In a former life, I worked about two blocks from Manhattan’s Koreatown, 32nd St between Madison and 6th Avenues, and way back then I probably tried just about every restaurant in the neighborhood in the company of special friends. So it was a treat to return to one of my favorites.
The eponymous BCD Tofu House (BCD refers to Bukchang Dong, a district in Korea) is known for their Soon Tofu, soft silken tofu, and they make it masterfully. We got an Entrée Combo, a main dish served with a choice of over ten varieties of soon tofu. In addition to rice, soup, and banchan, a sine qua non of any Korean meal, we ordered the LA Galbi Combo – LA style fragrant, sizzling BBQ short ribs…
(Click on any image to view it in high resolution.)
…and outstanding Dumpling Soon Tofu soup.
Our feast also featured an enormous Seafood Pajeon (seafood pancake from the Shared Plates section of the menu) filled with squid, mussels, shrimp, green onion – decidedly one of the best I’ve ever enjoyed.
Curiously, the experience there turned out to be even better than any I can recall now and more evocative than my distant memories embraced.
Moral – and feel free to alter indefinite pronouns: If you miss something dearly, consider revisiting it: there was a reason it meant so much to you the first time you met.
Looks delicious !
I too worked for 30 years within 2 blocks of 32nd between 5th and 6th Aves. I ate Korean for lunch at least once a week. Along with Myong Dong on 35th St. and the upstairs restaurant on the corner of 32nd and 6th on the south side (whose name escapes me now but who cooked with real charcoal), where I fell in love with Kalbi JJim, BCD was a regular in my rotation. Absolutely great soft tofu soup!!!