Natural Tofu Restaurant

Came here a handful of times and each time it feels like a different experience. They changed their menu from the last time I went. No more combo selections. Which is one thing that changed. Their combos were so good too.

I haven't tried their pho, but that's listed as one of their entrees. Not sure why it's listed as this isn't a noodle place. I've tried pho before at Korean places and they always tend to get it wrong.

I got the soup spicy with seafood in it. They hardly give seafood, but their base is really good. I love their banchan (side dishes) and will continually bring out more as long as you ask for it. I will probably come back again for their other selections.

Just your average run-of-the-mill Korean restaurant in Sunnyside Heights.

My partner and I had a craving for Korean food and we were trying to find a spot between our apartment in South Brooklyn and Astoria, without having to go into the city and deal with the hustle and bustle of a Saturday afternoon, nor did we want to frequent any of the ridiculously priced fusion restaurants in Williamsburg. Natural Tofu came up as a good option, so we decided to give it a go.

It was emptier than we expected, which didn't mind us at all as the service was then impeccable. The waiters were really attentive, even though we arrived during their lunch hour. The food came quickly, and they were happy to provide us with more pancha, gratis, when I asked for more.

My partner got the dolsot-bibimbamp (sizzling rice pot) while I the oh-jing-ah-bokeum (spicy squid). His was solid - exactly as you'd expect, with authentic flavours and the spicy/sweet chili sauce on the side. The burnt rice will always be my favourite part. I was happy with my sizzling spicy squid, but it had a smoky flavour that was unappetizing to me. Beside that, everything else was fine.

Not Worth Anything !
The place was dirty, they seated us next to a dirty cart full of dirty plates - the place wasn't busy so I dunno why they cannot take care of it n take it to get washed I guess they don't care - the place seem gunky and dusty too ! FOOD ? Their prices were lower than other Korean Restaurants but so were the portions and They must have ran out of SALT ! Everything was bland ! From their little plates of appetizers, to their miso soup,to the seafood pancake and the Bibimbap that we ordered . We were scared to drink their water we ordered soda and drank from the can !!!

Great tofu house that is better than BCD! It's located right by Sunnyside and they offer an awesome selection of soondubu as well as typical Korean dishes like the spicy fire chicken.

Service is amazing, food comes out hot & quick, no adverse affect on quality. One of my go to spots being that there's a lack of decent Korean food in Astoria.

HIGHLY recommend. You will not regret! Quality comparable to traditional spots in Flushing if not better.

I stopped by here yesterday for lunch after hearing from someone that their tofu soup was good and delicious but i was very more then disappointed.

Ordered beef soft tofu soup & hot stone bibimbap.

The beef soft tofu I asked them for spicy but nah it wasn't spicy. I should have chosen extra spicy and could have been spicier?
The what it was disappointed not even sauce, it's not even flavorful.
I smelled and tasted the beef it felt like it wasn't fresh.

The only reason I gave 2 stars was the "Guy waiters" greet you when you come in to their store but otherwise then that the food wasn't good for my taste buds.

The hot stone bibimbap it had only 1 variety. (BEEF)..
Nothing special about this hot stone bibimbap so have nothing to say about that.

Few minutes later I was still hungry!

I came here for dinner on a Saturday. It looks like a very homey style restaurant from the outside. The inside has a decent amount of seating, but lighting is on the darker side.


They do start you off with some banchan. I ordered the Beef Soon Du Bu and shared the Seafood Pancake. The soon du bu here is pretty affordable, it's only $9.95.
- Beef Soon Du Bu: It wasn't anything special, it was pretty average for tofu stew. I had also asked for mild, but it came out essentially plain. There was a decent amount of beef.
- Seafood Pancake: This was the biggest seafood pancake I've ever had! It's literally the size of a small pizza. It was really really oily and greasy, so only the edges were lightly crispy. I guess if you're really hungry, it's worth a try at $11.95.


I think the biggest disappointment about this restaurant was the service. I was seated in the middle-front side of the restaurant and it was the biggest struggle getting anyone's attention. I literally couldn't even start on my soon du bu because my place setting didn't have a spoon or chopsticks. Waiters never checked on us or filled our water either - they always seemed to be in a rush even though it wasn't too crowded. Note, it's also cash only according to signs posted at the entrance (not sure if there's a card minimum).

One of the first places I ever tried Tofu and I fell in love of with this place ever since. It is very easy to miss if you are not really looking, its a hole in a wall type of place. From the outside you would think this place would be small but when you walk in there is plenty of seating.

When you are seating they give you a cup of hot water and a variety of small Korean appetizer whatever they have for the day. For the main course I normally get the seafood tofu, it comes out in a hot cast iron bowl where you crack an egg in and mix it in. The tofu also comes with a bowl of rice, it is a very fulfilling dish you will definitely leave full!

I also ordered the Bulgogi and the beef ribs which both were amazing tasting! Especially the beef rib! The service was pretty decent and the prices are priced well. I will definitely be coming back to this place whenever I am in town.

Natural Tofu is one of the few Sunnyside Korean eateries left along Queens Blvd. Many of them went the way of the dinosaur, but Natural Tofu sticks to what it does best: Tofu stews or SoonDubu Jigae.

When I first started coming here, most of the stews were $6-7, a real bargain compared to KTown in Manhattan. Now the prices are about $8.95 each, which is not bad per se, but certainly no longer the deal it once was. The banchan (side dishes) options are solid, usually a myriad of kimchi, potatoes, veggies, and fish cake. Also notable are their pancakes, both kimchi and seafood, which for about $10 are a hearty choice that is about the same size for what could be had for $17 somewhere else. I'm not a huge fan of their kalbi or bbq here, not so much because they're the priciest items on the menu, but the fact it's not as tasty as a real Korean BBQ joint.

On any given night this place could be packed with Korean locals and the place is deceivingly spacious but is probably limited to a group of 4 per party at best. Though it feels somewhat dingy much of the time, the place is for the most part clean. Just try not to get situated in the back where the bathrooms are.

The biggest gripe I've heard from others is the fact Mexicans cook the food here, as if to suggest it's somehow less authentic. Truth is, Mexicans are likely to cook a majority of the food anywhere, it's only a matter of whether or not it's made known by the restaurant (Natural Tofu has a large window to show it's kitchen from the outside). I've had Mexican food prepared worse by Mexicans, this attempt at Korean cooking is for the most part pretty solid.

My only gripe is their delivery. They'll take credit card in house, but won't take it over the phone when it comes to delivery. Seamless (www.seamless.com), I have a new client for you.

Yay! I am a fan.
Soondubu Rating: 4.5

Bf and I wanted to come here after walking past this place to try another food joint in Sunnyside. We normally don't go out to explore Sunnyside... but after this experience, I will be!

We ordered the following:
1) Seafood Soft Tofu - really good
2) Oyster Soft Tofu - really good; strong oyster flavor if you like oysters

Both the Soft Tofu dishes (Soondubu) were really good. Korean food tends to be too salty for us in general... but surprisingly, this one wasn't too salty (by Korean standards). We both enjoyed it.

The Soondubu came with raw eggs on the side, and once served, you crack the eggs into the Soondubu yourself.
http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/GpV5O0ag7BPW50tp66bz3A?select=rcbAUkXoXJP4G_iRCqE2KQ
http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/GpV5O0ag7BPW50tp66bz3A?select=-SWvbFy0uyDKUziyJsGr4g

There is also fresh rice served. They then put warm water into the bowl, and you scrape the bowl afterwards to get a "slightly burned" rice. It's pretty good.
http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/GpV5O0ag7BPW50tp66bz3A?select=C4LIbGAhIOo6rBbuoD05gw

3) Kimchi Pancake with Pork - Bf and I both didn't like this too much. My favorite Korean pancake (pajeon) used to be at another Korean place in Manhattan, but the chef has since changed. This pajeon here at Natural Tofu Restaurant was a bit too greasy. My favorite one was made with a mochi type consistency. I'm still on that hunt for that type of pajeon.
http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/GpV5O0ag7BPW50tp66bz3A?select=eXxSlEtMAL4B7j3IjiKQgQ

Photos of the Korean side dishes (Banchan):
Banchan - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/GpV5O0ag7BPW50tp66bz3A?select=cG6tlQRtfMKVf4Op196JPQ
(Raw Eggs on the left are used to put in the Soondubu)
Kimchi - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/GpV5O0ag7BPW50tp66bz3A?select=yKOzh9Cbqb45frck_SMcPA
White Radish in Cold Broth - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/GpV5O0ag7BPW50tp66bz3A?select=LOe8KQs92zhkXn9nLs1xSQ

The restaurant is right off the 7 train. If you end up driving, you can park right under the 7 train and pay the MUNI meter (25 cents for 20 minutes).

This place is definitely worth a visit for the Soondubu if you're in the Queens area. Oh and expect your hair and clothes to come out smelling like BBQ.

I actually live very close to this restaurant and this place always seem to be really busy. I noticed that there was a good mix of people of all ages going to this restaurant so I decided to try it, plus I really wanted some hot silken tofu soup. There were a lot of people in the restaurant. We were seated immediately service was really quick and friendly. They really don't have a large menu which means that everyone was ordering about the same thing.

I ordered the La Galibi, Korean bbq chicken, spicy pork fried and beef soft tofu. I found that the La Galibi which was served on top of sliced raw onions is a very thin cut marinated short ribs were meh. They were a bit dry, had slight smoky sweet flavor. The Korean bbq chicken was brought to our table on a very hot sizzling platter on top of a big bed of onions. If you only eat white meat chicken this is "not" for you. My sister only eat's white meat and she wouldn't touch it. We also ordered the spicy pork fried that was also served on a bed of onions which had the exact same sauce as the chicken. They were both slightly spicy and there was just a ridiculous amount of sliced onions. For all you onion lovers this is a place you should try. What I really enjoyed the most was their beef and tofu "spicy" soup served in a clay pot literally bubbling hot. I couldn't wait to crack that egg into the soup. Scooping up a piece of the beef with silken tofu and a bit of spicy soup, that first bite was heaven. It was absolutely delicious, best part of my dinner it so did not disappoint. I have eaten a lot of Korean food restaurants and this place was OK. The service was great but over all some of their menu items are a bit pricey but the food was good.