Best tofu soup in the area! I've been coming here for years since they first opened, and it has never disappointed. I came with a couple of friends around 6PM on a Friday and barely made it before the dinner rush. As soon as we sat down, a large crowd started lining up to put their names on the waitlist. It's a small, casual restaurant with limited seating, but they turn tables over quickly. They've added tablets at each table where you can browse photos of the menu and place your order. They also leave a bottle of water at the table, so service is pretty minimal. The banchan arrived almost immediately after we ordered, followed shortly by our meals. The banchan is always fresh and flavorful, with each dish seasoned differently so every bite has a unique taste. We all ordered the beef tofu soup but customized it to our liking. I went with medium spice and added mandu (dumplings). The portion was huge and came with rice on the side. The medium spice actually had a good kick, unlike at some places where it's too mild. It was packed with tofu and tender beef, and I had enough leftovers for another meal. It was my first time adding mandu, which tasted good but out of place. I'll probably pass on that next time. This is my go-to spot to catch up with friends, and we always leave happy. If you're planning to come for dinner, get here early or be prepared to wait. read more

Shin’s Tofu - Boiling hot | 3. Beef Tofu Soup - Korean Near Me - San Jose, California

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The restaurant is pretty small inside with only about 10 tables. I wouldn't recommend for any any groups larger than 4. Ordering is easy as they have a tablet on each table. They offered 6 different bonchon dishes which were all delicious. The tofu soup was my favorite but I do think it got a little salty at the end read more

Shin’s Tofu - Korean Near Me - San Jose, California

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We came around Sunday dinner time to order to go food and the restaurant was packed. Luckily food was ready in about 20min. We ordered bibimbap, beef bulgogi, and kimchi pancake. While not as good as served on the hot stone in store, the bibimbap was still pretty tasty! It had a wide variety of toppings such as sunny side egg, seaweed, carrots, cucumber, and bean sprouts. The sauce was the highlight. It was a little spicy but added a lot of flavors to the rice. Beef bulgogi was tender and sweet. Kimchi pancake came with a generous portion of kimchi and the pancake was super crispy, and it was our favorite out of the three dishes we ordered! Each main dish also came with a few side dishes such as kimchi and tofu. Parking was relatively easy in the plaza. The restaurant indoor looked small and busy during peak hours. Overall I thought it was a great restaurant for Korean food. Would love to come back to try their tofu soups when the weather is cooler. read more

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I came here for dinner with my mom and brother. It has been awhile since I came back. You now order your food from a kiosk which I find pretty efficient. You can a pitch of water that you can help yourself to pour in your cup. I wanted seafood pancake, that is what I ordered. My mom and brother orders a tofu pot in which I was too busy eating my seafood pancake that I forgot to take a photo of the tofu pot. Overall, this is one of our go to Korean restaurant when my family and I are craving Korean food. read more

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I love a good soft tofu place! This place did not disappoint, it may be tiny but it is packed for all the right reasons. Food was delicious and service was fast and super attentive. I love a great small business! Definitely one I'll be returning to! I got the ramen soft tofu and fish roe. Everything tasted amazing and kimchi was great too. read more

Wow! The best seafood pancake I've ever had filled with full size shrimp and the best cheese topping ever. The side dishes were exceptional with the fish cakes being impossible to stop snacking on. The crab tofu soup was great with tons of meat in the crab. read more

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It's a small place with a few tables only. Their seafood pancake is awesome and crispy. The stone pot rice is delicious with different toppings and crunchy rice at the bottom. The tofu hotpot is boiling hot with lots of tofu. Definitely worth coming. Expect to wait for a table during peak meal time. read more

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This is a great spot for Korean tofu soup! The menu is very standard to what you can find at most tofu soup houses, and rice and banchan/sides are served with every order. I personally found their side dishes to be only okay; the fish cakes were a little tough, and the variety didn't appeal to me as much as some others that I have had. That said, the main dishes are really good. I have tried their seafood pancake & crab tofu soup, both of which I really enjoyed! I will say that, the following day, I felt really bloated with sodium, which dampens my enthusiasm a little bit, but overall the food was great. Parking was pretty easy, as the shop is located in a plaza with a number of other shops, including other eateries. The interior is on the small side, though--despite really cramming the tables in, there was still a decent wait, as the spot seems popular as a dinner location. I think it's worth the wait, personally. Overall, I do recommend this spot. The food is great, the service is efficient, and their menu is appealing. The prices & portions are standard to what you can expect from a tofu soup spot, but the wider variety of tofu soups stands out. I might limit my visits, as the bloating is definitely a bit uncomfortable, but I do plan to come back. read more

It's been a while since I've gone to this place and didn't wanna go all the way to Santa Clara for some galbi and army stew. Small restaurant with a wait list up front but turn over was fast depending on your party, waited about ~25mins for 2 people. *This was for coming in for dinner on a Friday.* Ordered the Galbi and Budae Jjigae, side dishes came out before the mains, was soo hungry didn't take the pre pictures of the others, hehe anyways, both had great flavor and the budae jjigae had kick to it. In the end it kicked my cravings and made me full. Ohh and one more thing be aware of your check and make sure you're paying your table....the person working changed my card paid for another table, but he corrected it. read more

Shin’s Tofu - 1. Galbi 2. Bude Jjige / Army Stew - Korean Near Me - San Jose, California

My daughter and I were both feeling pretty under the weather and really craving some comforting soup. We found this place on Yelp and couldn't believe they were so close to our house. I initially tried placing an order online, but it wouldn't go through. I called instead and the guy on the phone was really helpful and explained that one of the items on their website had an inaccurate description. I ended up ordering the beef tofu soup instead. He told me it would take about 15-20 minutes, and by the time we got there around the 15 minute mark, everything was already ready to go. The soup was SO good. Plenty of tofu and a generous amount of beef. I also loved all the sides they included along with a bowl of rice. Every side dish was delicious, but the kimchi especially stood out. Honestly some of the best kimchi I've had in a long time. The portion was enough for both my daughter and I to share, though that's probably because we're both sick and couldn't eat too much. We're definitely looking forward to ordering from here again. Would love to try the seafood pancake and some of their other dishes next time! read more

Shin’s Tofu - Korean Near Me - San Jose, California

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I had a large to-go order for family that was visiting. Their online ordering system wasn't working so I had to call it in. Upon arrival they had taped up a box to have a duct tape handle for easy carrying and even offered to help carry it out to the car! The banchan was surprisingly good with pickled cucumbers and radishes, fish cake, japchae and would not be complete without kimchi. Seafood pancake had a decent amount of seafood and is on the doughier side (which I love, but may not be everyone's preference). Everyone enjoyed their food and we will definitely be visiting again. read more

Bit small so I would go early if you have a big group. They served us banchan and seafood pancake, but no individual plates to have some kind of vessel to set them on. We were making due with the lids from our rice bowl. The seafood potato pancake is was crispy on the outside, but thicker and more chewy inside, so if you are more of a fan of thinner and crispier pancakes, I would forgo. Combo tofu soup was good. They even have a crab tofu soup, which is not something every Korean place offers! Will have to try next time. read more

Shin’s Tofu - Banchan - Korean Near Me - San Jose, California

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Tiny mom and pop restaurant serving some delish Korean eats; I'd say they are mainly known for the soups. There is plenty of parking available in Pacific Rim Plaza II. We came here for lunch on a Friday afternoon. The place was packed, luckily we got seated at the last table available. You can tell the folks here are passionate and hardworking. We saw ajumma running around taking care of every table and even brought over the heavy stone pot soup. Service was fast, friendly and efficient. #KoreanEats: ~ Ban chan - 4/5 One of my favourite parts of going to a Korean restaurant. The Ban Chan was good here, there was one I wasn't familiar with. Some sort of May based veggies. I wasn't a fan, but the rest were brilliant. ~ Seafood Pancake - 4/5 This was one of the better Seafood Pancakes I had in a minute. Not too oily or too crispy just right. I do wish it had more balanced seafood distribution tho... ~ Budae Jjigae (Army Stew) - 4/5 One of the most popular and well known Korean dishes. This was hearty and filling with a nice kick to it. Almost a bit much for one person to finish if you get an appetizer as well. It stays hot for a while, so be careful I'll definitely be back to try some other dishes, especially in the winter. read more

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This place is always popular at night and decided to give it a try after passing by numerous times looking into the window and browsing the menu. I'm glad I did and was definitely delighted by the experience. Hot Stone Bibimbap 5/5: There was a review on Yelp saying that there was no crunchy rice at the bottom and that it was bland. As a fellow Korean, let me give you some advice. Wait a few minutes and let the rice cook more because the stone bowl is still hot. lift up the bottom until you see crunchy bits and then you could start mixing. Excellent mix of seasoned vegetables and rice. They give you the gochujang bottle sauce on the side. you can adjust it to your level. Soon Tofu Soup 5/5. I've had a lot of tofu soup of what I like about this one is that it had a good balance of tofu, kimchi was not super sour like some restaurants and they give you an egg on the side. Very clean finish. Banchan 5/5: The highlight for me was the banchan. I went with a very picky eater friend and she really loved the kimchi ,the cucumber kimchi ,the fish cakes, japchae. They put a lot of effort into making the banchan - which I recognize right away. They also fill up if you run out and the dishes are larger than normal restaurants. Amazing. You read my mind. Interior 4/5: It is a smaller, more intimate seating.( about 25-30 people) . It still has the vibes of of a Korean eatery with K-pop music playing on the TV screen, wooden benches and chairs. You'll have to wait a bit if you go during peak hours and parking is a bit difficult. I suggest going within the first hour they open up when there's less crowds. read more

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This restaurant has been on my radar since it opened. Food and reviews looked promising but 2/3 of our dishes lacked flavor. We ordered: Seafood pancake: this was the best thing we ordered. Good flavor without the sauce, a good amount of seafood. Nicely fried. Hot stone bibimbap: first off, there was no crunchy rice at the bottom at all, that's the part I look forward to most. The dish overall lacked flavor, all the ingredients were pretty bland. Tofu soup combo: This did not taste like the typical tofu soup. It really was lacking a deep umami flavor. It did have a lot fair amount of tofu and meat and some seafood. There was a good amount of banchans. I like the variety. The cucumber kimchi was refreshing. Service was standard. Restaurant seating is limited and cozy read more

Shin’s Tofu - Korean Near Me - San Jose, California

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There's usually a wait, and you'll need to add your name to the clipboard outside. The space is on the smaller side, so it's not ideal for large parties. The staff is very friendly and never rushes you, which makes for a relaxed dining experience. One of my favorite parts is the delicious refillable side dishes. The tofu soup and meat were fairly average. Even the mild soup has a noticeable kick, so I wouldn't recommend medium unless you're comfortable with spicy food. I'd give this place 4 stars overall, as my soup tasted a bit watery and could have used a stronger base. I would definitely come back again! read more

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If you're looking for authentic Korean food, stop by Shin's Tofu! The interior is a bit smaller with limited seating so there can be a wait. Parking can also be limited during the busy weekends. As for food, my go to is the tofu soup. It is comforting to eat when you just want to feed your soul and nourish your body. Their galbi marinated short rib is also really good. Lots of flavor and good char taste to it. They have a good selection of banchan, which they will easily refill once they notice you're running low. This is a small business and everyone there have been so nice and friendly. If you're ever craving Korean food, especially tofu soup, definitely stop by here. It's worth it! read more

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SOUP WAS SOO DELICIOUS. We both ordered the combination, spicy tofu soup and it was one of the best tofu soups I've had. It came with a variety of seafood, including shrimp, clams, mussels, and octopus, and beef too. 'Spicy' was a good spice level personally, and the sides were SO DELICIOUS. I enjoyed the japchae, which I normally don't, and kimchi was perfect. The wait can take a minute, as it is a very small restaurant and only clipboard waitlist. I believe we waited about 30 minutes for 2 on Saturday night. I will be back!! read more

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Absolutely delicious like always. Had to wait ~20 minutes but was totally worth it. I was salivating knowing how good the food is. Sat near the tv's so had music videos as entertainment. Hustling and bustling place but you still feel at ease. read more

Shin’s Tofu - Kimchi pancake 2. Hot-Stone Beef-Bulgogi Dupbap - Korean Near Me - San Jose, California

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Got takeout so no notes on ambiance but got great service. Seafood pancake is heavy on the dough. The seafood tofu soup is great value and good flavor but nothing crazy. I got a combo and wish I didn't because the beef slices were like styrofoam squares and all stuck together. I got the spicy and the spice was definitely manageable. read more

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One of my favorite tofu houses in the South Bay! Located in Berryessa, Shin's Tofu is a small and intimate restaurant that serves a variety of tofu soup and other Korean dishes. Parking is not very difficult but can be when the plaza is crowded. There can be a waitlist at times but going around off hours prevents any waiting. The workers are very kind and attentive when it comes to side dishes and water refills. If there's ANYTHING you must get here, it is the fried potstickers. These are utter perfection! Perfectly crispy and tastes amazing with the sauce. The tofu soup is incredibly filling and will leave you on the verge of a food coma. If you're stopping during the summer, make sure to try their naengmyun (cold noodles)! I haven't found a better deal for naengmyun in the Bay yet. read more

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Food was great. Ambiance was good. Kim Chee was fire. Need some filtered water. I would come back if I was in the area read more

Was in the area and this restaurant popped up in my search of places to eat in the area. It's a small restaurant but was packed when we got there. Having said that, the wait was not long. There's a waitlist board by the door for you to put your name in. We waited about 5 minutes. Service was friendly. We ordered the kimchee jige - kimchee stew with pork and tofu. While we didn't specify the spicy level, it was just perfect. Also had the hot stone beef bulgogi dupbap- it's like a bimbibap but with no vegetables. Both dishes were delicious and portions were a good size. We shared both. Our order also came with some side dishes - all very tasty. Will definitely come back here again if we are in the area. read more

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I first had Shin's Tofu at a friend gathering. I don't actually remember which tofu soup we ordered, but I remember thinking this is not bad for a very close to me Korean option. Fast forward to this year where I introduced it to my mom and she has picked it for Mother's Day as well as her birthday meal. Our go-to's include the hot stone bibimbap and the seafood pancake. Both are plentiful in their ingredients and taste fresh. Sometimes the pancake is a little soggy from take-out but my mom prefers a softer bite nowadays. We also enjoy their banchan which we mix in with our own rice and protein to make another delicious tasting bowl the next day. Recently I tried the Bibim Naengmyun which was delicious as well on a hot summer day with an addicting spicy broth/sauce. We actually haven't ordered any tofu soups, but when the weather gets colder again we may add that to our rotation and will have to update again then. read more

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I see they have good reviews but the Hot stone Bibimbap I got was mediocre. It has way too much rice than toppings, not just the frugal amount of beef, even the veggies are not enough. I have plenty of rice left when I finished eating, but at least they have banchan so one star back read more

Got the chance to try this place with a group of 7 around 6 pm! We waited about 15 minutes since it was a popular spot. They're old school with using pen and paper for a waitlist. It's a small location with about 12-16 tables that's kind of cramped for servers, especially when carrying hot soups from the kitchen. Great atmosphere of bright lights, soju bottles as decoration, and kpop in the background! Service was speedy, engaging, and attentive. I ordered a bibimbap, and I'm always happy with protein and rice together. Very large serving that was worth $25. Love the medley of veggies and a runny egg yolk on top. The meat was delicious. Their side dishes are so delicious and always refillable. Would love to come here again! read more

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Small, gets busy quickly, good service. Soups are affordable. What we ordered: - Beef Soup - got the max spice level, not a numbing spice but more of the back in the throat (where if you choke, it's over...from the spice of course). I know they're known for their tofu, but they should also give more meat. Wish the broth was a little more flavorful (4.5/5) - Kimchi Pancake - worth the price, big portion, savory, flavorful, soft but crispy (5/5) - Galbi Jjim - the amount (considering the proportions) is not worth the price, only gave about 6 rice cakes, BUT still good meat (4/5) read more

The galbi ribs were nice. my friend got the chicken dubap and enjoyed it. decent amount of seats in here. it gets busy and there's a wait list to write your name. We liked the banchan also. read more

Shin’s Tofu - 1. Galbi 3. Hot-Stone Chicken Dupbap - Korean Near Me - San Jose, California

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They have plenty of parking spaces. The place is pretty small, so you may need to waitlist. Their waitlist clipboard is hanging outside next to the door. I ordered the Hot-Stone Beef Bulgogi Dupbap and it was pretty good, a bit sweet, but tasty. Recommendation(s): - Hot-Stone Beef Bulgogi Dupbap Service: 5/5 Tip(s): - Small place, so limited seating - Waitlist outside where there's a clipboard hanging next to the door - Plenty of parking spaces read more

Shin’s Tofu - 2. Hot Stone Beef Bulgogi Dupbap Bowl - Korean Near Me - San Jose, California

The staff here are so friendly and always so happy to serve customers! I love ordering the Hot Stone Beef-Bulgogi Dupbap! It has a mix of veggies and the marinated beef bulgogi, which is very savory and pairs well with the rice. Also there are unlimited sides, which the staff will always ask if you want to refill on them. The ambiance is fairly chill and a great place to socialize! Seating is very limited, but everyone usually eats fairly quickly and the wait shouldn't be longer than 20-25 minutes if it is busy. read more

Shin’s Tofu - Korean Near Me - San Jose, California

Such a great find! I'm not sure I've even been to this strip mall. Service here is outstanding as they fill your Kim Chee trays without you having to even ask. Combination Tofu Soup Soft tofu soup with seafood and beef - super delicious and savory. Mild is not very spicy at all so next time I might go for Medium. Also white rice is served with the tofu pot - which I think would be nice to have an option to upgrade to traditional purple grain. Kimchi Pancake Kimchi and green onion in an egg batter. Beautiful presentation - great crunch. Needs a little more kim chi flavor however. Fried pot stickers 6pc beef, pork and vegetable mixed dumpling. Well done - small and bite sized. That's all read more

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Came here for dinner and luckily we were seated right away as it is a small restaurant with limited seating. Only down side to where we sat was that when the door opened we got a big chill from the cold weather. We ordered Seafood pancake; mushroom tofu soup mild and dumpling tofu soup medium spicy but I think they mixed up the spiciness. As the dumpling spice was mild and my bf said his was too spicy. There was plenty of dumpling in the soup which was nice. My bf enjoyed his soup as well and like how there were different mushroom types in the soup. This was seafood pancake was good with the dipping sauce and plenty of seafood in it. The banchan were good. Enjoyed the kelp, japchae and the fish cake. Just wished the japchae and fish cake were not so oily. read more

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Soooooo yummy OMG. I came before and everything was so good I had to come back! This time we got their Seafood Pancake, Combination Tofu Soup, and their Galbi! Everything was amazinggg!! So so so yummy! Their sides are so good, my favorites have to be the fish cake and the japchae but everything is really good! For the combination soup I added ramen and cheese and it was so good, flavors were amazing and it came out sizzling out the bowl! Last time I tried the crab tofu soup and it was super tasty as well! Their Galbi is always cooked to perfection and it pairs so well with the rice! Their seafood pancake is amazing, and they give you a sauce to dip it in! The service is wonderful and they are super attentive! A wonderful place all around! read more

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Delicious tofu soup, seafood pancake and banchan! Was really impressed with the amount of meat in the soup and seafood in the pancake. Excellent and quick service. Would highly recommend. read more

Shin’s Tofu - Korean Near Me - San Jose, California

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I've tried visiting this restaurant in person before but it was packed and there were people waiting outside as well. The restaurant isn't big so it's understandable. I wanted to try their tofu soup though so next time I was craving it, I ordered the beef tofu soup through doordash. After taking my first spoonful, I was happy. Hands down, the tofu soup is good. Is it the best I've had? No, Yummy Tofu and BBQ in west SJ still has the top spot for me, but I don't frequent that area much as I'm from the east side, so this place will be my new regular spot for tofu soup. read more

Shin’s Tofu - 3. Beef Tofu Soup - Korean Near Me - San Jose, California

MENU AND FOOD: Shin's Tofu offers a selection of Korean favorites, such as tofu soup, stews, bibimbap and bbq meats. SERVICE AND ATMOSPHERE: Service is quick and efficient. Their indoor decor is appropriate and appealing. They have indoor seating only, and their dining space is a bit cramped. PARKING: Located in a plaza, they share a lot with others. IMPRESSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: I often get their beef intestine tofu soup or the crab tofu soup, both of which are quite tasty! The beef broth they use for the base has great flavor. They offer a relatively limited selection of banchan. I've also had their kimchi jjige, which I sadly DO NOT recommend. Overall, I like their selection of tofu soups as intestine and crab tofu soup are often not easily found amongst restaurants. read more

Small restaurant with like probably eight tables which is probably easier to find a seat for parties of 2 but we did come as a big group once and they were very accommodating. Food here is delicious! Loved the seafood pancake and combination tofu soup. Very yummy and super filling especially as there are ban chan side dishes with the meal. Would definitely come back again and again! read more

Shin’s Tofu - Just need seafood pancake and tofu soup - Korean Near Me - San Jose, California

food was so delicious! super small inside but we didn't have to wait on a tuesday evening. the banchan is the best i've ever had and i recommend the tofu soups they're delish read more

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Small mom & pop's located in Pacific Rim Plaza ll in SJ. Plenty of parking in the plaza and wonderful service from the team. Small place with a few tables - not suitable for large groups. Also noticed a lot of take out orders while I was dining here, so must be popular! Ordered the seafood pancake, fried pot stickers, galbi, beef bulgogi, combination tofu soup, and beef bulgogi dupbap. Everything was so good! Everyone's favorite was the seafood pancake cause it was airy and crunchy - and they gave us 3 dipping sauce for the 5 of us! Generous if you ask me than all of us trying to dip in the one tiny sauce bowl. Probably one of the best I've had. The galbi came with a few pieces and it was good, but I'd probably try the galbijjim next time. Beef bulgogi wasn't overly sweet which I liked and the dupbap (or bibimbap) was delicious with it's assorted veggies. Everything was delicious. I'd love to try the army stew and spicy raw marinated crabs next time! I debated ordering a plate of spicy raw marinated crab for myself, but I didn't want to look greedy in front of my moms friends, haha. read more

Nothing beats the tofu soup and banchan at shins!! I love love love coming here whenever I'm craving tofu soup. There is really no other tofu soup spot I'd choose over shins! The service is always impeccable, food comes out almost instantly, and I always leave here very satisfied with my food cravings! read more

Shin’s Tofu - Beef tofu soup & seafood pancake - Korean Near Me - San Jose, California

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