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So upon hearing about an all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ, my girlfriend and I ventured out to Koreatown in search of this enticing place. However, much to my dismay, there was an hour and a half wait. With the both of us already dying of hunger, we decided to forego stuffing ourselves with beef and search for another place to keep us conscious.

Luckily, as I was driving up Western Ave. I spied BCD Tofu House. I had heard rave reviews about this place from my sister and her friends so I decided to give it a try. From the outside, it looks like a generic Asian quick-eats place. It was even complete with one of those take-a-number dispensers, which was used to determine the order of seating.

We waited for about 5 minutes and were given a table. The first thing I noticed was that instead of plastic or wooden chopsticks, we were given metal chopsticks, which was definitely a first for me. Things were looking good.

The menu itself is pretty simple, with a section for tofu, combinations, and meat dishes. Most of the dishes are priced around the $10-15 range. Being extremely hungry, I opted for the bulgogi combination with the assumption that it would be the most food as well as the most varied. My girlfriend got the kalbi combination.

First came out a bunch of appetizer dishes. There was kimchi (spicy, but not too), lettuce with a vinegar type dressing, pieces of potato soaked in a spicy and sweet sauce, pickles, and finally a whole fried fish. My favorite would have to be the fish, since I’m a seafood person. While it wasn’t freshly fried, there’s something about room temperature fried salty fish that appeals to the Asian in me. You’ll need to be careful if you’re not used to eating a whole fish since there are bones to worry about.

After these dishes came the main parts of the meal, which were a stone pot of rice, a stone pot of tofu in a prawn-based soup, and our orders of beef on hot stone plates. My bulgogi was very tasty though a little tough for my taste. I prefer my meat medium rare but other than that, it was good. It came with grilled peppers and green onions, which provided for excellent sides.

I must admit that I should have ordered the kalbi. The bulgogi paled in comparison in all aspects. The kalbi was juicier, tastier, and more tender. Additionally, it came on a bed of white onions, which were slowly grilling underneath, which accentuated the flavor of the ribs.

The soon tofu provided a great complement to the beef. While the beef is somewhat sweet, the tofu soup is spicy. I ordered it medium and found the level of spice to be perfect. You also get a raw egg that you cook in the soup, which provides for a slightly different consistency.

Overall, considering that BCD was my back-up plan for dinner, I was very pleased. The food was great and came out quickly. The service was a sub-par, but considering that there were only a couple servers for the entire place, it was understandable. The nice thing is that they have locations all over LA county. But the clincher for me is that BCD is open 24 hours (at least at certain locations, check the website). Thus, if you ever have the late-night munchies and don’t feel like scarfing down greasy or heavy food, consider this place if you’re nearby.

By Jeff (see more of his posts).