Kimchi, marinated beef, salad, and cabbage at California Tofu Grill. Photo by Brady Rhoades

Korean eatery, another Fullerton standout

The banchan arrived seconds after we ordered our main dishes. We savored the tastes and textures of kimchi, cabbage, fried fish, pancakes, and japchae (glass noodles).

Next came the soon tofu (soup) — seaweed for my wife, mushrooms, broccoli, and cauliflower for me. And, of course, cubes of tofu. All are boiling and ready for eggs to be cracked in. 

We noticed the presentation — colorful, textured, with lots of wood and stone – and the pacing, as well. We were about 30 percent full — perfect — when the marinated beef and bibimbap (sautéed veggies over rice) made a soft landing on our table. You can ask for more banchan at no extra cost, and we did so. 

The boiling soup and sizzling bibimbap force you to slow down, share, converse, lean back, and rub your belly.

The beef, charred and placed on a bed of onions, offered a mildly sweet taste. The bibimbap was fresh, filling, and just a bit more exciting when drizzled with the hot sauce set on your table like a ketchup bottle, but so much better.

California Tofu preps your food from mild to super spicy. Your call. I went super spicy.  It’s not for lightweights, but it’s not going to torture you like Da Bomb sauce on the YouTube series “Hot Ones.” 

The place has an open-room setting — large, simple, and clean. The service is conscientious.

If you’re a newcomer, check out the wall behind the host or hostess when you walk in. You’ll get a quick history lesson on tofu. 

California Tofu Grill was brought to my attention by a Korean-American couple, and now that I’ve enjoyed the best meal I’ve had this year, they will be thanked.

CALIFORNIA TOFU GRILL 1993 W. Malvern Ave., Fullerton, CA. 92833 | 714-879-5500

Bibimbap. Photo by Brady Rhoades

Soon tofu. Photo by Brady Rhoades

The banchan at California Tofu Grill. Photo by Brady Rhoades