My boyfriend and I ended up coming here after seeing the wait at BCD... so happy that we were redirected, and will definitely be returning as our first choice for Korean food!!! We came in at 8:30pm (30 mins before they close) and our server was still very friendly and kind. We got the galbi & the beef tofu soup, both of which were absolutely delicious. As a somewhat picky eater I usually eat one or two, if any, of the side dishes. But I was very pleased to find that I actually liked every single one they had! From the dried fish to the bean sprouts, I couldn't stop eating.. I actually got out of breath at one point LOL! The combination of flavors and textures was amazing and I will be dreaming of the meal we had here... until the next time we're back in town read more

Another cool evening led us back to Kaju. I forgot about the feature of putting myself on the Yelp waitlist from home. Thank goodness it wasn't a big deal for just a party of two and not too long of a wait when we got there on a Saturday evening. Checked in on the iPad upfront and waited in our car because it was a little chilly out. It has been a minute since we last dined in and they now have the tablet at the table where you order your own food. Great, that speeds things up for sure! Our water and side dishes came out right away to our table. We ordered the beef tofu soup with a medium spice level and galbi combo. We also got the grilled mackerel to change things up. Unfortunately, the taste of the soup has changed since the last few times we've been there. It was disappointing with the blandness and very small portions. The side dishes weren't as tasty as before. I really enjoyed the small fish side dish that tasted salty, sweet, and just a little spicy kick. I was a big fan of this nice flavor profile. Our server was nice snd friendly. Just not sure when we'd return. read more

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(2/5) I ordered the fried flatfish, which came as two pieces. The first piece was fine, but the second piece was clearly not fresh. The fish meat near the bones had a slimy, mushy texture instead of the normal firm texture of fish. It was very concerning and made me question the freshness and quality control of the food. I was disappointed with this experience. Freshness is especially important when it comes to seafood, and I hope the restaurant takes this issue seriously and pays closer attention to the quality of the fish they serve. read more

Kaju Soft Tofu Restaurant - Trashed non-fresh fish - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

Went on a monday evening and there was no wait. Good banchan, friendly service, and they're pretty fast too. My mandu soondubu was good - the mandu were pretty standard and I think i had about 3 in there? Good flavor. However my bf got the intestine and it tasted sandy/briny. That was pretty disappointing. read more

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Establishment is busy and clean. They have tablets you order from, staff interaction is minimal. This is Korean tofu house. If you have never been, their combos include both the entree and a smaller tofu soup. I ordered their galbi combo with the galbi tofu soup. The galbi is cooked and marinated well and the amount of food is fair for the price. This is a decent value. This time we also ordered the fish and the shrimp. The fish was great, skip the shrimp. TLDR: Good service, good food, good establishment, good value. Would recommend! read more

Kaju Soft Tofu Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

We came on a Saturday evening and there was no wait. The tofu soup here is super flavorful and filled with protein. Loved all of the banchan as well, especially the cucumber and bean sprouts! The restaurant is a decent size and once we got seated, it quickly started filling up. Will def be my family's new go to spot for soondubu! read more

Kaju Soft Tofu Restaurant - Tofu soup - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

I've been to many tofu houses, and Kaju is by far one of my family's favs & go-tos! Located in Heritage plaza on the corner of Culver Dr. & Walnut Ave, to the right of CVS/Pharmacy, Kaju has been an Irvine staple for as long as I can remember. It's changed ownership since I first discovered it, and now has a more modern, tech-forward dining experience. You order tableside from a kiosk (with pictures!), and they even have robot servers. Service is efficient and always attentive. The restaurant is always bustlin' and loud, but nothing out of the norms for a Korean restaurant. My fam loves the Kaju special combos ~ esp. the galbi (short-ribs) + small tofu soup. My go-to is always the pork kimchi tofu soup (+/- beef dumplings..depending on my mood & hunger level for the day lol). Their galbi meat is marinated to perfection--sizzling hot, juicy & flavorful every time. Their tofu soups are comforting on a cold day and filling enough to be a meal on their own. Always opt for the fresh egg, to crack into the piping-hot soup and let it cook right in the pot.It's the perfect protein addition! My hubs always enjoys the spicy cold noodles. It's YUMS! If you haven't tried Kaju Soft Tofu already, this RxFoodie highly recommends it! It'll surely become a regular in your foodie rotation. read more

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My friend brought me here as he was hungry and it had a shorter wait-time than one of the other restaurants we had signed up for the waitlist at. We were greeted & seated immediately as soon as we entered, and the employee let us choose any seat we wanted^^ We chose a booth to sit next to each other but be warned, the wood kinda digs into your back js a little bit (my friend was fine but I couldn't lean back. should be fine if your clothes have some padding!) He had the triple spicy beef tofu soup and opted for no egg. I had the medium kimchi tofu soup with beef as the protein and also chose not to get an egg. When he said it wasn't that spicy, I didn't believe him because his soup color was VERY red but he had me try and it rlly wasn't too spicy (for reference, he has a high spice tolerance but mine is only somewhat high). He also commented the soup was a littleee thin/watery which is just a neutral observation The rice comes in really cool stone pots!! One of the male staff said they don't scoop and serve the rice for you, but immediately after that, Mary (I believe was her name?) saw we hadn't opened our rice pots yet and she did it for us^^ I think she might've been worried it would get burnt which was so sweet of her!! They also have a cute robot that plays some music as it comes by with dishes Our orders were delivered to us in about 5-10 minutes after we ordered, which was so fast! Interior is gorgeous!! And very spacious read more

Kaju Soft Tofu Restaurant - medium KIMCHI Tofu Soup - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

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I love tofu soup and this place did not disappoint. I was excited to see that they had a galbi tofu soup as I haven't seen it any other restaurant before. you order through a tablet which is convenient and the food is quick to come out. service was great and everyone was so sweet and attentive. since it's located in a plaza, there's plenty of parking available. read more

Opted for lunch at Kaju since my mom was hoping for the mackerel fish that's generally provided as a banchan. Not sure if this varies by location as this was my first time at the Irvine location, but they served anchovies instead. The Buena Park location used to serve mackerel (unless they've stopped as well)? Regardless, we still had a great experience! There's a tablet at the table for placing orders which is convenient, and there's even a button on the tablet to call for assistance if needed. I also appreciate the rolling cart of banchan that comes around for easy refills. The ladies working were all friendly although it was quite busy and they seemed a little understaffed during our visit. The food is always a hit and I especially love their banchans. The fish cake and kimchi are my favorites! Located in the same plaza as the new Tokyo Central, Big 5, Nep, and other businesses. Parking gets pretty busy on weekends but you should be able to find a spot with a little circling around. Yelp Waitlist is available which is definitely helpful during busy times! read more

Kaju Soft Tofu Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

The most striking thing about Kaju is the service. They refill your side dishes extremely aggressively. It caught me off guard. They're happy to swap out a single side the moment it runs out, it's unlike any Korean Tofu shop I've ever experienced. The sides are good too, especially the japchae glass noodles. I had the Ham and Cheese. What a strange soup combo, but it worked. You might be asking, ham and cheese, isn't it salty? YES! But it's #3 for a reason. It's the saltiest cheese ever with the saltiest meat, but it's sooo good with the rice. The Galbi was also amazing. Each piece of beef was bursting in flavor and had the perfect fat to lean ratio. The flavor also stands on its own. I had an amazing experience here and it was affordable. If you're in the area and in the mood for Korean Tofu, Kaju on Culver is the place! read more

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I had heard about Kaju tofu from family, and on my recent trip to Irvine, we decided to have dinner here on a Friday evening. The wait was decently long(about 40+ mins) but fortunately there are lots of shops in this plaza to roam around while you wait. Parking is shared so this shouldn't be a problem, even on a busy weekend night. Once we were finally seated, we went family style and shared the Galbi, Beef Bulgogi, Bibimbap, and a Seafood tofu soup. Portions were decently sized. The food was tasted authentic, fresh, and was nicely cooked. The banchan was really good(one of the best sets I've had), and I have been to many Korean restaurants in my time. Service was efficient and quick. The interior is no frills and is medium sized as far as capacity goes. I would definitely come back in the future. read more

My rating is closer to 3.5 stars. I have been here twice within this year, with my most recent trip this past weekend. Kaju is an authentic Korean restaurant. The interior is subtle and not ornate or gaudy. There is a good amount of tables available. You can reserve a table via the Yelp app, which is convenient. My first visit here earlier this year, I was mightily impressed. The Galbi and soft tofu soup was spot on. My 2nd visit here, the crispy rice was not so crispy, they didn't give our table bean sprouts when they brought out the Ban Chan but other tables did receive it. The tofu soup was not as flavorful as I remember it. Overall, this is a solid authentic Korean restaurant. I would be remiss to say there not other Korean options in the area for you to try out. read more

Drove 30 mins to get here but it's fine. My favorites the oyster kimchi soup and I always add cheese on top. It's clean and the server there are always so kind and attentive. The sides and galbi are super fresh at this location. read more

I ordered the galbi combo with the galbi tofu soup and both were delicious. The galbi was well marinated and packed with flavor, with a great balance of fat and lean meat. I also really liked the tofu soup and thought the combo was a pretty good value for the amount of food you get. One thing that really stood out was how attentive they were with the banchan lol. There's a rolling cart that comes around for refills and they were surprisingly quick to replace anything we finished. The tablet ordering system was also convenient and has a button to call for assistance if needed. The restaurant was busy but clean and the staff were all friendly. Parking can get pretty busy on weekends since it's in the same plaza as the new Tokyo Central, but you should be able to find a spot with a little patience. Yelp Waitlist is also available which is definitely helpful during busy times. Overall, good food, good service and good value. Definitely worth checking out if you're craving Korean tofu soup in Irvine! read more

As an avid lover of soondubu, Kaju has easily become one of my favorite restaurants in Irvine. There's something about the piping hot tofu soup that warms my soul. We came here on a weeknight and the place was packed. I got a dumpling tofu soup and loved every spoonful. To top it off, the banchan was fantastic. I am obsessed with the kimchi and the dried anchovies banchan. I happily will be a repeat customer of Kaju. read more

Kaju Soft Tofu Restaurant - DUMPLING Tofu Soup - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

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I especially enjoy their rich, flavorful soon tofu stews and well-prepared meats. My go-to order is the oyster soon tofu with a white broth (no spice). Since the banchan -- the complimentary Korean side dishes -- already provide spice and variety, there's no need to overpower the stew itself. The white broth lets you fully appreciate the natural briny sweetness of the oysters along with the depth of their house broth. Their spicy pork is also delicious: tender, well seasoned, and balanced with mild sweetness, spice, and savory flavor. Service is fast, and the ambiance is bright. The restaurant has comforting home-cooking vibes, so expect a lively noise level -- like family members chatting energetically around the dinner table. They also partner with Grubhub, and tonight I ordered takeout through GH. As a Korean American, I recommend this authentic Korean restaurant. Enjoy! read more

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The waitresses were friendly. The food came out in a very reasonable amount of time temperature of the food was perfect and the banchan was top notch. I will definitely be going back there. read more

Kaju Soft Tofu Restaurant - Japchae was included in the the banchan - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

Kaju Soft Tofu definitely exceeded expectations. Stopped in here last night for dinner and left impressed. To eat, I ordered the Galbi Tofu Soup (medium spicy), priced at $17.99. The dish was delicious, and I loved both the rice and banchan. If you're a fan of Korean food, go ahead and give this place a try. Impeccable service and fun ambiance, as well. read more

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My favorite tofu soup restaurant! The soup broth is way better than BCD here and at the Garden Grove location. Super glad they ended up opening one in Irvine. I used to drive out of my way to Garden Grove just for Kaju. The sides are also great. The fish cakes are super yummy. I wonder if I can just buy a jar of it from here. Usually this location doesn't have too much of a wait. You can also order quickly on a tablet at each table or if you just want take out, you can call or use the tablet to order at the front. Never too noisy and the staff is very friendly. The rice drink/Sikhye is really good as well! read more

This place is legit authentic. Around 10 years old, my son started becoming more and more obsessed with all things tofu. So naturally, Kaju would become where we became regulars. His go to is Set D. All the banchan appetizers come out with a cat robot, that turns and twirls with your mini plates: crunchy micro anchovies, potato salad, kimchi, seaweed, and bean sprouts. The rice comes out in this hot stone pot that you need to be careful lifting to open. The hot sizzling plate is served with hot steaming bulgogi meat. And his favorite, clam soon dubu comes boiling and bubbling hot. You smash your egg on the table top and drop it in and let it get cooked in the hot pot. There is this deep umami rush with each spoon. Service is top notch. Ambiance could include more Korean music, but still true to its identity with it's wooden art statues. read more

Came here on a Friday afternoon the server was really nice and refilled the ban chan often. The food was also really good with the rice being super soft and smooth. The spicy bulgogi was really tasty and just the right spice. The inside was really chill and it was clean inside. read more

Kaju Soft Tofu Restaurant - Lunch special - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

The food here is good, and the tofu soup was flavorful and satisfying. The quality of the ingredients was great, and I also liked that they offer refillable banchan, which is a nice touch. However, one thing that was disappointing was how the banchan was served. There were three of us dining together, but we were only given one set of banchan to share instead of three individual sets. Since the portions are small, we finished them quickly and politely asked for a refill. Unfortunately, the waitress (I believe her name was Julie) seemed visibly annoyed by our request. She made facial expressions that made us feel like we were inconveniencing her, and she did so right in front of us. It made the dining experience uncomfortable and took away from what was otherwise a good meal. The restaurant was only about 30% full at the time, so it wasn't a particularly busy period, which made the interaction even more surprising. The food isn't inexpensive, so I expected better customer service. Good food is important, but so is making customers feel welcome. Because of the service we received, I can only give this restaurant 3 stars. I hope they can improve the customer service experience, as the food itself is worth coming back for. read more

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Surprised I haven't written a review for Kaju yet! Definitely better than BCD in my opinion - better sides and flavor for sure. Parking can be a challenge on Friday and Saturday nights, but not too bad on weeknights. Waitlist on Yelp prior to arrival to cut down on your wait time! Typically I order a "Kaju special" combo, which comes with choice of tofu stew, stone rice, ban chan, and choice of meat (between pork, chicken, bulgogj, and kalbi). Sides are refillable, but they have a new policy now where you cannot take it to go - so eat as much as you can IN the restaurant. Service is prompt and no nonsense. Recently they've also installed these electronic tablets at every table to order from - making it even easier to order. read more

Kaju Soft Tofu Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

We came for lunch on Thursday afternoon. After adding ourselves to the wait list, we were seated just a few minutes later. The server kindly asked if it was okay to be placed at a large table. I said that was fine (more room for the banchan dishes!). The 2 of us split the Bulgogi a la carte and each ordered a Soft Tofu soup. I chose the seafood, which included clams, oysters, and shrimp. The soup came with an egg to scramble and mix in. We got a nice selection of cucumber kimchi, napa kimchi, bean sprouts, fish cake, and possibly shredded bean curd. It was fun to have the robot deliver the dish of bulgogi! Hot water added to the rice stone pot was a good way to end our meal and aid digestion. The shopping center parking lot is usually pretty full, but we found a space not too far away. read more

Kaju Soft Tofu Restaurant - Assorted banchan - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

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The spicy cold noodle combo with pork was perfection!! I would order again and again! Enough to share if you want dessert after! read more

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Kaju Soft Tofu Restaurant, 14370 Culver Drive, Suite J, Irvine, CA92604. Korean. Family owned and operated eatery. You can either order from the server or digitally via the touch pad ordering system on the table. We had the lunch special (there's a variety of lunch specials to choose from) which came with spicy pork, soon tofu soup (you can customize the spicy level, the type of soup eg. with kimchi or mushroom or whatever), a perfectly scortched rice and plenty of complimentary re-fillable banchan. Everything was so tasty and delicious. Prices were reasonable. Service was quick and efficient. Highly recommended. read more

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Excellent service and delicious Sundubu! The staff were hard working and friendly and the food was great. Definitely worth a visit! read more

Kaju Soft Tofu Restaurant - Beef Tofu Soup #4 - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

Kaju Tofu offers solid Korean fare in a casual, modern setting with booth seating and digital ordering kiosks. The dolsot bibimbap arrived sizzling in a stone bowl with a crispy egg and perfectly charred rice on the bottom. The soft tofu soup was vibrant, spicy, and piping hot. Generous banchan selections including kimchi and seasoned vegetables rounded out the meal. Service is efficient and no-frills. Kaju Tofu delivers authentic Korean comfort food at reasonable prices. Great spot for hearty soondubu and bibimbap cravings. read more

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This is a popular Korean restaurant with various soups and rice dishes that you can customize. There is a touch pad to order at the table and you choose all of the ingredients and spice level. There are also a variety of complimentary appetizers that are refilled. The food was an extremely hot temperature, which I really appreciate because although it took a few minutes to cool down enough to eat, I much prefer it to just being warm. Especially for soup, I really want it hot. It was really good and I got the "spicy" level but I was fine. I could go up a notch next time. read more

Kaju Soft Tofu Restaurant - Vegetable tofu soup with brown rice and spicy level. - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

- Experience (7.5/10) We came on a Friday afternoon and the parking lot was full, but I guess that was to be expected on New Year's weekend. Had to make some rounds before finally settling on a spot. Once we entered the restaruant, we were guided to the Yelp waitlist of which we were third or fourth. We wanted to make a lap around the area, but we barely turned one corner before we got the notification that our table was ready! The menu was designed fairly well and had everything succinctly printed out on a placemat. The prices are printed extremely small! Had to squint. Also it seemed that the menu on the screen had more "secret" options than those presented to us, as well as the prices in a more readable font. Once submitting our order on the screen (we both got a lunch special combo), our bonchon came out immediately as well as our eggs and rice which we requested. And when I say immediately, I mean within a couple seconds of pressing submit! However, once our food came out, we were not helped, checked on, or offered refills of water. Only once to refill our fish cake which we still had half a portion left. It seems that service is by request only. It also seems like they have a one-box policy for taking out left overs as we were not able to request more bonchon to go. - Ambiance (8/10) Simplistic decor, nothing overbearing to distract from the food or from the company. Typical business of a Korean restaurant in Irvine, with the extra added chaos of robotic servers wheeling around. - Food (8/10) The bonchon was delicious, especially the myeolchi bokkeum, which you don't see in many Korean restaurants in my experience. Usually kimchi can be too sweet, but this was perfect with the added bonus of tableside hand-cutting. The potato salad, bean sprouts, and cucumbers were not memorable. I ordered the kimchi beef soft tofu soup, spice level: spicy. As someone who wouldn't say they have an exceptionally strong spice tolerance, I found it to be mild, almost too palatable. I wanted, and expected, a little challenge, but it didn't deliver. In the end, the taste was great though. While the lunch combo did cost $25, I was easily able to get two meals out of it. Would recommend. 4 out of 5 stars. read more

Kaju Soft Tofu Restaurant - Spicy Kimchi Beef Tofu Stew - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

A great spot for tofu soup and other Korean dishes. This location has a Yelp waitlist available and the line can get very long. The parking lot for this place can get very crowded and it can be difficult to find parking that's close by. This location has all indoor seating. Every table has a small screen that you can order from. Many of the dishes have options to make them more customizable. The service is very minimal as some dishes are also brought out on their cat robot cart. The food comes out very quickly after it's ordered. Everything has very good flavor and my favorite is the oyster tofu soup. They give a generous amount of oysters and the soup is one of the most flavorful out of the options on the menu. Everything is very fresh and it makes for a very satisfying meal. read more

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I was in the area and wanting soondubu especially since it was a cold evening (cold by SoCal standards). Located in a plaza there was plenty of parking and it was early enough where there was no wait. Ordering was quickly done on the table iPad and the food came out surprising fast. I'd also like to commend the good amount of banchan as well as quick refills. I definitely got what I wanted and more with the assorted tofu soup with seafood and rice cake dumpling soup. Surprisingly I liked the dumpling soup the best, very pleasant broth flavor and had just the right amount of items in the soup. If I'm in the area again, I would definitely return! read more

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Staff here are always happy and welcoming! The banchans always hit the spot! One of best tasting Korean tofu restaurants that also has grilled fish, seafood pancakes and seafood noodle soup, beef rib soup, cold noodles!! Love this location as well bc there's plenty of parkings and snacks all around the plaza! read more

Kaju at Heritage Plaza delivers a consistently good experience every time I visit. The food quality has been reliable across all of my visits. My favorite order is the Kalbi combo with Intestine Tofu Soup. The side dishes are always tasty and freshly prepared, and the rice is consistently cooked perfectly which makes the whole meal come together nicely. The seating is usually quick unless you arrive between 7 and 9 on weekends when the wait times can pick up. The service is pretty decent overall. They recently transitioned to ordering directly from the table through a kiosk, which is a nice improvement. I do wish payment could be completed on the device as well, but it is understandable. Parking is the biggest hurdle here. Heritage Plaza is notoriously difficult no matter what time you arrive, so it helps to plan ahead or be prepared to circle for a bit. read more

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*DO NOT RECOMMEND Anymore!**Worse meal ever! Can't believe they switched the stone pot into this stainless steel pot instead. This container cannot retain heat and the rice came cold. Instead of crispy burnt rice... it tastes like an overcooked dish. The fried dumplings tastes like a chewy gum. The quality of their food has definitely declined dramatically. We ended up didn't finish our food and left. They used to be good but not anymore! Would not recommend!! read more

Kaju Soft Tofu Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

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I love Kaju Soft Tofu -- it's always my go-to spot when I'm craving a warm, comforting bowl of soup. But lately I'm not sure what's going on. On Saturday I ordered takeout for the seaweed tofu soup, and there was no seaweed at all. This isn't the first time, either -- every time I order it lately, there's never any seaweed in the soup. I'm not sure if they're under new management or if something changed in the kitchen, but I've definitely noticed a difference. Other than that, I absolutely love this place. It's just a shame because this used to be my favorite soup on the menu. I really hope they bring it back to how it used to be! read more

Kaju Soft Tofu Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

Yeap... been here several times and there's a reason for that. Food is fantastic! Lunch combos are usually the best to get a little of everything. Just be mindful that the sides can also fill you up so don't over order. One of my favorite experience of this meal is cracking the egg into the boiling sea food soup. It's just delicious with the way the egg cooks. Their kimchi and cucumber is also a favorite side. I tend to empty these sides quick. Kalbi is tender and juicy with every bite. Wash that down with full body son tofu soup and it's just magic. FYI, peak hours like lunch or dinner can get hectic and noisy. I would recommend you place your name on the waitlist early. Also, as there is a large parking lot in this center, there are also other popular establishments as well. This mean parking is going to be tricky during peak hours of lunch and dinner. Carpool if you can. Delicious food and great experience. Can't wait to visit next time! read more

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I came here for lunch, and unfortunately, the service was really disappointing. I ordered through the tablet, but my banchan was brought to the table next to me by mistake. When the server realized it, she literally grabbed the egg dish from that lady's table to give it to me. The poor lady was shocked and tried to hold on to her food--I was just as stunned and felt super awkward. I had joined the waitlist on Yelp before coming in. Once seated, I noticed that all the servers looked stressed and overwhelmed, handling way too many tables. They seemed exhausted, rarely smiled, and were hard to find when needed. That said, the tofu soup with galbi was extremely tasty, which saved the experience a bit--hence the three stars instead of fewer. Honestly, with the long line of people waiting to dine in, the owner really needs to hire more staff. Cutting corners on service quality takes away from what could otherwise be a great dining experience. read more

Kaju Soft Tofu Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

The service was fast and getting a table on a busy Friday night was easy. Stew was a little salty. The kimchi was not fermented enough. The Galbi combo was flavorful, but only had color on one side of the meat. Maybe a touch on the sweet side. Unlimited banchan made it worth it. I think BCD is better. read more