Best Tofu

If a mild, white bean product is not the first thing that pops into your head when thinking, "What am I in the mood for tonight?," the Tofu House will change that. This Korean-operated restaurant in Oakland has taken tofu to new heights with its specialty, silky tofu soups called "soon." The menu offers nine varieties of soon, which consist of wonderfully spicy meat, seafood, or vegetable soup with a layer of delicious, melt-in-your-mouth tofu on top. Recommendations include the beef dumpling soon, or for more adventurous eaters who don't mind the occasional jiggling, unidentifiable ingredient, the mixed seafood. The soup arrives still bubbling vigorously. Each order also comes with at least five appetizers, known as panchan, which might include marinated bean sprouts, spicy pickled bok choy and onions, or seasoned nuts. Rice is served in a sizzling hot stoneware bowl, allowing the rice on the sides of the bowl to become crispy, perfect for peeling and nibbling or dipping into the soup. Including tea, the cost is less than $10, making this one of the most affordable, spicily delicious low-fat meals in the Bay Area.