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    Ho Soon Yi

    4.4 (441 reviews)
    ModerateKorean
    Closed • 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Ho Soon Yi Photos

    Business Info

    HO SOON YI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Ho Soon Yi

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    Pork Tofu Soup
    Marvin R.

    Coming from outside of the Lakewood, Washington area, it's easy to become overwhelmed with the choices of Korean cuisine in the area. If you had grown up in this part of Pierce County, you are familiar with the enormous changes. However, this is one restaurant that has stayed with the times. Locals know, this is the place to start with, an original - Ho Soon Yi. Where the place can easily be swallowed up by the hustle and bustle of businesses on a very busy city street, this casual sit-down Korean restaurant has the everyday favorites you are familiar with. Where many Korean American establishments focus on the BBQ aspect, Ho Soon Yi focuses and masters other parts Korean cuisine. Specifically the soups!! And they are tasty!! Definitely the tofu soups are there, but there are appetizers, fried rice, and the traditional small side dishes are also served. My friend and I ordered the savory seafood pancake as the appetizer. As for soups, I ordered the Pork Tofu Soup and it was great! Definitely satisfying, and I didn't miss the BBQ one bit. Yes, the do have kalbi and bulgogi (beef, pork and seafood) but that is for another time. There are definitely plenty dishes to try. And all are tasty. You won't be disappointed. Come see an original before seeing the others. See Ho Soon Yi... soon!

    Chicken bibimbop
    Gigi M.

    Came here for lunch and got the chicken bibimbop. When it came out it was sizzling and looked delicious!! Turns out it was the most lackluster bowl of sautéed veggies and burnt rice. There was nooooo flavor! It desperately needed salt, MSG, soy sauce literally anything to add flavor. The super hot bowl crisped up the rice which was a fun texture but made it stick to my teeth real bad bc it got too crispy. Some parts started to burn bc the pot was so hot. The chicken was non-existent. There were a ton of beansprouts and pickled veggies which costs next to nothing however they charge $20 for this dish. My friend got shrimp fried rice and also had to add seasoning when she got home. For the prices, I'm shocked at how bland and boring the food is. The service was quick and they get packed during lunch hours.

    Rob B.

    Very expensive for this type of establishment. Bathrooms were quite run down. Food was good and service was mostly friendly, but a bit inattentive. My tea cup was empty for the last 30 minutes that I was eating. Portions were not large. Respectfully, for the money spent, I would probably choose elsewhere to dine, when in the area.

    Beef bulgogi & banchan
    Nancy C.

    Was craving tofu soup, so I looked on yelp and found this place. We ordered a mushroom pork, tofu soup and beef Bulgogi. The tofu soup was good (too spicy for being mild/not the best I've had) and the beef bulgogi was very chewy (took the majority of it home to the dogs). There were several banchan and most were too spicy for me. My daughter loved the cucumbers and the kimchi. The total with tax and tip no drinks was ~$50. It wasn't awful, but I won't be back. There's too many better Korean restaurants.

    Menu as of April 2026
    Nini A.

    I visited for the first time on Friday around 17:00, and the food was absolutely delicious! The parking lot was already starting to get busy when I arrived, with all the spots taken up at Ho Soon Yi. There were only a few tables inside but almost half of them were already occupied with several customers. I was quickly seated for a table of 1. The tables are fairly close together and the noise level is low enough to hear conversations around me. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I did hear other customers comment at their tables that the food here is good. There's a few ajummas working here, so service was straightforward. I ordered the kalbi dolsot bibimbap, which seemed inexpensive and came with some complementary sides, and they were nice enough to cut my kalbi into bite-sized pieces for me. I would say, if I can finish my food in one sitting at a restaurant, I am either really hungry, satisfied, or both. In this case, it was both! This is my first dolsot bibimbap after moving to Washington recently, and I am glad it did not disappoint.

    Hae-Mul-Pa-Jun (seafood pancake)
    Belldandy O.

    My friend and I wanted to grab dinner together. We decided to go to Ho Soon Yi. I've been once before and this so happened to be his go to spot in Tacoma. We ordered a few dishes to share; the Haemul Pajeon (해물파전), which is a pan-fried seafood pancake with scallions, Beef Bulgogi and Spicy Pork Bulgogi combo (불고기반 돼지반 콤보), and Beef Tofu Soup (소고기 순두부). Along with these dishes, we also got two sides of rice and a variety of Banchan (반찬), which is small Korean side dishes served with a meal of rice and soup. This time around there were six different Banchans. The food was great and more than enough for two people to eat! We ended up having leftovers that we took to go once we were done eating for the evening.

    Outside
    Christina L.

    Such a cozy, comforting spot. From the moment we walked in, the staff was incredibly welcoming and attentive. The food was so delicious that we ended up eating most of the meal in happy silence--always the best sign. Refills came right away, which made the experience feel extra thoughtful and generous. On a rainy, cold Seattle day, this place is perfect soup weather. If we're ever back in Seattle, this is absolutely a place we'd return to.

    Bul-Go-Gi
    Duy P.

    Great atmosphere and nice staff. Foods were delicious and large portion. Everything was enjoyable. Highly recommended.

    Pork Bul-Go-Gi & Korean Ribs Combo
    Jerome T.

    Great Korean flavors without the BBQ smoke! We shared the Korean BBQ ribs and pork bulgogi--both perfectly cooked and super tasty. The kimchi, kimchi cucumbers, and sweet potatoes from the side dishes were amazing. They've got a big menu with lots of other Korean dishes (like stone pot soups) we're excited to try next time. Only downside; Service could've been a bit more attentive. Still, a solid spot for satisfying Korean food without grilling at your table!

    Mushroom Tofu Soup & Bulgogi Combo
    Sean Anthony P.

    The food here is very good. It's a little pricey, so I don't come here often, but when I want good Korean food (and I don't want to cook) this place is phenomenal so it's well worth the price. Their banchan is awesome especially their kimchi and cucumber kimchi. All the food is good, but I especially like the tofu soup and the spicy pork. Their dolsot bibimbop is very good as well. If you haven't tried Ho Soon Yi, it's a must try for Korean food in Lakewood.

    Hosoonyi Special Tofu Soup, Galbi
    Ashley L.

    A go-to spot for high quality and authentic Korean food in the Lakewood/Tacoma area. It does get busy at dinner time, especially on weekends, so you may have a short wait, but nothing too crazy. The servers are efficient and kind, which makes the experience smooth. As a Korean, I can say Ho Soon Yi does soon tofu soup the best as it's their specialty and always hits the spot. The broth is rich and perfectly seasoned. Everything else on the menu is solid, but that's worth keeping in mind. If you want to treat yourself, I also recommend the galbi or other meat combos.

    BanchAn

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    1 month ago

    Good food and service want to come here next time. Feel kindly treated and the bibimap and kimchi good

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    3 months ago

    The food is always amazing and the two ladies working there are always so lovely and attentive. The seafood pancakes is my go to

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    Ho Soon Yi Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Ho Soon Yi

    Does anyone know what items are vegetarian?

    Can anyone recommend a dish that is gluten free? I've done some research and think many Korean dishes use soy sauce.

    Anyone knows what kind of tea they were serving??? its really good 😊

    Typically barley tea.

    Is this an "all you can eat" spot?

    No, just an authentic Korean restaurant. The prices are reasonable, too.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Cho Dang Tofu

    Cho Dang Tofu

    3.8(334 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    •$$

    We must go to Cho Dang Tofu everytime we are in Tacoma. Parking is plentiful in the lot and we can…read morealways get a table. My daughter and I went for lunch on a Tuesday. The place wasn't filled when we arrived, but by the time we were finished, the place wasn't filled packed at 1:00. Tofu soups are their specialty and there are many varieties to choose from. My daughter got the Seafood and I got the Soybean. Our favorite parts of our meal are the boiling hot temperature that the soup arrives in and the rice that comes in the stone pot. It's so authentic and adds to the vibe. Our banchan came out almost immediately and our soups arrived shortly after. Really no complaints about their food or service. The prices have gone up a little over the past years but it's yummy and the quality of the food is so good. It's worth the $19.

    If you love authentic Korean soft tofu soup, this is definitely the restaurant to come to in…read moreLakewood. The entire experience and the flavors are authentically Korean. The rice is served in the hot stone pot. Order the soup based on your spice level. I usually order the kim chee or seafood tofu soup. We had a party of 3 on our last visit and two of us ordered the combo special so that we could share the short ribs and the spicy BBQ pork. The meats were tender, so delicious and flavored just right. It is served on a sizzling platter. All the sides are delicious as well and you can ask for more . My favorite is the Kim Chee and bean sprouts. A fried fish also comes with the tofu soup. The service is prompt and quick. The restaurant has lots of parking which is a plus. This is comfort food at its finest!

    Photos
    Cho Dang Tofu
    Cho Dang Tofu - Spicy pork

    Spicy pork

    Cho Dang Tofu

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    Makchang Drama - Snail salad?

    Makchang Drama

    3.8(68 reviews)
    0.5 mi

    I'm not really sure where else to get gopjang in the area, so not much to compare it to. The…read moreportion size of the intestine combo is decent for 2 people. It is pretty pricy, and I feel like I'd rather have regular kbbq typically if I'm going to be spending this much. But if you want intestines, this is the spot! Banchan are nothing too special but they are decent. The soybean soup which I usually like a lot was super duper peppery this time. The spice level was fine but I feel like it kept irritating my throat (and I usually love pretty spicy things!)

    1. Foods: 4 out of 5. We got combo A. Among the four options, my favorite is beef large intestines,…read morethe beef stomach. I personally think pork heart is mediocre and beef small intestines are not so good because the stuffing inside tastes a little bitter. Beef large intestines were sooo rich, juicy and tasty. It felt like it exploded in my mouth. Pairing it with the onion, kimchi and other side dishes can really give you a savory break when it gets too oily/too rich. Overall, love it and will come back for food. 2. Service: 2 out of 5. food comes later than we thought. Side dishes were provided first as always. Water ran out at the end but nobody checked on us. We had to ask for bills at the end while waited for a while that nobody checked on us. 3. Cleanness: spoons are not so clean. The first two spoons that I got either had a piece of pepper or a rice stain mark.

    Photos
    Makchang Drama - Table set up

    Table set up

    Makchang Drama
    Makchang Drama - No explanation needed.

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    Ho Soon Yi - korean - Updated September 2026

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