So Kong Dong
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch, Dinner
19 Reviews for So Kong Dong
At the request of many yelpers and since I was in the area we decided to check this place out and we were glad we did.
My girlfriend got the Spicy pork Tofu soup and I had the Short Ribs and lets just say it wa sso good that I just woke up from a food induced coma. Just a tip to make sure you know what you are ordering because our order was a bit lost in translation and I almost ordered an entire extra plate of bulgogi which I would not have been able to eat :)
Well since this is the first place I have gotten Korean BBQ since I moved here and I had been craving it this place gets 5 stars for now.
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The first time I ate Korean food was in China and one of the 18-year old kids on the trip with me decided he wanted to eat dog. Being the proud owner of Mr. Smith, the very thought made me burst into tears like a baby. I spent the rest of the evening in a corner clutching my barley tea.
So, I thought it deserved another shot.
After reading all the reviews about the tofu soup, I was sold on So Kong Dong for my new first experience. So after a long day of hiking at Kennesaw, the BF and I made our way down Buford. We had a little trouble finding the place, the sign says So Kong Dong in small letters underneath the Korean, but we made it in.
Pretty decent crowd for a Sunday lunch. The BF order Bibimbop and I had the seafood tofu soup. I loved all the tidbits that come with your meal. The kimchi was great and I was totally diggin' on the cold noodles. I could have eaten those for my meal!
We were starving from our hike, but we were both really impressed with the meal. I loved cracking my own egg into the soup. I ordered it regular spicy and it was perfect, my nose only ran a little! So, needless to say, I'm hooked and am plotting my next excuse to go up Buford.
I forgot to order the barley tea last time! That's my excuse! I have to go back to try the tea!
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Man, this place is good! I've had Korean food a couple of other times, but this place is by far the best I've had. Make sure you understand what you're ordering - otherwise you might accidentally order three times as much food as you want, like we almost did. I got the pork tofu soup, and it comes out bubbling furiously and is really tasty. The short ribs are fab.
I wasn't so sure about the dessert thing they brought us - it was rice in a clear liquid. I didn't care for it that much, but it was cool to get it.
Not sure about the men's bathroom, but the ladie's bathroom has a really cool electronic toilet with all sorts of amusing douching options and even a massage option!
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"C'mon, Miwako! We're going to have tofu soup." Really...I must check this out.
Wow. They focus on tofu soup, with everything from vegetables, to seafood, to pork and kimchi. And it's awesome. (I had the tofu soup with pork.) For $7.95 not only do you get your choice of tofu soup, but you get yummie sides like fried fish, kimchi, noodle salad, radishes, and oh, so much more. You will not leave hungry. The barley tea is a great way to quench your thirst. Your food can be made anywhere from mild to super spicy.
I went with Koreans; they decided we needed to share an octopus, onion and noodle dish, as well as some BBQ pork. It was delicious. Don't forget to take advantage of the leftover rice they have in small stone pots. The waiter will put barley tea in the pot to loosen up the rice and you eat it after you're finished with your meal. (If you have any room left over.)
This is a great place to take a group of people. Go. You will enjoy it.
They take cash, VISA and MasterCard.
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Oh Song Kong Dong, how do I love the?
Simply, one of the best Korean restaurants in Atlanta. Great tofu soup and great sides. One note of caution - the kalbi is a bit overpriced for what you get - stick with the tofu.
Highly recommend!
Food(8.5/10)=So Kong Dong was one of my regular stops for Korean tofu soup while I was still at Emory University (2001-2006). This was and may still be the best place for the tofu soup on Buford Hwy. While I was still in college, a lot of us Emory kids (especially the Korean FOBS) came to So Kong Dong for the tofu soup. I'm not sure if they still do though. Anyways, after being deprived of good Korean food for the past two years (I've been living in Boston, and the Korean food up here just doesn't cut it and it also costs a hell of a lot more), this was the FIRST place I went to eat during my most recent visit to Atlanta (July 2008). I ordered the Combo special #1 which is your choice of tofu soup and Korean BBQ ribs. The variety of Korean panchan wasn't as much as what I remember, but they were still delicious. I guess the decrease in variety might be due to rising food costs in the US. Overall I was pleased with all the food. The Korean BBQ was good, but not great.
***check out my uploaded pics***
Ambiance(7.5/10)=Koryodang renovated their restaurant sometime between 2006 and 2008. The tables and chairs are a lot nicer now.
Service(8.0/10)=I really like the service at Koryodang. The waitresses during my most recent visit were the same ones from before. They all had great smiles when they interacted with their customers, and that goes a long way in terms of making the dining experience enjoyable.
Overall opinion=Korean businesses are sprouting up all over the place in the Atlanta area (expecially in Duluth, GA). Although it seems like there are better tofu soup places in Duluth (this according to my Korean FOB friends), So Kong Dong may still the best on Buford Hwy. Since I came here so many times during my college years, So Kong Dong will always have place in my heart and stomach.
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I've been to this quaint tofu restaurant many times and their hot, bubbly goodness always is consistent. I like that they don't just give you saucers of endless banchan but they also grill a whole small mackerel for each person! I love me some fish! By the way, you can get so many different kinds of soondubu: Beef, kimchi, beef and kimchi, seafood, mushroom, all of the above, etc. Also, sometimes I order the combo which includes the LA-style galbi when I'm really hungry. You can also order the soondubu ranging in different levels of heat from mild to hot. I like to order the 3 or medium or in Korean (bo-tong). Give it a try! You'll be eating healthy! Cheers!
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A sort of sister restaurant to Book Chang Dong Tofu House up on Pleasant Hill Rd. Clean, simple and quick. I got the galbi and my wife got the Sundubu which she loves and what So Kong Dong is known for. I'm not into the Tofu thing but the broth was tasty.
The galbi was pretty good and not very fatty which is a bonus, but didn't get as much as in other restaurants. Oh, no grills, they will prepare in back and bring out.
The banchan was a simple assortment compared to other restaurants, and since I don't like my banchan smiling at me, my wife was able to enjoy 2 fried fish.
At the end of the meal I tried some Sungnyung (Korean beverage made from boiled scorched rice) which wasn't anything special, I'd prefer Sikhye to satisfy my sweet tooth.
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This place was tasty. You have to get the hot tofu soup. That's what everyone at our table got, and everyone was full and satisfied by the end of it.
That being said, I didn't think it was amazing food. I doubt I would go back unless someone else really wanted to go there.
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Our family loves to eat here. We normally get one pork soon dubu medium, and one white pork soon dubu. We also get a galbi combo. Our 2 yo daughter loves it, especially the bean rice. It's filling, it's healthy and everyone loves it!
Oh and you get a free fried fish to start off your meal!
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I really like this place, it's clean, non-smelly, and the food is not fatty. The Korean seafood pancake was yummy and the dipping sauce had the perfect combo of vinegar and soy. My only complaint would be that they were stingy on the side dishes, but the fish they gave was really fresh and crispy, and it's weird that we all got one fish that was deep fried, because no other Korean places has done that before in California. Overall service was great, especially for an Asian place, because for some strange reason, Asian folks do not understand the meaning of customer service..hhahaha.. I loved the tofu soup and when we asked for spicy it was spicy! yayayyaya.. the soup was perfect for 3 people to have one small bowl each. We ordered the spicy pork and that was a definite winner.. Overall dinner for 3 people was 40.00 and that included tip! Wahoooooooooo!
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I used to go to the authentic Sokongdong Tofu House in Seoul, Korea. When I came to Atlanta, I thought this was a franchised version of the original. So I got superbly excited and went. Sadly, I realized it wasn't. They just copied the name from the original restaurant and that sums up that story. For that reason, I always perceived this restaurant as a "copy-cat." I told myself that I would never like this restaurant. However, somewhat surprisingly, I've came to like this place quite a bit for few reasons.
I appreciate So Kong Dong for its multi-language usage. I've been to so many Korean restaurants where they have the menu in only Korean. So whenever I brought a friend who couldn't read Korean had difficult ordering, and often times, they did not like what was recommended by the waitress. Second, I love their incredible service. The staff always greets us with a huge smile on their face and they never treats us badly.
I would personally suggest any of the tofu soups since it is their specialty. Although the menu selection isn't very large, if you are contemplating between something, then just ask your server. She will gladly help you and give you suggestions.
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I would eat here everyday. It's very affordable, fast, and delicious. For around $10 you can eat like a king/queen. They have a fantastic variety of tofu soup and the kal-bi combo cannot be beat and the atmosphere is quite cozy. Must try.
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Small, low-key restaurant serves up a focused menu of tofu bowls, barbecued short ribs, and a few noodle specialties. Banchan usually includes a lettuce salad, japchae, and a small fried whole fish which I don't see much around here, along with other items that change more often. Simple but very good banchan, better than most other establishments.
Tofu bowls are very flavorful but contains not much meat/seafood. Not too spicy, which I like. Dumplings are delicious though you cannot order it as a standalone dish. Combo is a great way to try both the barbecue and the tofu bowl together. The short ribs come in smaller quantity than I like but are tender, slightly charred, and savory. Over the winter a pollack roe tofu bowl was offered, but this turns out to be a bit bland.
The noodles are decent, but not exceptional. I did not see any bibimbop on the menu.
Really good prices for a satisfying meal of varied flavors. Great for a casual solo dinner. This is a good example of a restaurant focusing on a few items and making them really well.
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I've been to this tofu house for 3 times with my friends. The location is very convenient, and tofu was really good. It seems to me it is better to order for each oneself, rather than a big dish to share.
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I hit this restaurant for the first time in 2004, while interviewing in ATL. It's primarily a Sundubu joint with other traditional dishes. The Sundubu is probably the best thing available here... Interestingly, many of the Korean places in ATL serve fish as part of the Panchan... a full fish, fried, for each customer. This place's fish is pretty freaking good. The 5 odd times I've been here have been made much more interesting by this flavourful and unexpected delight.
I guess my biggest complaint about the Sundubu is probably the rice. I can't claim to be a sundubu rice expert -- nor a korean rice preparation expert for that matter -- but I'm not a fan of the density of the rice. It's a little stiff and heavy for my tastes -- which tends to affect my impression of the Sundubu itself. I guess my impression of the sundubu is that it's not unfresh -- but neither is it bursting with freshness. (Which when you get that kind of tofu -- it kindov lights you up... -- or me anyway)
Decor is much as the earlier reviewer notes -- a decent attempt at being classy. Decent.
:)
Three, with a plus.
(I suddenly want to head back to DC.)
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Great bibimbap. Good panchan as well. The owners made an attempt to make the place look nice but it's a bit hokey. I wouldn't care if the walls were layered with dirt and I had to sit on a footstool.
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This has to be one of the best Sundubu places on the Buford Hwy stretch of Sundubu restaurants. It's so good, even my parents and their friends dine here on a consistent basis, and let me tell you, they eat only the best.
I really enjoy the atmosphere, and the decorations give a pleasant vibration to the place (take a look at the wallpaper).
The Sundubu is really good here, I would really recommend the Kimchi beef Sundubu. There are three levels of spiciness to the Sundubu, in which I would recommend mild (spicy is really spicy, and I wouldn't recommend it unless you had a change of shirts in your car).
There are two kinds of rice choices with the Sundubu. You can either choose white rice (which comes in either a stone pot in which they add tea into after they've scooped it out and is reserved for after your meal, or in a traditional metal bowl). The other kind of rice is red bean rice, which I personally prefer because it is a healthier alternative to white rice. Try it out.
Once you order your Sundubu, you get bombarded with an array of small Korean side dishes, most of them unique in taste, plus a small fried fish which is amazing. Every side dish except the fish has unlimited refills, so if you find one that you particularly like, don't hold back.
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Big bowls of bubbling spicy tofu soup and sizzling stone pots of bibimbap (a mixture of vegetables, beef and rice) make So Kong Dong my go-to spot when I want something flavorful and light. Service can be a bit rough at times, but it is a small price to pay for Korean comfort food in a clean and relatively modern setting.
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