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    Tofu Ya

    3.7 (1.2k reviews)
    ModerateKorean
    Open 11:30 am - 9:30 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order Tofu Ya Takeout or Delivery

    Tofu Ya Photos

    Business Info

    TOFU YA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Tofu Ya

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    Reviews With Photos - Tofu Ya

    Interior
    Tony T.

    This place is super small and at the time they didn't have seating for Al Fresca. It's like a knock off BCD tofu. The prices were fair and service was alright. The food was good though. I got the bibimbop combo that comes with the tofu soup. And it was delicious. Just fyi they do have a restroom but it's outside and behind the building. The wait didn't seem to be that long especially compared to the other spots on Sawtelle

    Restaurant front
    Noah M.

    The Baseline: For Korean bibimbop/soup restaurants the soup base must be quality, the quality of the meat/rice of the bibimbop, and the accompanying sides. Food: I like the soup at Togo Ya, I had the Kimchi beef soup and it had a good amount of beef/tofu. The ingredients are quality and the accompanying fish cake, kimchi, cucumber kimchi, etc. were great with the main. Service: Good solid service and my water glass was kept filled. Atmosphere: No muss, no fuss type of restaurant experience. Plenty of seating and there is an outside patio.

    27. Dolsot Bibimbop Combo
    C M.

    Food is great here! We ordered a combo with dolsot bibimbap and kimchi soondubu, as well as a combo with bulgogi and naengmyeon. We also tried the kimchi pancake. We really enjoyed all of the dishes! One small hiccup was that they forgot to bring out our dolsot bibimbap and bulgogi out, but this was resolved after we brought it up :) overall enjoyed this place!

    Shirin B.

    Tofu Ya is so good, I can't believe I didn't get a chance to come here earlier. Really flavorful tofu soup and you have the option to get water broth here. I got the mini veggie dumpling sundubu and chicken teriyaki with rice, and both were delicious options. The kimchi pancake had an almost mochi like texture to it, and we had so much food enough for a day of leftovers. The banchan here is also excellent and the staff here is really nice. You'll most likely also won't be met with a wait which most restaurants in sawtelle usually are.

    Tiffany S.

    Everything was good. We ordered the Galbi Combo with seafood soondubu and Bulgogi Combo with seafood soondubu. For these combos, you can have any soup or their cold noodle.

    Arvin P.

    I was in the mood for Korean food and walked over to Sawtelle. I've always wanted to try this place out and finally did on my day off. It's not a big restaurant but it certainly has tables inside and a few outside. I sat outside and ordered the galbi combo which you get a choice of tofu soup. I chose the dumpling soup. My server was super nice and everything came out great. The soup and meat were sizzling as they got brought out. So glad I only live a 10 minute walk from here. I highly recommend trying this place out!

    19. Bulgogi Combo
    Peyton V.

    Great food for a good value. Very affordable for a large quantity of food. We shared the bulgogi combo and the one combo easily was enough for 2 people. The staff is nice and the location is in a great spot in sawtelle if you want to walk to get dessert or go to a couple of shops. My only note was that the ambiance isn't the best inside. The to go order prepping area is visible and the lights are kind of bright. However would recommend as a good place to grab food without much of a wait for lunch.

    Beef 19. Bulgogi Combo
    Madeline V.

    Their banchan and beef bulgogi combo soothes my soul! I always can't wait to go back. It's super affordable for the yummy amount of food you get.

    43. Bulgogi BBQ
    Callie S.

    Good quality tofu soup and probably the best you can get around SAMO and Culver City. It's definitely not as good as ktown but will do if you don't wanna drive to ktown. The service was friendly and fast. They charge extra for barley teas... idk if anywhere else does it in ktown. Bulgogi was a also little too sweet.

    28. Bibimbop Combo 19. Bulgogi Combo
    Serene A.

    If you want some Korean food not trying to go to Ktown this place is good. A solid option in the busy street and it's one of the place where it doesn't feel too packed! The tofu stew is really yummy and flavorful. And all the banchan is great they also refill if you ask but you already get a lot of food that's solid. The staff leaves you alone but if you call out for them they come.

    18. Galbi Combo 21. Chicken Bulgogi Combo
    Jacklyn L.

    Food 5/5 Service 4/5 Vibe 4/5 No frills, delicious Korean food. Went on Friday night where there were lots of online orders so the staff were a little busy doing those.

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    5 months ago

    Delicious tofu soup, good service. Utilitarian ambiance, so great place for food but perhaps not a romantic date

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    7 months ago

    Delicious! More of a take out place. But I always enjoy their hot soups and banchan. Been coming here for years.

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    11 months ago

    The folks at the restaurant are super friendly and very nice. We got the bobimbop with tofu for the vegan option. Very delicious.

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    Page 1 of 31

    Ask the Community - Tofu Ya

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    Hangari Kalguksu

    Hangari Kalguksu

    4.4
    (3.3k reviews)
    8.5 mi
    $$
    Women-owned & operated
    10 years in business

    I had always heard about this place from my food research and it was further reinforced by a friend…read morewho recommended this to us. We came as a group of 9 and thankfully, they allow for reservations if you are a group of 8 or bigger. Take note! Especially in this LA peak heat. We checked in with the valet and they gave us menus as we waited about 15/20 minutes for the table to be ready. You will need to order before you are seated and you cannot order anymore food once you are seated, given how popular they are, this makes plenty sense. We were seated inside with cooling AC and the restaurant is quite large inside! It could certainly have several parties in there. Soon, our galbi kalguksu, XL chicken kalguksu, tteokbeokki and XL pork jowl and pork belly bossam showed up. Everything was extra delicious and fresh. The soups in both the galbi and chicken kalguksus were amazing and the hand pulled noodles were divine. We drank and ate everything up quickly. The tteokbeokki was delicious, but too spicy so the rest of the party was able to enjoy it. The bossam was all so tender and had just enough napa and garlic to go with it along with the many unique sauces we could dip all the meats in. Everyone left feeling happy and it satisfied everyone's palates.

    I used to love this place. I first came here over 10 years ago, back when the restaurant was about…read morehalf its current size before the expansion. It was one of my favorite spots for kalguksu, so I was excited to come back. We visited on a Saturday around 2:00 PM. The first thing that stood out was the wait. There was a line outside despite there being numerous vacant tables inside the restaurant. I'm not sure why customers were expected to wait outside, especially during the current LA heat wave, when seating appeared to be available. While waiting, we were given menus. The first thing I noticed was the price increase. The clam kalguksu is now $22.99, which felt quite expensive, even accounting for inflation. Once seated, we were served the rice with doenjang paste and the three varieties of kimchi. Unfortunately, I found almost all of the kimchi to be noticeably saltier than I remembered, with the exception of the radish kimchi, which was enjoyable. I honestly don't remember the kimchi tasting this salty in the past. It even made us wonder whether it was intended to discourage customers from requesting refills, though I hope that wasn't the case. We ordered the new beef rib kalguksu and the clam (bajirak) kalguksu. The beef rib broth was overwhelmingly salty for our taste, to the point that I mentioned it to our server. The hand-cut noodles themselves were still excellent, but I also noticed that the clam kalguksu contained significantly fewer clams than I remember from previous visits--roughly half the portion I used to receive years ago. The noodles remain well made, but it's difficult to justify the current price when the portions seem smaller and the broths are considerably saltier than before. What originally made this restaurant special to me was its fresh, clean-tasting broth, flavorful kimchi, and generous amount of clams. Unfortunately, my recent visit didn't live up to those memories. With so many excellent kalguksu restaurants in the area, I don't see myself returning. I understand that restaurants evolve and may adjust recipes to appeal to a broader customer base, especially since most of the diners during my visit appeared to be non-Korean. However, I genuinely miss the balanced flavors, generous portions, and value that made this restaurant stand out years ago.

    Photos
    Belly and Jowl & Chicken-KALGUKSU
    Belly and Jowl & Chicken-KALGUKSU
    Bossam jowl combo
    Bossam jowl combo
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    Danbi

    Danbi

    4.5
    (401 reviews)
    8.5 mi
    $$$

    What a fun, unique & refreshing addition to the Ktown food scene. Having grown up on it, I really…read morelove traditional Korean food and there's always a place for that. This restaurant is really doing something unique + creative with Korean influences. We sat at the chef's counter and it was fun to see the the activity in the kitchen. You can always tell how well-run and managed a kitchen is by the mood and rapport with the kitchen team, and it's clear this is really well run! Everyone was focused on their work, but there was an overall good atmosphere in the kitchen which means that employees are treated well and respectfully. This goes a long way. And yes, the pajeon lives up to the hype! The other standouts were the fish and the salad.

    spontaneous dinner because it's been on my list forever to try and so incredibly happy we went…read more this is one of the best meals ive had in a while. their service is incredible and the space is just beautiful. the zabuton was just cooked perfectly and so tender. it held such great, natural flavor, and the portion was huge. that's expected actually as the portion is for 2-3 but the size for that price & quality was just more than worth it. i looooved how the bone marrow didn't feel too oily or heavy once mixed in with the beef tartare (as suggested) & it was actually like butter & tuna. amazing dish. the honey butter chips weren't necessarily for me. it was just honey butter on the top layer of a few chips while the the rest was pretty much just regular chips. we were lucky to find parking on the street but parking is $10-15 if you need.

    Photos
    Inside bar
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    Ham Ji Park

    Ham Ji Park

    4.2
    (1.8k reviews)
    8.6 mi
    $$$

    I just walked by, all the Ham Ji stuff still inside but construction was underway with the door to…read more6th St. wide open. Plastic sheeting was up to protect the kitchen and other areas, so it's nothing major whatever is happening. Anyone know more info?

    tl;dr the delectable pork ribs overshadow the otherwise authentic but standard lineup at this…read morenow-shuttered Korean stalwart Los Angeles Koreatown is home to restaurants that specialize in every facet of Korean cuisine. If you're searching for some of the city's best pork, then those in the know will bring up Ham Ji Park. For 2 decades, generous platters of pork ribs and pork neck stew decked every table. Now, our Korean friends lament the loss of their favorite pork joint in the city. The Koreatown proper location is located in the Royal Plaza mini-mall, just a few blocks off bustling Wilshire. Discounted parking is available in a lot across the street from the Chevron gas station. From the street, the entrance is flanked by potted plants and an enclosed street-ery. Inside, stainless steel chairs are pressed up against wooden tables, each outfitted with a metal grill. Oppressive fluorescent lighting shines down on the stone grey walls, which are left undecorated apart from a few flatscreens. Multi-lingual chatter blends with the sizzle of platters. I visited with some friends for a weeknight dinner, and about half of the tables were occupied. We shared a spread of grilled platters and sizzling soups. The meal began with a carafe of barley tea and a mostly standard spread of banchan. Across our food, the best dish was the signature Charbroiled Pork Spare Rib. The ribs were flavorful without feeling gamey, and the meat was complemented by sweet caramelized onions. The pork ribs handily outdid the good-not-great Charbroiled Beef Short Rib. Lastly, the Milt and Cod Rose with Vegetables stew was fishy and briny, appropriately flavored for the Korean palate. The service was appropriately attentive, although I would've appreciated more intentional refills of our banchan ramikens. The rib plates cost upward of $35 each, while the soup was just under $30. The portions were hearty; a single entree platter could reasonably feed 2 moderately hungry bellies. It's a shame to hear that Ham Ji Park has closed; I'm kicking myself for not trying their pork neck stew earlier.

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    Ham Ji Park
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    Tofu Ya - korean - Updated August 2026

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