so kong dong does not go wong with its soon dubu

not sure why man invented fire when all we do nowadays is eat things in its raw state. i, for one, do not shy away from raw things cuz i LOVE the simple, somewhat cleansing taste of uncooked dead meat. muhahahha. sashimi, tartare, carpaccios...oh yum. as long as it's not too bloody of course or make a noise when i fork it. so when i heard about a korean style spicy raw crab, i was all over it...not to mention they have a good pot of bubbly soon dubu (spicy silken tofu stew) to boot which i was eager to try since the last salty bcd tofu disaster.

so kong dong is located in a plaza right behind hodori. going for a late dinner meant parking was not an issue though i imagine that it would be rather hellish during the daytime. the space itself was very clean and bright which immediately notified my inner grubber that this place was strictly for chowing and not yapping. you eat, you bounce, ya hear?

we settled down and perused a very short, succinct menu. it was clear that you HAVE to order their soon dubu or consider yourself a tard. as a matter of fact, we witnessed our server give this other table a raised eyebrow when they only ordered mandu (dumplings). "no tofu?" she said in bewilderment. no tofu lady....besides, they looked a bit out of their element.

in certain situations when i'm given full control of the ordering...i do...to the horror of my dining companions who probably wouldn't stuff face as much as i do on any typical dining occasion. i immediately ordered the beef soon dubu, spicy raw crab, and the beef bulgogi. it didn't seem right not to order some meat when my dining partner is a dude.

banchan while we waited. typical fare.

the first item to come out was a bubbly stone pot of beef soon dubu. i ordered it "mild" though the heat level at so kong dong seemed to veer on the milder side. i could probably have upped the heat factor a bit. my dining companion did not think it was spicy at all, though this is coming from a man that can down sriracha like a tequila shot. anyways, this soon dubu was gooooooood. it wasn't salty like bcd and definitely retained delicate flavors which persevered even though your tongue and tastebuds gets scorched from the lava-like temperature during the eating process.

the raw crab was CRAZY FANTASTIC. the gochujang sauce was atypical and had a burst of peppery notes that drove me nuts. i would have drank/dipped many other things into that sauce if given the opportunity. although overall, it was quite delicious, my companion did not want any of it so i ate as much as i could before i got squeamish with the idea of raw crab because raw crab texture in large doses is nasty. i don't like eating mushy things, i really don't. i would most definitely order this dish again as long as i had someone to share it with...then again, if i had a korean companion, i wouldn't have to order it at all because apparently, they give a small portion of this spicy raw crab as part of their banchan for their korean customers. boo!

delicate and delicious.

the beef bulgogi was tasty. i appreciated the slices of shiitake mushrooms that adorned the pile of cooked meat. a great way to add more meat into your meaty diet.

all in all, the meal was pretty yummy and a great place to get your soon dubu fix. i would totally go back as long as i can find parking of course.

So Kong Dong
2716 W. Olympic Blvd.
Ste 104
Los Angeles, CA 90006
(213) 380-3737

price: $
verdict: tasty, try it!