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Dish of the Week: Soon doo boo chigae (Korean tofu stew)
Where: Lighthouse Tofu/Vit Goel, Mandu, Adam Express
When most people think of Korean food, they're used to mostly barbecue and rice dishes like galbi (short ribs), bulgogi (rib eye), and bi bim bap (rice mixed with vegetables and meat). But there's a whole world of deliciousness in their stews and soups, like yook gae jang (spicy beef and scallion soup), kimchee chigae (kimchee stew), and soon doo boo chigae (Korean tofu stew). (Note that these transliterations vary dramatically on menus and on the interwebs.)
I have a strong attachment to soon doo boo chigae, because it is packed with protein from tofu as well as from meat or seafood and the optional egg. Not to mention the spicy, meaty dish is one of the most palatable ways for tofu naysayers to start loving the stuff.
It is a great dish for winter, and if you order it in a restaurant, it comes out blazingly hot in a cast iron bowl. The tofu is uncompressed, giving it a more custardy texture, and is cooked in what is usually a clam-based broth. Many restaurants will also utilize beef or pork broth. The stew is filled out with shavings of meat and/or chunks of seafood, lashings of spice, scallions, and mushrooms. Finally, depending on personal preference, you can top off your bubbling mix with a raw egg, mixing it in to reduce the heat and thicken the texture. Cooling things down by spooning the stew on to a bowl of rice is an option, though others may decide to dump rice into the mix.
Lighthouse Tofu specializes in the dish, and is definitely the preferred choice for dining out on soon doo boo. Not only do they feature a variety of animal protein options, but they also have five spice levels - "white" (or unspiced), mild, medium, spicy and spicy spicy. The spicy spicy is quite intense, and makes even the biggest heat geeks break out in sweats. My personal preference has always been the beef or pork varieties, making Mandu and Adam Express slightly less desirable, but, at least, more local options.
Image used under Creative Commons license from bro0ke
Small Bites
More "kids" for Robert Wiedmaier
Robert Wiedmaier, owner/chef of Marcel's and Brasserie Beck, expects to open Brabo and the Brabo Tasting Room (sound like Eve?) in Old Town Alexandria in February 2009. He will follow this up later in the spring with The Butcher’s Block, a Market by RW. The two restaurants will feature American-influenced Belgian food. Meanwhile, the market will have wine, Belgium beer and gourmet treats, such as cheese, olives, charcuterie, bread and pates. I just hope that like Restaurant Eve, they will serve a more reasonably-priced bar lunch (something that is not done at Beck).
Make room for some food
Locanda is hosting an aperitivo "hour" from 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. Look for cocktails made with traditional Italian aperitivi, such as Campari and limoncello. It is definitely something we recommend to make it through these food-filled holidays.
Landscaping changes to the White House?
That old hippie kook/sometimes awesome lady/locavore Alice Water is at it again. She proposes the idea of a new kitchen "cabinet" formed by her, Gourmet editor Ruth Reichl, and restaurateur Danny Meyer. She does make some interesting recommendations, such as the addition of a vegetable garden on the lawns of the White House, as well as suggesting a number of reforms to food production and dietary habits. But maybe it would be nice to make sure everyone can still keep food on their tables first.
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Brabo will also be serving BREAKFAST. Something Old Town sorely needs. It's like there's Table Talk and the Royal and that's it. WTF? Everything else is muffins and bagels and $h!t.
Thank you for this post! As a recent import from the ethnic food Mecca that is Rockville, I've had a hankering for some truly decent Korean food. It seems as though there are fewer inexpensive, Mom and Pop Asian restaurants in the District, but maybe I just don't know where to find them.
Adam Express is next on my list.
There is another Korean restaurant in DC called Yee Hwa which also serves soon doo boo soup, fairly decent. Most korean people think that westerners wouldn't dig into their traditional dishes because either they smell too strong-thanks to garlic mostly- or are too spicy. But once you try you'd realize they are very unique from other Asian dishes and relatively healthy. Thanks for the post.
As a frequent patron of Mandu and occasional patron of Adam's, due to its proximity to my house, I really have to recommend Mandu to anyone reading this post. In fairness, I haven't eaten at Lighthouse, but I have been to a number of Korean restaurants in Annandale, Japan and Thailand (Korea is next one the list.) Mandu may only offer haemul(seafood) soon doobu, but they make it, and all of their food, in very authentic Korean style. All the recipes are the same ones Mrs. Lee learned growing up in Korea and served to her family. Plus you get western style service in DC! Staff has never been anything but friendly, they've got a great happy hour, excellent music playing...it's one of my favorite local restaurants.
I love Adam Express! I used to live a few doors away and I loved going there even though its basically a hole in the wall. Then I moved to the hill and ... well the food options aren't that great.
I like Mandu but I don't think it's great. I like their eggplant appetizer. The rest is good enough but not stellar.