The Dudes of Food

5907 Buford Hwy
Doraville, GA 30340

Korean tofu houses are not scarce on Buford Highway. Cho Dang is the cream of the crop. A coffee and ice cream machine greeted us at the entrance but getting to our table reminded us of the main attraction. Printed in green on the white menu/placemat were the various tofu soups.

First came an ensemble of appetizers, the panchan. Although not the best panchan in Atlanta, it was fresh, had some variety and was a good way to start off the meal. A whole deep fried fish for each person arrived next. Although tricky to eat because of the bones, it is definitely worth the struggle, for the fish was crisp on the outside and succulent within.

The tofu soups come in many flavors, our favorites being the mushroom, dumpling, and beef varieties. The soup’s spice level ranges from white, for the weak, to spicy. The soups arrive still boiling in heavy stone pots, with an egg to be cracked into the boiling soup. There is also a clay pot filled with purple wild rice. The soup goes over the rice in each individual bowl. This is a FSFW dish. For $7.99 we got a big bowl of soup, a large quantity of rice, and all of the panchan we could hope for, easily enough for two eaters or one hungry dude of food.

Along with these soups, we ordered the BBQ ribs. They were perfectly marinated and came atop onions on a sizzling plate. They were, however, a bit pricey for the quantity of meat received: $15.99 for what seemed like just a taste of ribs (maybe 12 pieces). They were good, but why not get them when you are at Han-Il Kwan and stick with the tofu soups at Cho Dang.

We decided to try a new dish, the Stone Pot Bulgogi. Bulgogi is sweet marinated BBQ beef (see our Han Il Kwan post). We love everything in a stone pot, so naturally the dudes of food embarked on what seemed like a pretty safe mission. The Stone Pot Bulgogi came boiling in a clay vessel like the tofu soup, but instead of the thick tofu broth, we received a bowl packed with meat, mushrooms, and a light marinade-like soup. The dish also came with a side of purple rice. The meat was cooked well and the soup was flawlessly spiced.

We were too full to test the coffee and ice cream, but it’s nice to know we have that option if we ever leave with a sweet tooth.

What to get:

Tofu Soups - You can’t go wrong with any variety or spice level, although we generally avoid the “white” for it is a bit bland.

Stone Pot Bulgogi

BBQ Beef Ribs - If your wallet is feeling a little heavy the taste may be worth the price. You should note, however, that for $9.99 there is a combo plate that comes with a tofu soup and a smaller portion of BBQ ribs.