well bean tofu (duluth, ga)

The soondubu (순두부) scene in Atlanta has skyrocketed ever since I've moved down to Georgia. It wasn't too long ago (almost 6 years now?) when So Kong Dong on BuHi had it's grand opening and ever since then, soondubu joints have been popping up all over Duluth.

Well Bean tofu is a chain in Korea but don't be alarmed by the franchising - their food actually tastes pretty good. Shocking, I know but stay with me here. There's so many soondubu options now that I'd forgotten about this place until C suggested we go for lunch. The first thing you'll notice looking through the menu is the large variety of jjigae they offer. Curry, ham&cheese soondubu? Yup, they have it here. Me? I'm more of a traditionalist so I stick with the usual stuff. Let me know how these unique flavors are if you try them out.

As usual with any Korean restaurant, you'll be welcomed by a generous variety of banchan that's all pretty solid. The side of grilled fish is a nice, generous touch because not a lot of soondubu places in town offer that anymore (it's the economy stupid) and I'm not a big fan of those mayonnaise salads but I enjoyed Well Bean's version. The rice, as you can see, is not white but a variety called jak gok bap. A healthier alternative to white rice.

As for the soondubu, it's pretty tasty. Comes out sizzling, it's vibrant red and just spicy enough to leave a pleasant heat afterwards. The broth on this particular visit wasn't as good as my previous ones but I still enjoyed my jjigae. For lunch, you can get the combo which is a soondubu plus a protein of your choice. C got the galbi and I got the daeji bulgogi. Their galbi is pretty damn delicious when it comes to the soondubu side variety. It's so tender and the balance of the sweet & saltiness is great. The daeji bulgogi was...okay. I found the heat from the Korean jalapenos were a little overpowering. Not a bad dish but not a great one either. I'd still get it if you really want pork over beef.

This was a great meal for a cold, rainy day and if you're around this plaza, I recommend stopping by for a bite to eat. Staff is friendly (for Korean standards) and best of all - it's good food at a cheap price.

Tips:

• Do crack the egg inside the soondubu when it comes out piping hot
• Ask for cold water unless you want warm boricha (roasted barley tea). As Gene-sensei put it, "I still haven't found that zen like place combining hot tea with spicy tofu"

See C's review here.