SGD So Gong Dong Korean Tofu & BBQ & Bento

Oct 2024
Visiting Chicago and stopped by to bring friends to eat here, since we enjoyed it last time.

4/5 stars
The food was decent. Ordered a few pork belly bento boxes plus kimchi pancake. Kimchi pancake was just ok. It tasted better last time and you could taste the kimchi. This time it was mostly flour and not very crispy. The meal came with side dishes (fish cake, daikon radish, spicy cucumber, kimchi, corn). The bento box included rice, 1 spring roll, 2 small fried dumplings, 1 small shrimp tempura, some plain japchae noodles, and a side of lettuce salad. Small portion of pork belly was the main entree in the box. It was a bit dry but tasted ok.

4/5 stars customer service, in regards to attentiveness during the meal. The staff filled water glasses and checked on our food.

4/5 stars for paying the bill
Update: called next day and staff gave refund of additional 20% tip charge that was by mistake

We were 5 people in our group and apparently gratuity was already charged on the bill. However, waitress took credit card and brought up total on the machine display, which then prompted to add a tip. Essentially doubling the 20% tip. They did not mention it at all. I didn't check receipt until we got back to the hotel in the evening. Will try to call the restaurant to correct it.

I feel like the management or ownership changed, since we were here back in May 2024.... something feels different. We'll try it again but watch the bill.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 4

The tofu was delicious and the rice here is the best I’ve ever had. We ordered the beef soondubu jjigae and the bibimbap. Both dishes were really yummy and perfect for a chilly day. The side dishes were a nice addition as well. I’ve been to the Glenview and Hmart location as well and the chain seems consistent. I would come back again and recommend to my friends.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Tofu Soup

waitress gave us the check when we were only in the restaurant for 15 min and was barely halfway through our food… she was pacing by us every 2 minutes to check if we would pay when the food was still steaming. super weird and uncomfortable.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 3

Service: 1

Chicken and beef bulgogi 6.5/10. It was just okay, but not amazing. Waitress looked angry and irritated. Definitely not coming back. Mediocre food and terrible customer service

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 1

Service: 1

Very rude and adds their own tip to the total.

I ordered a Chicken Bulgogi Tonkatsu Bento, Kimchi Jjigae, and Haemul Pajeon, and the total cost was around $108. I ordered through DoorDash. When I opened the Chicken Bulgogi Bento, I found a cockroach crawling on the chopsticks. This is the first time I've encountered such a situation while ordering delivery. I contacted DoorDash and requested a refund. I couldn't even think about eating the other food, so I threw it all away. I was hoping that the Kimchi Jjigae would be good, but it was more like a watery soup, and it was too bland. In the end, I threw everything away. DoorDash only offered to refund me for the dish with the cockroach, which was about $25. So, I ended up wasting my money.

Food: 1

Worst tofu stew I have ever had in my life. Non authentic and overpriced. Soup barely had any meat in it.

Great food! Will be returning back.

Give it a try, chill environment and great decor.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Delicious and filling. Staff is very kind and courteous. Definitely recommend!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I would NOT visit this place again. Side dishes were bad, not fresh at all. Table was so high while the chairs were low. Spice level was different even though ordered the same spice level.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 1

Service: 2

I am going to be super honest here, I had been to this restaurant before last summer when I used to live in Chicago, but now I have moved away and came here again to visit a dear friend, we were walking around chinatown and decided to go in here again because the last time we went here for a friends birthday, it was packed, the atmosphere was warm, everything looked nice, and most of all, the food was just amazing, but this time sadly, the food quality had just gone to the bin, the soup in the soondube was so bland, it just did not taste good, same with the bento box, everything was just extremely bland, I did not remember the food being this bad, I also don’t remember any of my friends complaining about the quality, but this time we were just so disappointed and regretted so much walking in here,I do not know why the food quality just disappeared, I also don’t know if this was the reason that the restaurant was completely empty and it was just me and my friends.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 1

Service: 5

Not a lot of food options but the taste is great!

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 4

This is a dairly new korean restaurant in Chinatown. I was excited to try it out knowing this is one of the good chain korean restaurant, but I was pretty disappointed with the quality and flavor. We order the short ribs which was pretty overpriced for the portion, the flavor was quiet bland unlike the korean short ribs I've had at other korean restaurant. The seafood soup was decent and we shared it among 4 people. My mom loved the one of the banchan and wanted to ask for more since they're "complimentary" but the waitress was very relectant to give us more. Overall we were not satisfied and wanted to go somewhere else for more food after the meal...

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 2

Service: 2

Great food! Will be back.

I enjoyed it.I thought this was Korea.Recommended for Koreans who miss Korean food.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 3