And each bite gave off a melt-in-your-mouth consistency that made it very easy to eat- especially when paired with a spoonful of rice. This means you’re not just getting a bowl of flavoured water. The spicy soup also captures the juices of whatever meat that’s boiled in it. It also reminded me of rasam - where each tangy spoonful will surprise you with a pepper punch. The chillies will only hit the back of your throat after you’ve slurped down a spoonful. It also gets its burst of flavour from an amalgamation of fish and prawn powders, garlic, spring onions, and other aromatics used in Korean cooking. I wish I could guess all 10, but I know the folks at BCD Soon Tofu are generous with their chillies probably where it gets its colour from. The soup (or stew), isn’t thick, has a deep umami flavour and is made from a 10-ingredient secret recipe. Īpart from the soft tofu, the dish gets its flavour from the base.
Its texture is somewhat akin to a panna cotta, but taste-wise, similar to that of tau huay. As soon as you pop a piece into your mouth, it’ll immediately take the form of water and melt onto your tongue, slowly sliding down your windpipe. Yuck, I know.įor the uninitiated, soft tofu is exactly as its name suggests. Much to my dismay, my first attempt to scoop up a piece of soft tofu led to me breaking the egg yolk, instead. Despite the slight disappointment in size, I was a bit apprehensive to stab my spoon into the bowl as I knew a sole runny egg yolk was hiding in there. Honestly, I was expecting the bowls to be bigger akin to what had been advertised. I got the Pork Soon Tofu Set (S$7), Beef Soon Tofu Set (S$7), and Pork Mandu (S$4.50 for three pieces, S$6.50 for five pieces). Each soon tofu set also comes with kimchi, rice and a packet of Korean seaweed. The menu here offers six different types of soft tofu sets, and mandu (Korean dumplings). Additionally, I was looking forward to having something other than Chicken Rice (my latest obsession). I’ve heard many reviews about their soup, and knew I was in for a treat. Just like SBCD Korean Tofu House, the stall serves authentic and wholesome Korean cuisine, specialising in soft tofu soup (obviously). They don’t take bookings so turn up early or be prepared to queue.After an overwhelming response from the masses on Korean food in the heartlands, I had to make my way down to BCD Soon Tofu, SBCD Korean Tofu House’s second express outlet, located at Edgefield Plains. If you need a refill, just press the buzzer on your table and ask nicely. You’ll score complimentary panchan side dishes too. The ginseng chicken soup is said to cure all ills. That means stomach space for crisp seafood pancake, yukhoe beef tartare and bossam, a DIY affair of pork belly wrapped up in Chinese cabbage with spicy radish salad. It’s worth rounding up the crew so you can order more dishes to share. The BBQ beef ribs are a ripper, marinated in a sweet soy glaze and grilled until the meat slides off the bone. Scrape it out as is, or follow the lead of locals and ask staff to pour in boiling water to make a kind of rice tea.īolt on extra dishes, like bulgogi beef or stir-fried squid, for a tofu soup combo meal. The sizzling stone pot it’s presented in means that by the time you hit the bottom you should find a crunchy layer of rice that Koreans call nurungji.
Bcd tofu house upgrade#
It's worth paying an extra $4 for the upgrade to special rice, or yeongyang dolsotbap, a purple-tinged extravaganza of mixed rice cooked with gingko nuts and thin slices of jujube red dates. Rice comes with every option, turning your soup into a complete meal. Restaurant regulars swear by the version with fish roe. So you want your tofu soup with seafood? Or kimchi? Or dumplings? Tick. You’ll find 13 variations ($15-$16) on the menu.
The broth is guaranteed to warm you up from the tips of your fingers right down to your toes, and don’t freak out about the angry red tinge – it’s not half as spicy as it looks.Īt BCD Tofu House, they’re all about soft tofu soup. You get a quivering wobble of soft set tofu - like a savoury version of pannacotta - simmered in a mini cauldron of bubbling spiced soup. This Korean favourite is more than just a soft tofu soup. If you've never heard of it, you just may end up best friends with it this winter.