup.

Not sure if BCD would ever make it to Chicago but chodang is not too far from BCD in terms of taste in my opinion. In LA, there are so many good korean restaurants that when you make a trip down there, you tend to overlook BCD Tofu, although its really good. Chicago tough, with lack of korean restaurants in general, Chodang is a great choice.

Service is on top of it, price point is not cheap but it is what it is. Galbi is decent.

Make sure to crack egg as soon as possible and put it in soup, or you can mix it in hot rice. Remove rice from the pot, ask for hot water and pour into pot. You will have awesome nurungji for later, aka cruncy overcooked rice...