Are you searching for a Korean restaurant in New York that specializes in hand-made tofu? In this article, I will introduce you to Cho Dang Gol, a renowned tofu restaurant in the Korean Town of the United States. If you’re craving delicious, freshly made handcrafted tofu in New York’s Korean Town, be sure to read this article.
Table of Contents
1. What is Cho Dang Gol?
A Tofu Specialty Korean Restaurant Mentioned in the Michelin Guide
Located in New York’s Koreatown, Cho Dang Gol has been famous since 1997 as a specialty restaurant for homemade tofu. It’s a dining establishment mentioned in the Michelin Guide, known for its daily fresh, house-made tofu-based dishes. Cho Dang Gol offers a variety of menus including soups, stews with their signature tofu, and diverse home-style dishes in a cozy atmosphere.
| Address: | 55 W 35th St, New York, NY 10001 |
| Operating Hours: | Mon-Thu Lunch 12pm – 2:30pm (Mon-Fri) Dinner 5pm – 9:30pm / Fri-Sun 12pm – 9:30pm |
| Contact: | (212)695-8222 chodanggol@handhospitality.com |
| Website: | https://chodanggolnyc.com/ |
2. Cho Dang Gol Menu
Diverse Tofu Dishes
Cho Dang Gol offers a menu that focuses on traditional Korean cuisine, especially highlighting dishes that incorporate tofu.
Starting with their unique makgeolli (Korean rice wine), Cho Dang Gol features fresh makgeolli, chestnut makgeolli, and honey pear makgeolli. Their special menu includes hard-to-find dishes like Jeju meat noodles and abalone samgyetang.
The appetizer menu boasts items like grilled tofu wraps, Cho Dang Gol dumplings, mini bossam, fish pancakes, and buckwheat crepes, while main dishes include bossam, spicy pollock, bulgogi, spicy pork with tofu, and jjukkumi bulgogi.
In their special bibimbap section, you’ll find tofu vegetable bibimbap, stone pot tofu vegetable bibimbap, and stone pot bulgogi bibimbap, with the unique addition of tofu. Signature hot pot dishes include perilla seed hot pot, seafood hot pot, and kimchi mandu hot pot.
Cho Dang Gol also features special nutritious rice dishes, such as root vegetable nutritious rice and mushroom flavored rice, with ingredients like lotus root, burdock, chestnuts, sweet potatoes, shiitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, and enoki mushrooms, truly living up to the name ‘nutritious rice’.
Additionally, as a tofu specialty restaurant, they offer house-made tofu stew dishes like seafood tofu stew, perilla seed tofu stew, spicy kimchi tofu stew, and homemade soybean pulp stew.
For a detailed menu, please visit the Cho Dang Gol website!
3. Cho Dang Gol Recommended Menu and Review
Popular Tofu Specialist Cho Dang Gol
Located in Manhattan, Cho Dang Gol is often bustling with guests waiting outside; therefore, it’s advisable to arrive early at opening time to avoid long waits. If there’s a long queue, you can leave your contact details at the counter and wait for a message notifying you when a table is ready.
The freshly made Cho Dang tofu is known for its soft texture and rich flavor, distinguishing it with a unique menu not commonly found in other restaurants.
The five side dishes, including fernbrake salad, seasoned vegetables, pumpkin salad, and kkakdugi, are all flavorful and well-prepared, a pleasant departure from some restaurants where such dishes can be overly salty or bland.
As an appetizer(left picture), I tried the beef and mushroom japchae, which was somewhat disappointing due to the overly soaked noodles and excessively sweet flavor. It didn’t quite meet the expectations for its price.
The kimchi mandu hot pot with handmade dumplings and tofu is recommended for those craving a spicy broth. The handmade dumplings are delicious, and the homemade tofu pairs well with the kimchi, making it a great dish for New York’s cold weather.
The restaurant’s Mushroom Flavored Rice, a special nutritious dish, contains various mushrooms and pairs excellently with the kimchi mandu hot pot. It’s a healthy choice suitable even for vegetarians.
Upon requesting the bill, they served cute mini yakgwa (Korean traditional cookies) with a description, which was a thoughtful touch.
Being in Manhattan, the prices are not cheap. The beef and mushroom japchae, kimchi mandu hot pot (for two), and two orders of Mushroom Flavored Rice totaled $79.45. However, considering the quality of the handmade tofu and the overall taste of the food, the price seems reasonable.
If you’re traveling in the U.S. or crave warm, handmade tofu during the cold winter, Cho Dang Gol is highly recommended.
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