Discover Pyeong Chang Tofu - Berkeley: A Culinary Gem

“ Whenever I want Korean food that reminds me of my late mother, I come here. The original location in Temascal with the solid wood tables and benches was one of my parents' go-to spots, and the Berkeley location is much closer to me and therefore, more accessible on the regular. The hot stone mixed-rice bowls (dol-sot-bi-bim-bap) are packed with vegetables, the protein of your choice, and flavor! My personal favorite is spicy pork or the spam and kimchee. You also can't miss with the soft tofu stew, which can be requested at varying levels of spiciness with a range of options for ingredients, including clams/mussels, just mushrooms, kimchee, pork, beef, etc., to accompany the star soft tofu. Plenty of banchan is provided and reflect the seasons. I regularly purchase their kimchee because it nearly replicates Mom's. ”

“ Deeeelicious! We came in around 7pm on a Wednesday night and did not have to wait long before getting seated. It was warm and cozy inside. I ordered the kong guksu because I love all things soy and it did not disappoint! It comes with salt on the side for you to add and adjust to your liking. The broth was nutty, thick and overall delicious. My boyfriend got a seafood tofu soup that came with an egg and crispy rice! The rice was a fun little bonus we weren't expecting! Our server (seemed like the owner perhaps) had great customer service so it was we left with a full belly and smiles on our faces! ”

“ it's at a nice location not too far from campus with lots of parking. i ordered a bibimbap and pleasantly surprised a mini tofu soup came with it! service was great and ban chan had my favorite, the potato ”

“ I've been here two weeks in a row now. Very short wait times both times. A pretty good list of dish options to select from including various tofu and wing options. The restaurant is fairly quiet not loud. Food is all cooked and brought out to your table. Tofu bowls are all served in stone bowls and come out boiling hot! Side dishes are included with all food orders. Tea is served upon request. All food is served nice and hot. ”

“ There is a reason why I take out of town visitors here. It is close by and very consistent. Appetizers: I've tried the mung bean, seafood, and kimchi pancakes. Out of all 3 I would recommend the seafood pancake. They have a good crispiness to them and plenty of seafood included (vs lots of flour). Tofu soups: Normally i get the original tofu soup at a medium spice level with a raw egg. The egg is not included in the price. Plenty of soup, normally lasts me 2-3 meals in total. The medium spice is a perfect level for me to have the spicy kick but I can still enjoy the beef and tofu. Rice dishes: I've tried the bibimbap and the spicy chicken bibimbap. Of the two, I would recommend the spicy chicken one. Of note, I believe the mixed rice dishes comes with a small tofu soup. Both have a very crispy rice bottom. I think the spicy chicken has more of a mixture of spice and sweet whereas the bibimbap can be a little one dimensional with sweetness. Service: Always friendly and fast. They always come by often to refill any banchan or water vessels that are empty. They even gave us some complimentary crispy rice. ”

“ Whenever I visit my daughter in College, this is our go to place Ambience is nothing to write home about. But then again, few places in Berkeley has ambience. It's decorated like a traditional tofu house but nothing close to chain tofu. I am a big judge of bathrooms in restaurants. This place has old bathroom but very clean Staff is very friendly, prompt and helpful. Food is legit. Our favorite place in LA is BCD. There are several dishes here that are far better than paces in LA. Soybean Soup is Fire. Very flavorful and not watered down. Their ban Chan is more North Korean style than sought. Highly recommend this place. And my daughter approves!!! ”

“ Just randomly chose a spot since I was craving korean food. I felt bad coming in the last hour but food came out quick. We got the combo beef and seafood tofu soup with fried chicken wings. We got the soup mild but it was a bit spicy for my friend. I thought it was good and flavorful. A good amount of beef and seafood(shrimp, squid, clams). Their side dishes were pretty good. There was only 4 though. The wings were good. Didn't taste like it was double fried but had a good flavor and savoriness. ”

“ Definitely would come back again! The tofu stew here is top notch--the flavor profile here is strong, unlike some places. The ban chan here is also my all time favorite, everything was super fresh and refreshing. You could tell the ban chan wasn't just sitting out in the open waiting to be served. What's also unique is that this place also serves the leftover crispy rice w/ hot water that comes in the clay pot! I've only ever been to one other place that does this--I love it when they do this. The only down side is we did notice the stew to be a little too salty so I had to pour some water, but bc the flavor was so good I didn't really mind tbh. Seating was plentiful here. Everything was clean. The ambiance felt like a clean and modern home-y Korean spot. Overall would definitely come back again! ”

“ Love the quality ingredients, the friendly service. This is a must visit spot. I am obsessed with their soups - kimchi soup is spot on. As well as their short ribs. Loved the seafood pancake - it is so filling - it could be a meal. All foods shall be shared. Can't wait to come back. ”

“ This Korean restaurant is a cozy spot that serves delicious kitchen-cooked dishes, no BBQ grills at the table. I like this because I can just sit back, relax, and enjoy the food without any hassle of cooking myself. Plus, it means I won't have to worry about leaving the restaurant smelling smoky and BBQ-y. Parking was fairly easy to find on the street. The food was very good! We tried the original and shoyu chicken wings, and the latter was our favorite. The bulgogi and the soft tofu soup were also really tasty. They have a good selection of bonchons. The only thing that could be improved is the service. It was a bit hard to get the server's attention, and when they did come over, they seemed a bit hostile. It was a bit off-putting, but overall, it was still a good dining experience. ”