Korean Restaurant in Taichung: Authentic and Rich Tofu Pot, All-You-Can-Eat Side Dishes

Text & Photos /Feitianxuan

Recently, many new restaurants have opened at Taichung’s Zhongyou Department Store, so I spent two full days there this week. This place, "Bukchon Tofu House," is also newly opened. I noticed the business was bustling just by walking by, so I decided to give it a try. After eating, I found both the price and taste quite acceptable — no wonder there was a line when it first opened!

"Bukchon Tofu House" is located on B3 of Block C, Zhongyou Department Store. It used to be "Yasaka N<屋》，不过《八坂N<屋》搬到斜对面了，看了网络上其他人的食记才知道原来《北村豆腐家》是《涓豆腐》的关系企业，也是《涓豆腐》旗下第5个品牌，价格比《涓豆腐》来的亲民一点…这间《北村豆腐家》是全台第一间店捏！是说~我还没吃过《涓豆腐》耶！是不是很low？

There’s a menu at the entrance along with recommended set meal prices. Actually, ordering the set is more cost-effective, but mine has my nemesis on it — fresh oysters!! NO NO NO… absolutely not!

The dining space inside is neither too big nor too small… (sounds like a useless comment, huh? XD) I came here on a weekday around noon and had to wait about 40 minutes for a seat. I used that time to eat at "Liangliang Hao," so by the time I got to Bukchon Tofu House, I was already 70% full (completely out of my mind~). They also provide kids’ chairs, so I saw moms bringing their children to dine — that’s a plus!

The menu… Set meals range from NT$298 to NT$328, and they all come with five side dishes and an ice cream voucher. I couldn’t decide what to order after looking them all over, so I went with something the staff recommended.

Tableware and sauces are all on the table for self-service. The chopsticks are the traditional flat Korean ones. Back when I went to Korea, I even enthusiastically brought back five sets of bowls and chopsticks... (Wait, who's gonna open a restaurant? Did I have nothing better to do after eating? XD)

They also have kids' utensils besides kids' chairs — nice touch!

After ordering, you’re first served five side dishes, and you can get refills on those. My little cherry loves spinach but not seaweed, and she spit out the pickled radish after one bite… (too sour, geez, bad mommy!). I didn’t give her the other two spicy ones — bamboo shoots and kimchi. The flavors of these five sides were actually all pretty good!

Bukchon Soft Tofu Pot (Beef) - NT$298In addition to the tofu pot, there’s also a cast iron rice bowl that comes with it.

The flavor of this tofu pot is pretty good. The broth is rich and quite authentic, the spiciness level is just right, and there’s a good amount of ingredients inside — it gets more enjoyable the more you eat. But like I said, I was already 70% full that day, so I barely ate a third before giving up… (I bet thunder would strike me first if it could!)

For my little cherry, I gave her some white rice with egg skin, and paired it with non-spicy side dishes. Then — what happened?! I’ve reached peak idiocy!! As I’m writing this, I just realized… oh wow… this… rice… is supposed to be mixed with the side dishes and sauce… so it’s meant to be a bibimbap-style rice dish!! Cow~ the menu clearly explains that, and I… shh, don’t say it, don’t say it… probably no one else would notice!

After the meal, we exchanged the ice cream voucher at the entrance for a banana milk soft serve. It was pretty good, though eating a whole one by yourself can get a bit heavy. The staff that day were super nice. When they saw my little cherry acting up, they made lots of animal sounds with their mouths and played with her. She was totally fascinated. I thought maybe they worked at a circus before, but then they said they used to teach kids (how adorable is this teacher...). Later, this teacher even gave my little cherry a cone — so kind~ love you, sister!

The food is tasty, the price is reasonable, the service is great, and the wait is fair!

Bukchon Tofu House
Address: B3 Food Street, Block C, Zhongyou Department Store, No. 161, Section 3, Sanmin Road, North District, Taichung (Yasaka N<株式会社隔壁)
Phone: 04-2220-0799
Business Hours: 11:00–22:00

Feitianxuan
I record the ups and downs of my life — food, fun, joy, and sorrow — in a light-hearted style"锛br /> Blog,FB