All about tofu at Dubu Dubu

Dubu dubu means tofu in Korean so naturally that’s the main focus this restaurant named as such. It’s in every dish in the menu and while it was a lot of tofu to eat in one seating, it was all good and nourishing.

Owned by the same folks who run Buldajang downstairs, Dubu dubu offers a broad view of tofu – all home-made – as it is served in Korea in its simplest form, focusing more on textures, flavour (yes, tofu has flavours) and delivery. There’s none of that mock meat stuff like in Chinese vegetarian, and you learn to appreciate how soy bean can present in so many ways (and different prices).  

We ordered the signature Sotbap Jeong Sik (RM49) with black (or brown) rice that’s cooked in front of you. The rice was soft and fluffy, almost mushy so not for those who prefer harder and whole grains. Water is later added to the stonepot after scooping out the rice for nurungji (scorched rice), which comes off like porridge.

Comes with non-refillable but top notch side dishes – perilla seed seaweed soup with tofu, chilled jellyfish salad, cabbage and sesame leaf pickle, fresh kimchi, seasoned pollack roe and fried tofu with perilla oil – together with a choice of grilled fish or beef.  We chose mackerel and the set is enough for two if you’re not big eaters. The sweet sourish plum drink was perfect to wash down the meal. Everything tasted super healthy!

We also had tofu of the day (RM25) – just plain freshly made tofu. The texture and flavour (yes flavour) were quite different from our local tofu. The sauce that came with it made all the difference. The other special tofu side dishes are on the steep side as most of us are not accustomed to paying so much just for tofu which is really cheap locally. But S. Koreans really take pride in the quality of their tofu, freshly handmade with so many different flavours and textures as Dubu dubu reveals.

We also had seafood tofu jiggae (RM32) with mild seafood accented broth, reminded me of a light Penang Hokkien Mee soup base. Found bits of fish, calamari and clams, and of course, lots of soft tofu. 

Dubu Dubu offers clean, healthy flavours. It’s a good learning experience and I really enjoyed the food here as it’s quite different from the usual Korean fare. If you’re not a tofu fan, feel free to steer away but if you have the slightest interest in this protein-rich ingredient, this restaurant is definitely a worthy culinary adventure.

Add: 14-2, Jalan 24/70a, Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur. call: 03-6211 9405