Rolled in on a Saturday evening, which turned into dinner and drinks - drinks happened downstairs at Duba, also recommend. We ordered the Kalbi, Soon Doo Boo, and Ohjinguh Bokkeum. Definitely recommend all, but was pleased by the bokkeum; lots of flavor and loved the caramelized rice. Definitely filled by the end; rolled downstairs for beer and soju, great spot for drinks. Definitely recommend their honey butter chips. read more

DuBu - Korean Near Me - Elkins Park, Pennsylvania

The food was so good. The service was amazing. The portions are generous. We will definitely be back. Five stars all around read more

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I got takeout for dinner here. I got the seafood pancake, bimbimbap and la galbi. It was probably 2 hrs after food was cooked before we ate it but everything was delicious. The pancake had a lot of seafood and the dipping sauce was very good. The galbi was expensive but very very tender and there was a good amount. They gave some banchan Togo and was good too. read more

First time being here! I am impressed by what they served for side dishes! Food tastes good, portion as expected and good pricing. Great experience overall! I am a big fan of Korean food and have tried many places; I think this is my favorite Korean Restaurant thus far! read more

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Food and ambiance was fantastic. I deducted a star because due to a language barrier one of my dishes was whisked away before I was finished with it. Also, along with the handful of appetizers they bring (kimchi, etc) they dropped off 2 eggs for my friend and I. We assumed they were hard boiled. No one mentioned them to us and when our delicious boiling soup came out we started on it when it had cooled a little. Towards the end my friend decided to peel his egg and it was actually a fresh egg that we then assumed we were supposed to have cracked into our soup when it was at its hottest! It would definitely have been even more delicious. Wish it would've been mentioned! read more

I was there today it was very busy as always .I went there for lunch with a friend she always order for us ? And she always makes good choices. I have to say the food was Great! So if your in the Neighborhood you must try this place out for a great Korean food read more

This place is a treat!! The service is always top level, the food is consistently delicious and authentic. The portions are big, so you do get your money's worth. They have a really nice interior design, so it is one of the more nice Korean restaurants in town. Highly recommend for special night out or lunch! read more

DuBu - Mulnengmyeon, Bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Elkins Park, Pennsylvania

This is the only Korean restaurant I eat in Philly (ok, maybe Seorabol). Being a Korean American I am very picky with where I eat Korean food, this place repeatedly delivered wonderful food. Every time I have been here the service has been great, clean, and food delicious. I always get mushroom soondubu with either regular or mild spice level. To be honest, I haven't tried their other entrees because they are soondubu (tofu stew) specialist after all. I love their banchan (side dishes) with individual fried small whole fish, freshly made kimchi, and other delicious sides. I usually get white rice, but I'm trying to avoid extra carbs so this time I got their healthy nutritious rice (multi grain grains and rice with chestnuts and ginseng root). I really liked it! I love the fact that the rice also comes in a clay pot (just as their soondubu), and after you're finished with your rice they pour hot water in the rice clay pot and you can enjoy the crispy rice in hot water! It actually is a palate cleanser too! I usually go their before the lunch rush hits around 11:30am. I would probably avoid the weekend because the parking lot is a zoo since there are other restaurants and H-Mart there. read more

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Great food! Great ambiance and food was out super quick! Service was phenomenal, always kept coming out to give more rice and tea

I've been here many times and the food is excellent. Although it's bit pricey, they give you a TON of food. They give you a fried fish and a slew of side dishes to start, and both the soft tofu, hot pan fried rice, and the cold noodle dish are delicious. The staff is always helpful, and it comes with a small playground area for kids to play in. The bathrooms are clean and orderly. It's a pretty safe bet to come here whenever you want Korean food. read more

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I was told this place serves Army tofu soup with jjol myun (chewy noodles) so I had to go and try it and it was definitely worth it. When we arrived at the restaurant, they sat us right away. Our waiter was quick about taking our order and bringing out water and side dishes. The restaurant provided several side dishes and they were all decent but I wish not all of them had spicy seasoning to it. My food came out and it was steaming hot so I had to let it cool a bit before eating it. Unfortunately by the time I ate my food, the noodles were over cooked (my fault for waiting for it to cool). Otherwise the food was delicious and I will be going back again. read more

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Foodie? Love food? Love authentic food? Love quality food? DuBu should be your top pick! I've heard so many great things about DuBu and have been dinning here since 2016. Each experience has been consistent in their quality, service, and flavor! You'll be served some amazing Korean side dishes, that may include kimchi, picked radish, mashed potatoes with apples, fish cakes, kalbi, fried fish, ginger salad and this selection is always rotating! Now due to COVID-19, they only serve water in a bottle instead of their refreshing iced tea water. All of their hot dishes including their soups, bibimbap, tofu soup is served in a hot bowl! You know its always fresh and sizzling when it arrives at your table. Here are some recommendations: (Small size feeds 2-3 people) seafood pancake, bugolgi, galbi, bibimbap, and (seafood, everything, mushroom) dubu. The only thing I recommend is that if you want to substitute an item in this dish, they will charge you regardless as this replacement is considered an addition. The environment is super friendly, with well dressed staff. There's also a playroom filled with safety walls for children that is currently closed. read more

We really enjoyed the great flavors. We had the La Galbi & Tonkatsu. There are a lot of meat & vegetarian options! Something for everyone. It was busy, but no wait. The service was great:) read more

Good food definitely has a kick if you love spicy food, wish they had some more options but still was impressed good portions for what your paying! Staff very friendly read more

DuBu - Spicy pork - Korean Near Me - Elkins Park, Pennsylvania

I had a birthday dinner party for my husband. Most of them, it was their first time trying out Korean food. They were impressed! I didn't know what newbies would like to eat. So my menu was like this:(4) LA kalbi, (2) seafood pancake, (2)spicy squid-medium spicy, (2) spicy rice cake-medium spicy, (2) pan-fried vermicelli noodles, and (3)seafood soondubu. We had table of 15 people. Newbies loved the foods! They had a blast! It was very successful birthday dinner for my husband!! I have pictures but it was after we ate most of it! read more

DuBu - We had great time!! - Korean Near Me - Elkins Park, Pennsylvania

I've been meaning to make the trip to Elkins Park to sample some of the many Korean restaurants located there for months now. Dubu definitely ensured that I'll be coming back soon. The restaurant is tucked into the back of the HMart shopping plaza so it's kind of hard to spot from the road. The inside is very clean and the overall aesthetic of the dining room is more modern than I had expected. The service is pretty quick but I will say that the woman taking our order had a pretty hard time understanding English: she didn't seem to understand what we were saying when we asked about the size of the seafood pancake. It was awkward but once the banchan arrived I quickly forgot all about that. The fried mackerel(?) was a nice touch and the kimchi was quite spicy. The small seafood pancake ended up being plenty enough for two: you get about two plate filling slices per person. We ordered the lunch special, the galbi with the mixed soondubu, which was an amazing deal. The ribs were super meaty and seasoned wonderfully and sit on a bed of skillet fried onions. The tofu stew had plenty of beef but i wish it had a little more seafood in it. Otherwise it was super comforting and hearty. I was very impressed and most importantly full by the end of our meal. It was probably the best Korean food I've had in Philly. I couldn't believe that our meal only cost $30-35 total for how much delicious food we got. This place can't be missed if you're willing to make the trip. read more

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This place is super tasty! I frequent the area but had never been, it's crazy I've been missing it. We did the japchae and Kimchee soondubu with pork, spicy. Both were delicious, and we couldn't finish either. We also started with the steamed dumplings, but that wasn't the reason we didn't finish. All three were delicious... But we think we could have gone down one notch in the spicy scale. The staff are super attentive on ensuring you have water, etc. All are very friendly. The waiting area has a spot for the kids to play, which is great because it seems a lot of families visit. We would definitly bead back there to try a little bit more of the menu, maybe some BBQ or something. read more

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Fast, friendly service and really good soondoobu jjigae. I loved their seafood jjigae. It had a really good flavorful broth that did not lose its taste despite it being spicy. I thought the regular spicyness was just perfect. I love that they serve croakers as a sidedish. The rest of the sidedishes are not as diverse as the other tofu restaurant (jong ka jib), but they did a really good job keeping an eye out on our table and kept refilling them. Did not get to try any other items on the menu but will be returning when i'm in the area. read more

VERY DELICIOUS food!!! I was so full and you get pretty decent sized portions for rlly good prices. There was a bit of a wait but I didn't mind since it was the weekend after all and it was very worth it. Lots of sides came out right away and good service + clean bathrooms. There's also a bakery right nice door with very tasty sweets read more

We got mixed reviews from around the table for our dinner here. On one hand I really enjoyed my dish and would come back here again. On the other hand one of my dining companions was completely disappointed with food saying it lacked basic seasoning like salt and pepper. The other two in our party were ok with their meals but not blown away. With that preface for the averaging out to 3 stars here are some things I felt they have going for them. Little to no wait time. We came in at 6:00 pm on a Saturday night with no reservation and were seating within 5 minutes. The decor is clean and contemporary. There was a room in the waiting area for kids to run amok that included a climbing wall. You can walk through to the adjoining cafe and grab a coffee if you did for some reason have a wait. Very attentive wait staff, they all seem to work all the tables at once so that is probably the key behind the quick service and turn over of tables. They are a well oiled machine of service. All in all I would go back here but will probably be out voted if with the same group. read more

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We loved eating here for years, but lately the quality of the food seemed to have gone down and I felt compelled to let the community know. The food hasn't been consistent. Sometimes they get it right, sometimes they don't. I always get the kimchi soon dubu soup level spicy. Once it was way spicier than what I normally get and another time it was not spicy enough and bit watery. My son always gets the beef soon dubu soup, but recently the beef in his soup was so rough and chewy he couldn't eat it and ended up picking out all the meat. His soup was very bland and watery too. My sister got the dolsot bibimbap, but there were hardly any vegetable variety. The whole point of bibimbap is variety of vegetables. We couldn't believe it was mostly onions and carrots and the whole thing just didn't have any flavor. I took a whole group there to introduce dubu as one of our favorite restaurants and several dishes did not meet our expectations at all. We were so so disappointed, but decided to give them few more chances. Maybe they are transitioning. I have no idea what is going on. They were so consistent for years. If they get it together, I will update my rating, but for now they get two stars for inconsistency and sometimes terrible food. read more

I must say, I'm pretty happy I waited for another visit before reviewing because the ratings would've been quite different. I think I knew what to expect and how to order properly the second time around, and that made all the difference. Not to scare any newbies to Korean food however! First time we walked in for lunch and were seated immediately. Second time we made reservations for dinner for a party of 8 and sat in a private room in the back made for large parties! It's a really great place for a big family feasts! Sharing here is super fun! Highly recommend for a different big din with family and friends! It's more like an experience that way! Their banchan (appetizers) are given very generously. Their zucchini is fantastic and definitely my favorite. Kiddos loved the seaweed and the fam all went nuts on the fried whole fish. My Korean sister in law says their kimchee is some of the best around. I started with a steaming tofu soondubu (hot pot) which I did have on my first visit and absolutely loved! Filling, flavorful and spiced just right. They'll ask you how spicy. Best to go weaker. You could always add hot chili oil. Vegans and vegetarians, let them know and they will make yours with veggie broth instead of oxtail broth!! Hubs also had a soondubu, curry mushroom and was very happy with his as well! The addition of the curry made us a little weary, but it actually went together rather well. He asked for it sans some veggies and they obliged, no issue. They are very accommodating here! We also had the Veggie japachae (fried noodle and veggies) which was very good! A simpler dish with great taste and a good option for the kiddos! The fam LOVES the La Galbi (beef short ribs)!! They couldn't get enough and speak about these often. They're given with scissors, in large chunks, and in larger portions. A big hit! After dinner we were asked if we wanted the water rice which is basically the burnt water left in the clay bowls the rice was cooked in. It's traditional and is supposed to help with digestion after a meal. I tried it and just couldn't do it. Everyone else at the table enjoyed it very much. Try it once I guess? We were able to bring our own cake for a duel Birthday. Maybe consider Dubu for your next celebration?! Service was absolutely incredible and even the owner made it a point to stop by. It was such a great night and made me very much look forward to another visit real soon! *It's easy to miss when driving down Cheltenham so keep your eyes peeled. The sign is smaller and coming back around is a pain. **Play area for wee ones too! read more

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This place has the best Korean food in Philadlephia. Everything from here is absolutely unique and different from anything I have ever tried. The staff is so friendly and will help you with recommendations. read more

DuBu - Kimchi Dolpan Bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Elkins Park, Pennsylvania

Amazing food. I specifically land in PHL so i can go to dubu afterwards. Basically in korea while you're there. Ive never been but im assuming thats how it is read more

We're regulars at DuBu and have been coming for quite a few years now. We enjoy the food and service is always prompt and friendly! This is our go to for Korean. Food is always consistently delicious and the restaurant is clean and efficient. We probably come 1-2xs a week which should tell you what we think of the place. Highly recommended! read more

This spot is a must for experienced foodies or anyone who wants to try Korean food for the first time. It's nestled in the same plaza as H-Mart. The inside is immaculate and clean, the staff are curt and friendly. As for implementing safety precautions to Covid, they did a great job of distancing everyone. Offering bottled water, sanitizer and rules when it comes to wearing masks. Now for the food. You'll enjoy their array of food that their menu offers. I've tried the marinated crab, mandoo dumplings and kimchi soondubu and wasn't disappointed. The crabs were tender, sweet and the sauce complimented it. The kimchi had the right amount of vinegar and spice to it. read more

I'm so happy I found this little gem in my neighborhood. The restaurant is tucked away in the H Mart shopping center off of Old York Road. I've never had Korean food before Dubu. This place was recommended by my brother, who isn't an adventurous eater, so the fact that he loved this restaurant meant it was something to try. The inside decor is contemporary. They have a number of different booths and semi-booths. They also have additional seating in the back, which I believe you can use for dinner parties or an event reception. Service is great. Even on crowded days, within minutes of being seated, you are greeted and served water. Food is amazing and there's a lot of it. You're first served a small, whole fried dish, which is good, but just have to be conscious of the bones. The meal also comes with a bunch of small plates before your main entree. They usually serve a salad with ginger dressing, spicy kimchi, and about three other small dishes. My favorite dish by far is the beef ribs. They are tender and packed with so much flavor. I also love the japchae, which is a noodle dish with beef and vegetables. If you go during lunch, most entrees are served with soup. They serve beer, wine, and traditional Korean liquor (Soju). We ordered one, and it was served in a large bowl with ladle. For the amount of food served, the cost of each dish is pretty reasonable. Definitely one of my favorite spots in town. read more

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They offer 4-5 tables in a covered 'outdoor' heated space, as well as indoor seating. I can recommend the bibambap. It's a big portion, and I'd order it again. The spicy mixed soondubu is good. There's not too much of each of the proteins in the pot, so I'd pick a specific type of bowl if you have a preference. The banchan (side dishes) they offered today were kimchi, broccoli, Gamja saelleodeu (potato salad), spicy tofu, and fried (whole) fish. They are vegetarian-friendly so just let the waitstaff know and they can provide recommendations and point out which banchan are vegetarian. read more

Yeah, no. Hurts me to say this but the last 3 times I've been here, the soondubu has been incredibly unseasoned/flavorless. Their other dishes still hit pretty well though and are worth ordering, just not their soondubu. You're better off walking next door to the Hmart and making your own soondubu. Learned that it's pretty easy. Service here is still super fast and efficient, however! read more

We stumbled upon this place while looking for a lunch spot near Arcadia University. And are we glad we did! It started off strong with the banchan. The kinchee was on point and the sweet potatoes next level. Most of our party had never tried Korean cuisine. The yellow croakers were quite tasty too. The banchan are unlimited, so - more sweet potatoes, please and thank you! We opted to get a few dishes to share, and each got a bowl of soondubu. The first dish we sampled was the steamed mandoo which we devoured happily. Highly recommend. We tried a bimimbap and a Daehji, but absolute favorite was beef bulgogi. We were pretty full when soondubu arrived, but powered through! Our party had 2 mild, one extra spicy (all mixed), and a curry. Needless to say, we came home with lots of leftovers! One point to mention, gluten free is challenging here. Very limited due to inclusion of soy sauce in most dishes. read more

DuBu - Banchee - Korean Near Me - Elkins Park, Pennsylvania

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We had a birthday dinner at this wonderful Korean restaurant. The food was excellent and spicy, as we like it. Our waiter David was very attentive, he made sure our table had everything we needed and that we all had a good time. We loved it there. read more

Awesome soondubu and service. The server asks if you've been before and explains a lot on the menu (even though I didn't really need to know since I've had Korean food before), but you can ask her any other questions about portion, allergies, spice and she was very friendly. The banchan included a fried fish, and an assortment of others: pickled cucumbers and green onions, kimchi, marinated beef, salad, mashed potatoes. These were pretty sweet, but I liked it that way. We ordered a small pajeon (good size for 3 or 4) and dipped it in the sauce that was excellent. And then each of us ordered a soondubu hot pot. We all got medium, and it was actually pretty spicy. Broth was very flavorful (oxtail base made over 48+ hours) and waitress asked about any vegetarians so they had a veg version too. We each finished about half. The other half was enough for a full leftover meal the next day, so splitting at the restaurant could definitely be an option. Overall great experience! I'd like to try the short ribs next time, when I have a few more meat eaters with me. read more

DuBu - Vegetable and fried fish banchan and beef soondubu hot pot - Korean Near Me - Elkins Park, Pennsylvania

I came here this past Saturday and left with a good impression for the most part. The kids area is closed because of covid, the staff are wearing masks and all the waters are bottled generic costco water. The portions were good for the food, and they have a unique menu than any of the other korean restaurant in the area. The prices are egregious though. The LA Galbi is not worth $28 and vegetable japchae is not worth $19, especially since it's vegetable. Overall, the taste was good, the price was expensive, parking was plenty, the service was good and attentive, I would come here again, but not often. read more

4/21/18 I could not stay away any longer after being told this to be a good spot tho I'm also told Jason's Cozyday is a must so that could b next up. My korean is terrible so I walked in and asked how long the wait may be for a solo table and the host had to get a server to take my request after which I was seated right away a little after noon. The place was well occupied and my server came fairly quickly after I was brought a glass of water. I ordered the la galbi and the seafood spicy level soondubu. Next time I'll go with the spiciest since spicy while good could of used a little more heat. The stone pot with rice came out quickly and then the banchan with the fish, sweet not so spicy kimchi, potato salad, cold galbi dish, ginger side salad and side of spinach I think. Then comes that runner with the piping hot seafood soondubu and he asks do I want an egg for that? You're damn right sir I'd like an egg and he proceeds to crack this for me over the dish. The flavor in the soup is just so good! This is so far the best I've had in the philly region but also the only one I've had so far lol. One negative would be that my server didn't really ever come by to check to see if I needed anything during the course of eating. I was stuck with the one napkin that I was given from the start though the water was filled by the roaming bussers and the busser was the only one around to flag down for me to get to go containers since I couldn't finish my soondubu and galbi and after seeing me wrap up my food a different server came to drop off the check. The meat was nice and tender but I do wish I would of been given lettuce with both gochujang and daenjung to make wraps with but don't see this on the menu so guess this isn't an option lol. The meat comes on a bed of caramelized onions and you only get once pot of rice which for me isn't enough as I love to mix the majority of my rice with the soondubu and so need more to go with the meat and sides separately. I could be spoiled as my uncle had a korean / Japanese restaurant years ago and I'm used to cooking my own meat and having unlimited rice and lettuce wraps also with seaweed for wraps. Next time I'll have to try to come for the weekday only lunch special to avoid spending $50 for the la galbi and hehmoolsoondubu but also may have to add the gejang raw crab dish and dumplings and pajeon and more lol. read more

How much will you spend on Korean kimchi tofu soup, aka soondubu? After I went to several Korean restaurants, now, DuBu is top one my favorite Korean restaurant for soodubu. Let's start on foods which they offer very basic Korean foods, such as Korean bbq, rib and soondubu, and all of them taste very good. For seafood pancake which is full of octopus,you can even call octopus pancake. One of my favorites is to add their nutritious stone pot including ginseng roots, chestnut, red date / red jujube, soy bean and black rice that only costs you $2.99 so what's left...price, yes, it is a little pricey but for what you are going to get, four or five side-dish, and one of side-dish even is a fish so it is, again, totally worth it. read more

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We came here for lunch on a Sunday and it was packed even at 11am in the morning. The interior is open and spacious. Everything was clean and service was prompt. The banchans (side dishes) here are awesome! The fried fish is soo good and not too many bones. Kimchi and radish fresh. The soft tofu soup is what this place is known for. Broth is deep and flavorful. There are a wide variety of types. I usually go for the beef or seafood medley. It does come with an egg and rice. This is delicious especially on a cold day. I also tried the bibimbop as well. It's a dish with mix of veggies, rice and beef that you can mix in a spicy sauce. It is good but standard fare. Overall we had a great time and would come back here for our soft tofu soup needs. It is also next to Hmart Korean grocery store which makes things very convenient. read more

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Went here for a birthday dinner with a group of 7 of us. They were very accommodating as we made reservations a couple days before. They typically place larger groups in the back of the restaurant where there's more space. Because it was a birthday dinner, I brought in a cake which they brought out for us, lit up with the candles. The waitress we had was very accommodating as most of the group had never had Korean food before. I ordered the hot bibimbap which they can cut up for you and add hot sauce. Prepare to have a full stomach before you leave because the portions are pretty big, not including the side dishes they give the table beforehand (kimchi, salad, fried fish, etc.). Overall, love the family inspired style the restaurant embodies and would love to come back and try a different option! read more

DuBu - Hot stone bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Elkins Park, Pennsylvania

It took forever to get our food but the food. But the food was ok with pretty good price.

Great service from the fabulous David! Everything served was delicious and the portions were extremely generous! Highly recommend :)

Went to Hmart right next door and wanted a Korean food fix after. Couldn't be happier with Dubu. They have all the classics and then some. We got the Gopchang stew, Kalbi, Haemul Pajeon, and the Gejang. Everything was perfectly cooked and delicious. The Gejang was decent and meaty. Will definitely be visiting again soon! read more

DuBu - Korean Near Me - Elkins Park, Pennsylvania