My wife's family introduced me to Its Tofu and it was a pleasant surprise for me and I've been back a few times since then. There is a decent amount of Korean food in Irvine and there is definitely competition in the soondubu realm. It can get busy during the normal lunch/dinner hours, and inside can get pretty lively. There's a decent amount of seating, interior decorations are pretty nice, and the service was solid. Starting with the banchan, I enjoy the spicy fishcake, japchae, and kimchi. I like how there is a unique assortment of banchan here. I normally order the Kimchi Beef soondubu and it hits the spot for me - spice level is perfect, strong flavor, tofu and beef is good. We usually order seafood pancake, short ribs, and stone plate bibimbap as well. The portions are large and you definitely get bang for your buck. We love sharing these three items - the seafood pancake has a lot of seafood and green onion and is thick. Short ribs are marinated and cooked well, while the bibimbap is a solid option if you don't want soondubu. I will definitely be coming back here and would like to introduce my friends to this place as well. Prices are reasonable, food is solid, and this is a solid entry in the Irvine Korean food scene. read more

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Hands down, the only kids meal I'd get for my kid here is basically an adult meal in a mini size--and honestly, that's perfect. The food is your typical tofu spot fare, but they've got oyster and seaweed options that you just don't see anywhere else, which makes it kind of special. Sides are a little slim, and asking for a refill can get the server a tiny bit annoyed--but the waitresses are super nice to kids, so that balances out. Used to be a long wait, but now you can put your name on the waitlist and get seated faster, which is a game-changer. I love that the sides are fresh--the bean sprouts are my absolute favorite. The kimchi pachan? Meh, not super memorable. Overall, it's a solid spot, and the little touches make it worth a visit! read more

Don't remember when Its Tofu replaced the other Korean restaurant that used to be here (I think it was called Doore?) but was pleasantly surprised by my visit! I'm glad some of their menu has remained unchanged, but I was happy to try new things! I've never seen an oyster maesaengi soonduboo on the menu before and oyster and seaweed are two things I love, so I had to order it. I loved the combo so much and they definitely didn't skimp on the oysters! There were so many and the flavor was on point even though I only got mild spice. We also ordered the galbi and dumpling soup, which was just okay but still good. Had a lot of soup and not enough fillings. The bibimbap was a good portion and the rice got nice and crispy at the bottom. The banchan was also very good, definitely better than other Korean restaurants in the area! Despite being a little pricier than the usual Korean soonduboo restaurant, I'd come here again for the unique menu items and quality. read more

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This is our go-to place for soon tofu! We love the food here, and appreciate the bonus fish that comes with our soon tofu. Many places now leave it out, yet still charge so high for their soups. The service is consistently good here, but sometimes can be slower when it's busy. We appreciate their kind and gentle service because we've had unfriendly service *at other places*, where they rush you, give you attitude, and/or throw hot food onto your table. You won't experience that negativity here! Thanks for being a great and yummy spot for Korean tofu soup, stone pot rices, meats, and more! You will definitely find something you like here, no matter what kind of Korean food you prefer! read more

Its Tofu - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

Craving some tofu soup so came here on a Sunday at around 6. I was able to join the waitlist when I was 3 miles away. There was lots of people waiting outside when we got there but we waited about 15 minutes for 2 ppl. We immediately got the menu & someone was there to take our order within the first 5 mins. Lots of options on the menu, including all the classics like seafood pancake, cold noodles & spicy raw crab. We ordered the galbi & tofu soup combo ($37.95) and a side of steamed egg (~$11). This was a perfect amount for 2 people to share. The galbi was delicious, cooked well & wasn't chewy. The flavor was delicious & I felt like it was a good meat/bone portion. We got the mixed tofu soup and it contained beef + variety of seafood. The soup was not as flavorful as I expected; we got the medium spice but it was not very spicy at all. My fiance said he prefers BCD's tofu soup but the galbi here was better. The steamed egg was cooked to perfection, very fluffy & had roe on top with added a nice umami flavor. We also enjoyed all the banchans! Overall a solid place, I would come back if there wasn't a long wait. read more

Its Tofu - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

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Tried this for the first time and it was really good. I had the pork and kimchi soondooboo with spicy marinated pork combination. From the side dishes to the main, everything tasted really good. There was good amount of seating and plenty of parking. Despite it being really busy, the server maintained to provide friendly service. Will be back for more. read more

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This is me and my sister's new favorite restaurant! We both got seafood and beef intestine tofu soup. We loved how soft and silky the tofu was. There was no wait and the food came out fast and hot. We loved the banchan. My favorite was the acorn jelly, fish cake, and fried fish. I appreciate how generous and kind the workers were. Everything on the menu looks super delicious. I'm excited to try their abalone soup and Kalbi next time we visit. They also have cold noodle. I highly recommend this restaurant read more

Its Tofu - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

High quality Korean tofu soup here! There was a small wait for a Monday during lunch on Presidents' Day but not bad. I got the veggie soup and the soup base was delicious and flavorful. I wish there were more veggies in the soup but they were very generous with the tofu. The bonchan were also really good quality as well. Service was good and food came out fast. read more

Its Tofu - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

Despite there being so many other soondubu places in the area this place was a hit! Interior felt homey and the banchan they served had unique options like pajeon and dried fish! The soup itself was really tasty and a good amount of protein inside. The raw marinated crab tasted fresh but had a hard shell which made it a bit tougher to eat but still yummy nonetheless. I really liked how our server poured barley tea into the hardened rice for us to enjoy as the meal goes on! I thought that was really thoughtful and different to some other places. It's not a super large store and they do close on the earlier side so I would recommend going closer to normal dinner time unlike some other spots that close a bit later :) read more

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Clean, fast service, easy parking. We ordered the beef & kimchi tofu soup and seafood tofu soup. Quality ingredients and friendly staff. This is our second time and we will be back after this. read more

Its Tofu - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

The food was delicious. My favorite was the beef ribs. Waitress was nice and attentive. Prices are very reasonable. We will definitely be back. read more

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Good tofu soup that you can probably find anywhere else but what this place does really well are all the side dishes. All of them are fantastic and I believe they are better than most Korean restaurants in Irvine. It's a little more expensive so it's not a full 5 stars but if you wanted an authentic soup with amazing side dishes this is the place. Parking is very easy as it's in a plaza and the wait isn't long. read more

This place used to be Doo-rae -- a more general Korean restaurant with an upgraded interior and more focused menu. Personally, I preferred the previous menu, as I thought the seafood pa-jun and the bossam were the best. But this is good too. The tofu stew is definitely better than BCD - (I didn't know why people always go there). And the variety is good I think there's one place that's better for tofu stew, though I had the dolsot bibimbap and it was good -- but, really, you can't screw this up The variety of banchan was good. I wish they had the bean sprouts rather than the type without the beans. The service was good and friendly, and the ambiance and decor were nice. Generally, it was good and I recommend, but I didn't think anything was really special or made this must see. One tip for newbies: when you get the stone pot of rice with your tofu stew, transfer the rice to a separate bowl and then ask for the hot tea to pour into the stone pot to make a burnt rice porrage. read more

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So happy my bf took me here because it was such a great find! The combo was worth the price and we could share it for dinner. We got the stonepot Bibimbap with beef tofu soup. Honestly so good especially since I wasn't feeling 100 that evening! The service was great, they kept stopping by our table to ask if we needed anything. Can't wait to come back here because it felt so comforting to eat their food :) read more

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Food was really good and we received good service. Very efficient and nice waitress, I would definitely eat here again.

It was my family's first time dining here. We came on a Wednesday evening and did not have to wait for a table. We're so glad we found another tofu soup place around here. I particularly came for the side dishes based on photos I've seen. I was not disappointed. I enjoyed the unique banchan dishes and they were fresh and tasted like they were not overly mass produced. I ordered the assorted tofu medium spice soup and it was perfect for me. My son ordered the spicy level for his tofu soup and he enjoyed it. We also ordered the grilled beef bulgogi and galbi. They were grilled to perfection and so flavorful. Our server, Jenny was helpful and friendly and spoke with a smile. That really sets the tone and I appreciate that. It was a nice birthday outing for me and my family would definitely come back. read more

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This spot is amazing for tofu lovers and Korean food enthusiasts! We came for the raw marinated crab, but also got the mixed tofu soup and Galbi. The crab was flavorful and the Galbi was tender. But the variety of banchans was what's really impressive we almost ran out of room on our table. There were so many options, and every single one was flavorful and well-prepared. The tofu itself was silky, comforting, and full of flavor which perfectly complements the broth and sides. Everything tasted authentic. Service was attentive without being overbearing, and the atmosphere was cozy and casual. Highly recommend if you're craving a satisfying Korean meal. read more

Its Tofu - Spicy raw marinated crab - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

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Beef kimchi soup was delicious! It got busy real quick. Restaurant looks nice and clean. read more

Its Tofu - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

I didn't come here by accident -- I was chasing a braised black cod craving like a man on a mission. After asking around, a Korean friend pointed me to It's Tofu, so I rolled the dice. Best decision of the night. The dish delivered, and my dining companion -- an Indian friend and certified braised black cod virgin -- went from skeptical side-eye to quiet, focused eating real fast. The braised black cod was nicely executed. Buttery, tender, and flaky, it fell apart easily with each bite. It came braised in a flavorful sauce with large chunks of daikon radish, onions, softened green chilies (not spicy), and generous pieces of tofu that soaked everything up beautifully. The heat level was mild, just enough to add depth without overpowering the fish. Paired with rice, it hit that comforting, satisfying sweet spot I was looking for. Looking around the room didn't hurt either. Other tables were loaded with bubbling tofu dishes and sizzling plates of galbi -- the kind of visuals that make you start planning your next visit before you've even finished this one. Service was solid all around. Friendly, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. Banchan refills came quickly without having to ask, splitting the bill was painless, and the space itself was clean, relaxed, and comfortable, with mostly four-top tables and a few smaller ones. One more bonus: Yelp reservations. No awkward waiting, no name-on-a-list routine. read more

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By far my favorite and top tofu spot. From their tofu soup to each main dish and side dish, they really execute with such great detail to qualify and flavor. This is my go to spot for tofu and/or spicy crab. I have been here multiple times with family and just dining alone. Every dish from their grilled fish, to chicken ginseng soup is excellent. Prepared with such care and love. My personal favorite is their spicy crab combo with their tofu soup with intestines. The miso with crab is delicious, but my favorite is the tripe cause it has all my favorite bits and pieces. Everything tastes so fresh and just is so flavorful. They get bish during dinner time so come early. Highly recommend. Very nice service, and restaurant is very clean and nice. read more

The food was so delicious! My new go to place ! Everything tasted amazing and service was quick read more

Its Tofu - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

If you're looking to compare this to BCD, you've come to the right place. Service was great. Very attentive and quick. Ambiance was nice and bright. Very clean and spacious. BCD can feel a little packed sometimes. Food-wise, I'd say the banchan was about the same. Fish cake, bean sprouts, kimchi, glazed potatoes with quail egg. They give you japchae whereas BCD does not. Kimchi is about the same but BCD is more savory. It's Tofu is a touch more sour. Their assorted tofu soup was what made me like BCD better. Not as seafood based and more meat based flavor. It was good but I think BCD is still better. Their Galbi was very good and had very similar flavor to BCD but it seems that some were a bit tougher than others. Portion was the same as well. Overall, just a notch below BCD. Personally, I like the flavors at BCD more. This is still up there in terms of tofu spots. read more

Its Tofu is a Korean tofu stew restaurant located in Irvine and one of my friends specifically requested to eat at this spot. [Parking]: The restaurant is located in the same plaza as Zion Market and our group was able to find an available spot within 5 minutes. Free parking. [Service]: Customers can actually join the Yelp waitlist or book a reservation via Yelp ahead of time, but our party didn't join as there was no wait at 12 PM on Saturday. There's an acrylic sign holder on our table stating that customers receive a complimentary can of soda when they upload a picture and/or write a review on Yelp. [Banchan (side dishes)]: Some side dishes may not be refilled and minimum one order per person to refill side dishes. Customers need to initiate free banchan (side dishes) refill request and the staff asked on whether we want banchan refill for our table only after I already had boxed my leftover food. With that being said, they do have 5-star worthy side dishes from fish cake, kimchi (sweet and not overly spicy), japchae (glass noodles), sliced pancake, bean sprouts, cheongpomuk (mung bean jelly with soy sauce), stir-fried anchovies, and fried fishes (crispy, fluffy, and fried to perfection). [Menu]: The restaurant has similar selection as BCD Tofu House. For combination, #35 LA BBQ Short Rib & Tofu Soup is one of more popular options. *** #42 Stone Pot Bibimbap + Tofu Soup (bulgogi for bibimbap and seafood for tofu soup with mild spicy - $29.95): Bibimbap was mediocre and tofu soup tasted savory. I couldn't finish both items so I ended up taking bibimbap back home. *** While I do love their side dishes and tofu soup was pretty good, I don't necessary think this is the best tofu soup spot in Orange County and still prefer Soy Tofu in La Palma. This is one of those Korean comfort food spots I don't mind re-visiting if (1) I visit my friends in this part of the town and (2) don't want to drive more than 10 miles away from Irvine. read more

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Been here least 10 times before. I wasn't hungry,so wife ordered kalbi combo $31.95 lunch and add steam stone rice for $4.95. but they said I can't do that. I have done this many times and bcd and kaju. You must order and pay for dinner price. This is totally discrimination and cheating. Where does it said I have to buy and paid for dinner combo price? It was during weekday. They playing dumb saying I came in wkend read more

Its Tofu - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

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Trying New Menu Jokbal Salad. Very thinly sliced and comes with a sauce. Service was quick and seems a lot busier than when it first opened. read more

Its Tofu - Jokbal Salad & Makgeolli - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

Love a good tofu soup - it was my first time trying beef intestine and I was pleasantly surprised by how tender it was! My friend and I shared one combo meal and it was more than enough to make us super full. They had some more unique sides at this place including the full fried fish which I love. Service was fast and we didn't have to wait for a table when we came in Sunday at 12:45pm. It's a very casual atmosphere with mostly families eating. Recommend to satisfy that tofu soup or galbi craving! read more

Its Tofu - combo with beef intestine soup and galbi - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

Food here is very special. I feel like I eat what my mom cook. Very fresh! Very meticulous. I bring home the rest and it's still good for next day. Amazing! Inside is clean, well service. The lady is quick and nice. read more

Is it tofu though? I don't get the name of the restaurant, and I kept starring at the name quizzically when I was eating. Beside the name, nothing else is confusing about it. The food is traditional and very tasty, and the service is good. It's always a delight to be greeted by so many of these appetizer dishes at a Korean restaurant. There was even a whole fried fish as a part of the banchan. The clay pot rich was legit too, and the staff served it for me and poured barley tea into the remaining rice. The tofu was fresh and fragrant. The serving size was quite substantial. I was stuffed by the time I was finished. read more

Its Tofu - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

DELICIOUS! I had no idea what to expect as I was meeting family friends for dinner, but the food was delicious. Every piece of the meal tasted great. Would definitely recommend giving it a try. read more

the banchan here is pretty yummy! i love the japchae especially!! and the mushroom tofu dish. me and my mom split a combo and we got beef tofu mild and a grilled mackerel. the mackerel was huge!!!! its definitely a great deal. the meat pieces in the beef tofu were also a good size and not chopped up too finely (common at other tofu establishments). the quality is outstanding here! service could do with some improvement. we went during an off time so it was quiet and a little empty. it was peaceful! read more

Its Tofu - banchan - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

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It's Tofu is a Korean restaurant in North Irvine. It is a stylish place with booths and tables. They offer the traditional menu with a very nice selection of small dishes. We love it that they change their small dishes and serve the food hot. I found the meat to be rather bland and the tofu lacked seasoning and taste. I would return if someone wanted to go there, but I would not make it my first choice. The service was okay. When we needed something, we needed to get their attention to ask. Three stars service and three star food. read more

Its Tofu - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

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Came around 6pm on a weekday and there was no wait. Spicy crab is pretty good here. I've had spicy buckwheat cold noodle and mackerel better elsewhere. Service was so-so... they took our order but never really checked on us after that. read more

I came back with my family because I did really enjoy my experience the first time! I felt the service is quick and efficient and enjoy the food here. I thought their service was pretty fast and didn't have to wait very long! They're pretty responsive and it definitely fulfilled a craving! Its food is comfort food for sure! This might be my new go-to spot for soondubu when I'm craving it in the area! read more

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I tried the raw marinated crab here for the first time today and it did not disappoint. This place has solid hot tofu and side dishes. The raw crab is kind of a hit or miss food (both on the cooking side and people enjoying it). But they strike good balance in the marinade that I think anyone can enjoy read more

Its Tofu - Raw marinated crab - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

This place was honestly not a great experience for us. The service was just okay, and they seem really short-staffed, which made everything feel rushed. We were a party of 7 with a toddler and were squeezed into a very small booth with barely any table space, which made it hard to enjoy our meal. The biggest issue was safety. After serving rice in the stone pots, they pour water into them to make nurungji. Because there was no room, the server insisted on placing a scorching hot stone pot right next to our toddler. We had to push back several times and ask her to leave it on the cart and put it behind our table instead. Her response was basically, "Well, what do you want me to do?" which was frustrating. The food was also extremely heavy on MSG. We're not against MSG, but this was a lot to knock out full grown adults. Everyone in our group felt super drowsy afterward, and our toddler was eating the food too, which made us uncomfortable. Families with young kids may want to be cautious. One last thing to note: they encourage leaving positive reviews in exchange for a free soda, so keep that in mind when looking at the high ratings. read more

Very welcoming and enjoyable atmosphere. The food was good and delicious. Will come back in the near future. Everyone is so nice!

Yelp usually doesn't lead me astray...but it sadly did this time. Its Tofu....its not the place you want to go. We came earlier in the day before the restaurant was packed and it was still at least half empty. Service was non-existent from the start, which should have been a warning sign for us. Nevertheless, we just thought we were early and beating the crowd. I mean, look, I'm used to bad service at Asian restaurants, but I'm not used to having to ask for literally everything, including utensils. And I'm def. not used to being ignored even when I'm trying to flag down a server for things like a banchan refill. Seems like any one that asks for hot tea gets the most annoyed and disgusted face by the server?? We were another one of these. Plus, we asked for a water for our baby and it seemed like they were acting like we were just being so difficult. Now, service is one day. But the food? BLAND AS HELL. This place must be super popular for people with blood pressure issues because salt and seasoning is no where to be found. This place had one of the worst galbitangs I've ever had and the special "egg" just made it even worse. The meat was also super chewy like it was old. There's no assigned server for your table or area, and flagging one of them down is like finding a leprechaun. Good luck getting one. Oh, and the lovely part is they'll just randomly slam down your check to get you to leave even if you're not done eating or if you didn't ask for it. So that's also fun. Learn from my experience and avoid this place. There's so many better places in Irvine that won't treat you like you're not welcome (and most importantly, a place that will season their food so it's not BLAND). read more

Its Tofu - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

Got the spicy octopus hotpot and beef kimchi soondoobu. The side dishes are amazing, service is quick, and it is so good! read more

Its Tofu - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

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We ordered he LA BBq short rib and tofu soup with beef and kimchi. Great food and good service. read more

Its Tofu - Spicy bulgogi pork and beef kalbi - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

Finally had a chance tor review this restaurant! My mom is really picky when it comes to Korean food. She isn't really a big fan of BCD, no offense to them. So I had to do some research and I am so glad we came here. She felt the food here was more fresh and better quality than BCD. I highly agreed with her opinion. There was group of us so we ordered lots of different combinations. One of our favorites and we ordered this 3 times was the stone pot bibimbap. It was really good, for the price we were expecting a bigger portion hence the reason why we ordered 3 of them lol. The LA BBQ short ribs were pretty good also. We also ordered the dumpling beef short rib soup and the Galbitang. We all loved it. Banchan sides were fresh and well prepared. Overall, a really good Korean spot. read more