My husband is Korean-American and my mother-in-law taught me to cook like they do in the old country. We seek out Korean restaurants near and far because frankly, there aren’t many good Korean restaurants in the Boston area. Not for specialities items. Not like in K-Town where my husband and I used to trek to in search of Naengmyeon when the hot Santa Ana winds were blowing.

Bon Chon: Korean Fusion Restaurant in Allston

I judge a Korean restaurant by the bon chons — small side dishes — that come with an entree. When Bon Chon opened, I had high hopes of lots of little dishes of all my favorites. But, as you can see from the fancy interior, it’s just not that kind of restaurant.

Bon Chon is upscale Korean fusion. I’m ok with that too.

We started with raw oysters. They were delicious but not really Korean.

They are famous for their fried chicken wings, so I ordered the combo — spicy and soy garlic —  for lunch. It came with cole slaw and rice. Nothing more. The chicken was seriously crispy and light. It’s probably not the best thing for lunch on an empty stomach. It gives me a food coma afterwards but I’d be delighted to eat this as an appetizer with drinks.

My husband loves spicy food — the hotter the better. He ordered the spicy seafood hot pot (Maeuntang) which he usually orders whenever he sees it on a menu. Again, not ideal for lunch. It was seriously spicy, even for him.

The wings and rice were a strange combination for lunch so I thought I’d try the pork bun, which is really a Chinese dish. It came as a fusion riff off Peking Duck but used pork belly and scallions. It tasted delicious but it was not what I was expecting at all.

Kaju Tofu House: Korean Tofu Soup Soondubu Authenticity

My mother-in-law loves Korean tofu soup called Soondubu. There are Korean restaurants that specialize in this a few towns over from where I grew up in Seal Beach in Garden Grove. I’ve missed those foodie outings so I was really excited to learn that the old Korean bakery converted to Kaju Tofu House.

It’s not fancy but I like that.

The service is extremely fast. Those side dishes showed up almost immediately after ordering!

That’s what I’m talking about! The bon chon sides were homemade and delicious. I ordered the Seafood Tofu soup, not too spicy. It was spot on and boiling hot. Can you see the bubbles?

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My husband’s was spicier. You can tell by the reder hue of his hotpot!

While Korean Tofu Soup makes for a perfect lunch on a cold wintry day, I’d eat it for dinner too! It’s extremely healthy. It comes with rice, made the old-fashioned way on a stove that leaves a crust. They use the crust to make a soothing porridge that is served at the meal’s end.

Two new additions to the Korean food scene in Allston! They are both worth the trek!

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