Da Bok Korean Tofu Restaurant- Hacienda Heights

On a family weekend, visiting hubbys family in LA and mine in the IE, we ate lots.  Ate Claim Jumper, 99 ranch fast food, Del Taco, homemade food from the Korean motherland, Krispy Kreme donuts, etc.  Keep in mind its over a 3 day period! After a trip to the ER (long story), I took advantage of being in LA asian-land and had to have some korean tofu stew.  Hubby didnt want anything from Da Bok Tofu Restaurant so there is only one entree being tasted here.  However, if a place has a menu item in its name-sake I would think that trying that one item should be an ok barometer for the rest of their food.  I got the seafood beef tofu stew.  It came with kimchee, fish cakes, seaweed and potatoes for ban-chan (ugh I forgot to take a picture of them).  The banchan for the to-go order was just alright though...run of the mill flavor.  Maybe you get more variety with the eating in orders?

So this is the interior.  Clean, smallish-medium sized inside.  Run by an adorable typical Korean husband and wife pair.  We may have been the first customers of the day judging by the lack of traffic and that it was 1130 in the morning.  The owners reminded me of my parents or their friends so it gave me a warm feeling inside. 

They did seem to have lunch specials that ranged around 13-17 bucks but came with tofu stew and either meat entrees or rice dishes.  The stew was 8.99, normal sized.  I kind of expected it to be a little bit lower in price seeing as the fierce competition in the area (soooo many Korean food places just down the road a bit), but still cheaper than a goumet meal I suppose.  You can see some of the other tofu stew options they offered. 

Again, this is my choice, the seafood beef tofu stew medium spicy.  The broth was tasty.  Perfect spiciness.  The inside vittles could have been more generous as I may have counted 2 clams and 2 shrimps and very little beef even.  Lots of soft tofu.  No egg on the side! I found myself fishing around the stew for more things not in the tofu catgory.  Good flavor but admittedly left me a bit disappointed. 

Had I to do it again, I might splurge for the lunch special combos so that I would at least have substantial leftovers and not feel jipped by the lack of ingredients.  It did meet my sicky sick soup craving as well as my as long as I'm in Hacienda I might as well eat Asian food cravings....