How BCD Tofu House Introduced Soondubu Jjigae to America

A stone pot arrives at the table still bubbling furiously. Inside, silky pieces of tofu float in a deep red broth with vegetables, seafood or meat. Steam rises as a raw egg is cracked into the soup, slowly cooking in the remaining heat.

This is soondubu jjigae—Korean soft tofu stew—and for many Americans, BCD Tofu House provided their first taste of it.

AI-generated image created for K-Food Monster

What Is Soondubu Jjigae?

Soondubu is exceptionally soft, unpressed tofu with a delicate, custard-like texture. Jjigae means stew. Together, the words describe a comforting Korean stew built around soft tofu.

The broth is commonly seasoned with red pepper flakes, garlic and other savory ingredients. Depending on the variety ordered, the soup may contain beef, pork, kimchi, mushrooms, dumplings or seafood.

It is traditionally served in a heat-retaining earthenware or stone pot called a ttukbaegi. The pot keeps the stew extremely hot, allowing it to continue bubbling after it reaches the table.

That dramatic arrival became part of soondubu’s appeal. Even before taking the first bite, diners can hear, see and smell the meal.

The Beginning of BCD Tofu House

BCD Tofu House was founded by Korean immigrant Hee Sook Lee. Its first restaurant opened on Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles Koreatown in 1996.

The name BCD comes from Bukchang-dong, a district in Seoul. Lee’s mother-in-law had operated a restaurant there, giving her early exposure to the Korean restaurant business.

Rather than building a menu around many unrelated Korean dishes, Lee made soondubu the restaurant’s specialty. That clear identity helped make an everyday Korean comfort food understandable and approachable to diners unfamiliar with it.

From one Koreatown location, BCD expanded to locations elsewhere in Southern California and other parts of the United States. Through decades of serving bubbling pots of tofu stew, it helped turn soondubu into one of the most recognizable Korean meals in America.

A Personal Connection to the First Restaurant

BCD Tofu House also holds a special place in my own memory.

When I lived in Los Angeles, its first restaurant opened only a few blocks from my home. At the time, I could not have known how widely recognized the name would eventually become. Watching a familiar neighborhood restaurant introduce soondubu to so many Americans makes its story feel personal to me.

My favorite has always been seafood soondubu. The sweetness and briny flavor of shrimp, clams and other seafood enrich the spicy broth without overwhelming the tofu. It is warming, filling and deeply comforting.

There are many excellent varieties, but seafood soondubu is still the one I would choose.

Why Soondubu Became Popular in America

Soondubu offers something both unfamiliar and immediately comforting.

The tofu may be new to some diners, but the basic experience of a hot, savory stew is universal. Customers can select their preferred ingredients and usually choose a spice level, making the dish easier to approach.

A typical meal also includes rice and several small Korean side dishes called banchan. The combination offers different temperatures, textures and flavors without requiring diners to understand every element in advance.

BCD’s long operating hours also contributed to its popularity. In Los Angeles, a bubbling bowl of soondubu became a dependable late-night meal for Korean Americans, students, workers and visitors from many different backgrounds.

Over time, it became not merely “Korean food for Koreans,” but part of the broader Los Angeles dining culture.

Seafood Soondubu

Seafood soondubu commonly combines soft tofu with ingredients such as shrimp and clams. Some versions may also contain oysters, squid or mussels.

The seafood releases its flavor into the broth as the stew cooks. Soft tofu absorbs that broth while preserving its gentle texture, producing a satisfying contrast between spicy, savory soup and mild tofu.

Because the soup arrives boiling, diners should stir it carefully and allow it to cool slightly. A spoonful of rice can be eaten between bites or added to the broth according to personal preference.

What About the Raw Egg?

Many restaurants provide a raw egg with the meal. It should be cracked into the stew immediately while the soup is still bubbling.

Some diners stir it into the broth, making the soup slightly richer. Others leave it undisturbed so that it cooks more like a poached egg. Both methods are perfectly acceptable.

The heated stone pot continues cooking the egg even after the stew leaves the kitchen.

More Than a Bowl of Tofu

BCD Tofu House did not invent soondubu jjigae. The dish was already part of Korean food culture, and other Korean restaurants had served it in Los Angeles before BCD opened.

BCD’s achievement was different: it built a recognizable restaurant identity around the dish and presented it consistently to a much wider American audience.

In doing so, it helped transform soondubu from a Korean neighborhood specialty into a meal known far beyond Koreatown.

For me, however, the story remains connected to a restaurant that opened just a few blocks from my Los Angeles home—and to the bubbling seafood tofu soup that is still my favorite.