Soon Tofu SmackDown: BST vs SKD (Yes, Again)

Aye, it's the old time question: which is better, Beverly Soon Tofu or So Kong Dong? Well, I finally made my way to SKD and so now I have to try and figure this out.

1. First, the location and parking. BST has valet parking for a nominal fee, while SKD has free, probably easier parking. Location-wise they're pretty much the same: Right across the street from each other, in a strip mall, and both right below a billiards/pool place (why??)

2. The ambiance. BST wins hands down here. SKD is clean and bright, but is your typical joint and sterile. BST's unique wooden furnitures really add to the ambiance.

3. OK, now on to the food. The banchan. I have to say BST wins here again. SKD does have spicy raw crab, but I can't eat spicy anyway . The bean sprouts here were a bit musty. The only item I liked was the fish cakes. BST on the other hand has that amazing cold tofu, and their bean sprouts are also much better.4. SKD does not have combos like BST does. If you want bulgogi, you'd have to order it separately for $12.99. They also don't have kalbi, but they do offer either beef or pork bulgogi.
The mushrooms in the bulgogi added a nice flavor and the meat was lean and good.

5. The rice. SKD serves your rice in the hot earthenware pot - this means they'll add water to what's left in the bowl later for you to cool down your palate with! I always enjoyed having that at BCD Tofu House but Beverly never does it. Upon trying SKD's rice though I have to say, it was amazing! Never thought I'd say this - but this rice was really really good. It was firm yet had a nice stickiness. SKD wins rice hands down.
6. The soondubu itself. Now this may be due to the fact that "mild" at SKD is not as spicy as "mild" as BST and so I was able to enjoy the whole bowl without that slight pang of pain. It might be due to the fact that I had a cold when I was at SKD, and seriously, soon tofu tasted soooo good. At any rate, upon this first visit, I really, really liked SKD's soondubu.
I ordered the beef soondubu. I thought the quality of the meat was great (although BST gives more meat). The seaweed they put in added a nice flavor. The tofu was also good, and you're eating all this with that amazing rice too.

At the end, you cleanse your palate with the cool rice+water (what do they call this anyway?)
I will be going to Beverly Soon Tofu to compare once more, but I definitely left So Kong Dong a very happy camper. It was the perfect meal for this cold.


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

NYC: Pre-Theatre Deal at Center Cut Steakhouse

I decided to go to Center Cut since:1) it also happened to the OpenTable Stimulus Week when I was in NY and wanted to take advantage of the deal, and 2) it was right next to the Lincoln Center where I was going to see the musical South Pacific (AWESOME, btw).

It turned out though, Center Cut has a $39 pre/post-theatre prix-fixe deal all the time anyway! Oh well ...
The $39 deal is called the "Center Cut 4^2" so as you can deduce, it comes with 4 items: Soup, Salad, Entree, Side (and bonus cookies at the end).

First came the bread - which looked like a popover. It had a different texture and taste though (still hollow in the middle, however).For the soup I opted for the Golden Potato & White Truffle Cream w/ crispy shoestring potatoes
Nice texture (rich, creamy), and pretty aromatic with both the white truffle cream and the sliver of black truffle on there.

I also tried the Five Alarm Wagyu Chili Soup corn bread crisps and sour cream, that someone else ordered.
This tastes great, except that it was somewhat spicy for me - I had to finish it off with the rich, creamy potato soup to calm my tongue down.

For the "salad" I got the Mozzarella Compression opal basil and virgin olive oil
A great and simple appetizer. The tomatoes were amazing: sweet and juicy. All four of us ordered this dish and are glad we did.

For the entree I ordered the Steak Au Poivre: 6oz brandt beef filet, red peppercorn crust and braised belgian endive
This is actually a great steak! Well-prepared (I asked for medium rare), tender and juicy - it wasn't at all overcooked! The peppercorn crust really adds a nice flavor.
Really enjoyed it over all.

The other ppl on the table got:
Hot Smoked King Salmon poached asparagus, morel mushrooms and dried cherry butter
Jumbo Pink Shrimp Scampi basmati strudel
They seemed to be enjoying these dishes too.

Some of the sides were pretty interesting, like these Eggplant Fries:
All the food was good quality and well-prepared. While not mind-blowing, they were very solid and enjoyable. Plus with the prix-fixe deal, we believe this was the best deal we got in NY this trip!

The $39 meal also came with cookies and milk (!) which you can take to go (to take to the theatre with you) or eat there. What we didn't know before was how big these cookies were going to be!
This huge stack was for ONE person. They were WARM, right out of the oven, and moist.

The milk came in individual ceramic bottles - CUTE.

Being stuffed and happy (and happy for the bill too), we ambled to the Lincoln Center - just across the street pretty much.

I would definitely recommend Center Cut's theatre deal for people who are in New York. It's no Jean Georges but it's very solid food and quite a deal. The restaurant is also not loud, allowing actual conversations, with very courteous servers.


Center Cut (at The Empire Hotel)
44 W 63rd St, New York 10017
Btwn Columbus Ave & Central Park W
Phone: 212-956-1288

Simpang Asia to Stay Open Until Midnight, Plus 20%Off

Starting on Friday, January 16th, Simpang Asia will stay open until midnight everyday!

Also, between January 16th-31st, you can get 20% off food when you come in between 10pm-midnight :D

This is going to be awesome for my late night cravings!

Simpang Asia Groceries
10433 National Blvd #2
Los Angeles, CA 90034