Jang Guem Tofu and BBQ House

This is a solid non-​buffet Korean BBQ place conveniently located in the heart of Bellaire China Town.
I ordered the Bulgogi+Seafood Beef tofu soup combo. The side dishes were: seaweed salad, eggs, sliced tofu, kimchi, some kind of fried fish, bowl of rice, salad, zucchini, and potatoes which are all refillable for free.
To start off, the soup was great, I ordered it medium spicy which was perfect because it was middle ground. Not too spicy but not too mild, there was an ideal meat to soup ratio, but the clams and meat seemed standard.
Moving on to the meat dish, the Bulgogi came out on a sizzling plate and was very very hot. The meat was cooked medium-​well, but you could still taste the marinade from the juices left on the plate with the grilled onions.
Overall, I would definitely come back. You get the bang for your buck and the meats are well-​marinated.

Parking: Restaurant is in a large shopping center so there shouldn’t be an issue with finding a parking spot.
Time and Day: Arrived on a Friday night at 7:00 PM and restaurant was about 60% full. I was in a party of 3 and was immediately seated with no wait time. (Larger parties may have more issues as the restaurant is somewhat small.)
Food: I ordered the Korean B.B.Q. + Tofu Soup (my soup choice was the Fishcake Tofu Soup) for $ 17.99. First off, they serve a lot of side dishes with your combination. Most of it is the same as other Korean restaurant with the exception of mash potatoes. I never had mash potatoes as part of a side but the mash potatoes were surprisingly delicious. Best part is that you can ask for more sides here! As for the Korean B.B.Q., it was served with some chopped onions and both were delicious. The Korean B.B.Q. was soft, easy to chew through, and had the right amount of marinated sauce. The soup was also tasty too! (You get an egg if you wish to have egg in your soup). Overall, the food gets a solid ⁵⁄₅. Very nicely done.
Service: Excellent service here. The waiter/​waitress checked up on us every now and then to remove dishes and refill our waters. In addition, they were very nice, smiled, and were helpful. Not one single complaint from here. Service gets a 4.5÷5.
Price: The price here seems a little bit higher than other Korean restaurant I have been to but the food was delicious. I think the price is justified.
Overall: The food and service were excellent. I would gladly come back to this restaurant in the future so this place gets a ⁵⁄₅.

Will definitely come back! I got the spicy pork bbq with kimchi tofu beef soup. The spicy pork was good but the soup was okay. It doesn’t compare to the kimchi soup across the street at tofu village. My boyfriend got their bibimbap which was pretty good except their carrots and cabbage was cut a little too big but it wasn’t a very big deal. We also got their sesame oil dubboki and it was delicious! I really want to come back just got that lol. Their mashed potato side was addicting.
Customer service was fantastic! The waiters and waitresses are very attentive and always asking to refill our waters and side dishes.

Walking into this, needless to say, BEAUTIFUL restaurant was rather disappointing. My friend and I walked in on a very cold night, and we got the table that sat close to the door. So every now and then, the door would open and we would get a very chilly breeze. We didn’t particularly mind because we were very hungry.
Let’s get to the food and service:
Working in the Hospitality and Restaurant industry I have a few pet peeves, however, I’ll try to make this review as a regular guest of this restaurant.
Service — we were NOT greeted, not even with a distant hello. This lady then proceeded to table us. We got a nice (hello). For the hour and 45 minutes we were there our waiter did not fill our glasses with water. In fact, there was an incident where she was doing her water refill rounds, and looked at our glasses that were empty and passed us up. Another waitress who was very nice, then helped us with water and new side dishes. Being the fair person I am, I ended up tipping the other waitress instead. The highlight for the service part was that nice waitress and the yogurts that were given to us with the check.
Food — we ordered the Bulgogi with Seafood Tofu soup and the Seafood pancake.
— Bulgogi with Seafood Tofu soup, the soup was amazing! It had very little seafood, but overall was amazing. I had ordered it spicy, it came out nice and spicy. Just as I would like it. Very good for a chilly night. However, the Bulgogi was pretty disappointing. Instead of using Korean beef, they used American raised beef, which is very tough and dry. The sauce for the bulgogi had a very nice aroma, and the green onions complimented it well.
— Seafood Pancake, perfect. The right amount of seafood, included: octopus, shrimp, oyster and green onion. It was about a half inch thick of yummyness. This pancake was the highlight of the meal.

I’ve been to Jang Guem a couple times recently, and both times I was not impressed. But for some reason, it’s always pretty busy and crowded! You will probably have to wait to get a table. On a Saturday night, my friends and I waited 1.5 hours for a table of 9.
I’ve gotten the jap chae, galbi, seafood pancake, tofu soup, and dolsot bibimbap here, and they’re all pretty meh. The galbi was a small portion for the price, and it was kind of tough, so I would not get it again. The bibimbap looks big, but it’s really just a LOT of rice, so the ratio of toppings to rice is way off. The rice isn’t good either– when we got it, it was really mushy so it was hard to mix everything together.
The last time I went, I got mushroom tofu soup, and I was expecting several kinds of mushrooms, but it was only a few pieces of the normal white button mushrooms. At least give me some enoki? ;_​; I do like how all the rice comes in hot stone pots, though.
Seafood pancake and japchae were pretty standard, and the banchan are normal too. I thought the fried fish banchan was not as good as the one from Tofu Village. It tasted like it was fried in really old oil. Blegh.
Overall, I think Jang Guem is below average in terms of Korean restaurants in Houston, so I probably wouldn’t wait in line to eat here again.

I’m basing my review off of my dinner experience on a Sunday night at 5:30PM.
Walking in, the first thing I noticed was how packed the space was. All of the seating arrangements had an uncomfortably small distance away from the next, making the whole situation excessively difficult and strenuous for both the customers and the workers. The whole restaurant in absolute chaos, guests were seated at every table waiting impatiently for their orders to come.
After about a 15 minute wait, a server finally seated my family of four at a cleared table sticky to the touch. Our seats were also held together by clear shipping tape. Super ratchet: x
They brought us water and a small side salad to begin filled with a sweet dressing and unfresh lettuce. The banchan (side dishes) came soon after. Hungry, we dug in even though we were still waiting on the rice, but stopped eating as soon as we began because the seasoning for everything was off – the bean sprouts full of pepper, mashed potatoes full of mayo, etc.
Finally, the rice came, but only three of them. We waited on the fourth one for about 15 more minutes, as the people sitting behind us (who had been seated before we even arrived) still waited on their soup.
Our four soondubu jjigae orders came out, and one had the wrong spice level, but we didn’t bother to ask to exchange it because the workers seemed so unhappy and disorganized and stressed out.
The soondubu jjigae itself was super salty. Even when paired with a lot of rice and water, I couldn’t take it. Otherwise, the flavor was good. Cool tidbit: each bowl came with a fresh egg that you could crack on top, and the rice comes in a stone bowl, similar to other Korean tofu soup places in SoCal. It’s just that the service was infinitely worse and flavor 10x saltier.
Overall, I had a headache leaving this place, but I get it – they were super busy. I might come again when it’s slower to see if my experience is better, but until then, I rate this place ²⁄₅ stars.

This is one of my top 2 favorite Korean places in Houston so far. I know it’s in Chinatown, so it’s not as authentic as the ones in Korea town, but it’s nice because it’s close to other food places where you can go get dessert after.
My favorite part about this restaurant is the mashed potatoes!!! They have this delicious potato salad flavored mashed potatoes as a side dish, and of course, the side dishes are endless. I love their side dishes here because they give you a plethora and they refill it for you upon request.
The fish cakes are also really good and are the 2^nd side dish to be finished right away.
I always get the tofu soup because it comes out bubbling hot and warms you up on a cold day. My favorite is the beef and seafood soup because you get a bit of both. You can also choose how spicy you want it to be, which is also a big plus.
There can be a rush for lunch or for dinner, so just watch the crowd. Also, expect the floors to be a bit sticky if they’re crowded because who has time to clean it with customers waiting.
The price is pretty decent, around $ 10 a person.

I LOVE THIS PLACE. It’s one of the best Korean restaurants that I’ve ever been to. The service is absolutely great. The servers are always checking up on you and they always refill the many side dishes. They also work very efficiently and the food arrives on the table extremely quickly.
All the hot dishes are served in stone pots/​plates which is really cool and keeps your food hot. My favorite thing to order is the Korean BBQ combination with mushroom tofu soup. With the soup, there are different levels of spice for the soup and I usually get Medium spicy (which is actually pretty spicy so be careful is you’re not big on spicy foods). Other than that, the food is really great.
My other favorite thing about this place is all the cute K-​Pop playing in the background and the set up of the restaurant. The tables and chairs are very nice, although the place can get pretty packed and it’s a little small.
Although this place is great, getting there can be a hassle with the Bellaire traffic and Jang Guem shares a parking lot with the new H-​Mart and other businesses surrounding it. It’s definitely worth finding a parking spot because the food is just excellent.

I’m always wary of non-​Chinese places in Chinatown, but I’ve heard from multiple people that Jang Guem actually has really good tofu soup, of which I’m a huge fan. I’m also a huge fan that they play K-​pop as background music that I can bop along to while I eat.
All hot dishes are served in/​on stone, so everything stays hot as you make your way through your entire meal. I ordered the kimchi tofu beef soup combo with galbi; the soup comes with an egg that you crack and poach yourself.
While the initial price tag is rather daunting (it’s $ 20 for a soup and meat combo), portions here are GIGANTIC. You’re given a small fried fish (bones and all), rice, heaps of side dishes that can be replenished, the plate of meat, and your huge bowl of soup.
In my opinion, it’s very well worth the price tag — everything is so flavorful, and unless you’re voracious, you’ll definitely have leftovers. I had to bring my soup home, which was a perfect midnight snack. Only thing — I could have done without the beef in the soup; having it just be kimchi and tofu would have been perfect.
I don’t particularly enjoy driving to Chinatown on a regular basis because of how long it takes for me to get there, but for Jang Guem’s tofu soup… I would consider it!

My new Togo place for Korean food. It was the best I’ve tasted so far.
We ordered seafood pancake, Korean B.B.Q and the Royal Topokki.
The food was very flavorful and the portions were huge! I must say that when I return I’ll probably have to split a plate because I was so stuffed.

Went for lunch, service was quick, friendly and attentive.
I ordered the Lunch Seafood Beef Tofu Soup — medium. It was piping hot, yummy and plenty for one. Don’t forget to add the egg while it is still bubbling ;-). It was accompanied by a stone bowl of rice (love the crunchy bits in the bowl), small salad, small fried fish and lots of side items (potato salad, bean sprouts, Kimchi, pickled cucumbers, seaweed, fish cake) which were all tasty. The side items were refilled several times.
The menus have been updated since the last time I was here.
Even though there is a very large shared lot, the parking can be tricky depending on the day and time because it is located in a very busy shopping complex.

The design of the restaurant is very nice and creative with slices of wood. Out of all the sides, only the mashed potatoes was really good and worth it, the other things were really bad, the kimchi had a more rotten taste to it rather than the typical fermented taste and I’ve eaten a lot of kimchi before so the taste of this kimchi was a little off.
BUT the stone bowl with the bulgogi was good and kept the food hot for a VERRRRRRY long time.
The server was good but often forgot to refill out waters but did refill the mashed potatoes a lot. The main lady behind the counter or maybe she was the owner, she kept giving me and my friend weird looks during the entire time at the restaurant and it made our meal very uncomfortable. We didn’t do anything bad other than order food, which took quite a while to get out. The food was okay, the service was good, but our meal was very uncomfortable with someone staring at us the whole time.

This restaurant reminds me of Tofu Village because their menus are very similar, but Jang Guem has a larger selection of tofu soups, which I like. Honestly I was very skeptical about this restaurant because Tofu Village is my go-​to Korean restaurant for some hot and spicy tofu soup. I’ve come to find that this hidden gem is actually better than Tofu Village. Why?
–The service here is way better than most Asian restaurants in China Town. The manager checked up on us at least 2−3x to see if everything was okay. She even asked if we wanted to refill our favorite side dishes.
–The side dishes here are a lot better than Tofu Village’s, especially the bean sprouts! It’s seasoned very well
–Prices are reasonable, similar to Tofu Village but a little cheaper
–The bulgogi was incredible! Perfectly marinated and not dry at all. I loved my dumpling tofu soup too
I didn’t like everything about this restaurant, that’s why I gave it 4 stars. There’s one thing I was very iffy about. The smell of the restaurant. It wreaked of year old sewer water. The smell was a bit intense at first but I didn’t smell it anymore after awhile. If management can get rid of that smell, that’d be great. Other than that, the service and food exceeded my expectations.

This place deserves 10 stars. I have been here twice just to make sure the first time wasn’t just a fluke. I haven’t found a decent Korean restaurant in Houston until I tried Jang Guem Tofu. Decent meaning good food AND good service.
This review is for both of my experiences here. We have always been seated immediately, although we usually go during late lunch times and the restaurant does not have a lot of tables so I can imagine that if it is busy, there could be a wait. As soon as we sit down, we are asked if we want anything to drink and then BAM all the side dishes come piling out and the food arrives on a sizzling platter. Both times I ordered the combination tofu mushroom soup + bulgogi and I was not disappointed at all. Food is delicious. As soon as a side dish is nearing empty, another one is replaced immediately. The last time I went, the server saw that we finished the potato salad and he replaced it with two servings of potato salad. Such a small gesture, but it really made my day!
The first time we went, we definitely over ordered for two people, but we had no idea how fast we would get full off of the salad and side dishes. We had the seafood pancake and it was really good! Fluffier than the ones I have tried in the past, but still flavorful and delicious.
Food and service are both excellent! It is located to the right of H Mart if you are facing the shopping center.

I came to this Korean restaurant several times and even took some friends here to enjoy their delicious food.
I finally decided to give them a much deserved Unilocal review. Tonight was exceptional. Came here with my sisters and my sister’s bf. We were greeted and seated right away.
My sister and I got the Korean BBQ + tofu soup combo. My other sister and her bf got two tofu soup and Pork Belly. As always, they came out with the small side salad, other side dishes, and our four hotstone bowls of rice.
My favorite side dishes are the grilled fish, mashed potatoes and the fish cakes. My default tofu soup is the veggie one (no spice) and my sisters and sister’s bf always get the seafood and beef tofu soup with spice.
The food came out at a reasonable time. The Korean BBQ was tasty and full of flavor. Goes really well with my tofu soup and rice. Pork belly was enjoyed by the others and it was obviously delicious since we ate all the meat. The owner (sweet as always) came by to say hello and check on us if we wanted anything. She most likely remember our faces since we come here so often. We really enjoy the food and the people that work there.
Overall, I had had countless of enjoyable experiences here. I would highly recommend to others if you are craving some Korean BBQ or a hot and tasty tofu soup to delight your taste buds.

Maybe I’ve been biased from living near Koreatown in Los Angeles for some time, but I was underwhelmed by Jang Guem. The soondobus were actually pretty decent but overpriced, as was most of the menu. My friend also ordered rice cakes, which were covered in a sauce so spicy she couldn’t eat it. My main gripe is the banchan though — the dishes were not fresh, and many of them had a weird aftertaste.
If you really want Korean food and there aren’t better options in the area, this is a solid choice, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to come back.

I came here because we were in the area and I was craving some Korean food. After living in Hawaii for many years it’s hard to find good Asian food in the mainland. I asked for the combo plate of bugolgi and kalbi. My boyfriend got the spicy chicken at their recommendation. My kalbi came out first which I thought was odd since we had to wait five minutes for his food to come out. I don’t know about you but I just think it’s bad manners to start eating while he’s waiting for his food. The kalbi was good. Bulgogi not so much. Tasted like there was sugar in it. When I got my bill, I say that they charged me twenty dollars for my combo plate. Shock was a understatement. She said I charge you for two mini plates. Wow. Not even in Hawaii where people know the cost of living is high, did I ever pay that much for a combo plate.
Food was good but it is highly overpriced. Not worth coming back for.
P. s. Make sure you get a larger table so there’s room for other food and side dishes to fit

Jang Guem Tofu… More like Jang Guem Whoo Hoo!
Looking for your go to Korean spot? You’ve found it!
So now that you’re here… What should you order? Are you a BBQ fan? But wait… Maybe you want a little mix and match? Be sure to take a look at the combination section! Choose your BBQ and choose a soup! Sides included! You get the best of both worlds! (No, not Hannah Montana/​Miley).
I’ve been here twice now. Both times they were super busy. Only one of the times were we sort of neglected. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt that they were just too busy though.
Food has been consistently delicious. As many have said, there are sides after sides after sides here! A side dish galore! I’ve never seen a whole fish as a side. But Jang Guem Tofu will surprise you! I’m not much of a seafoody person. But the fish is fresh. Doesn’t have that bottom of the ocean/​river fish taste to it. Yum yum yum, right in my tum tum.

The interior is very relaxing and makes you feel awed by all the wood stumps and wood designs. It’s very unique and something I’ve never seen before. It’s definitely very different from the usual modern décor that other places on Bellaire opt for.
The side dishes are good! I love the mashed potatoes. It’s so creamy and yummy. The seaweed and the bean sprouts are nice and refreshing as well. The kimchi doesn’t taste that good though. It tastes bought and not homemade. The fish tofu are nice and not too fishy. I never touch the fried fish though. It’s full of bones and really fishy and greasy.
BEEF KIMCHI TOFU SOUP
I used to love this tofu soup so much, but lately the quality of it has dropped and it saddens me. The soup isn’t as thick and flavorful and the amount of beef they give is so scarce that you gotta scoop to the bottom in order to get a small piece. They used to give a lot more, but now all I get is tofu and torn up pieces of kimchi. It’s truly disappointing because I used to love coming here and ordering this.
PORK BELLY
Sometimes this dish would come out pretty good, but most of the time the pork is so dry and overly cooked that I wonder if the cooks in the back are trying to see who can cook the meat the longest until it’s at the point of being too hard and burnt and rendered inedible. I always have to request them not to over cook my pork every time I order. Other than that, the flavors are there, but the consistency is not.
The service is a hit and miss. Sometimes it’s on point, but the last time I went, the girls that worked completely ignored me, which was so rude because we were the only table. They were too busy standing behind the counter and not once looked in our direction to see if we needed refills on our side dishes or our drinks. That’s just sad. Why work in a restaurant when you don’t have basic service skills? I don’t know if I’ll ever come back. I might give them another try because I used to like this place, but who knows.

Came here for dinner with my friend on Thursday. He promised it would be one of the best Korean eating experiences in Houston. He has now been branded a liar. I’m really not sure how there are so many good reviews for this place since the food is so, so, SO subpar.
Ordered the Seafood Pancake, Korean BBQ Short Ribs and Tofu Kimchi Soup with Beef. They brought out a whole fried fish for both of us, which were sitting in a case for god knows how long. Didn’t even attempt to eat it since I’m not a fan of greasy fried fish. The sides were just alright, they didn’t have the potato that i liked :(and their kimchi isn’t that great. Ordered the soup the by spicy, and it literally tasted like water. Not spicy AT ALL. The kimchi was shredded and I think there was about 3 tiny pieces of beef in the soup. Pass. The korean bbq wasn’t flavorful at all and were just warm. The seafood pancake was probably the only thing I half way enjoyed. It’s a bit fluffier and eggier than I’m used to. The shrimps are tiny but plentiful.
Surprisingly, the service here was good. They were all really friendly and attentive.