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About It's tofu
Hi, I am Kevin Kim. My wife Elisa and I welcome you to our classically homey Korean restaurant “It’s Tofu!” Although I experienced urban life for many years, I am a country boy at heart who grew up on a Gin-saeng farm in Gye-sung Korea where my affluent parents taught me to eat, appreciate, and cook food according to seasons. It was there I fell in love with food- fresh vegetables, legumes, meats, condiments- and the warmth of the authentic Korean flavors. Since my arrival to Utah in 1992, I’ve lived, trained and cooked to bring this authentic rustic Korean cuisine and more, offering refined touch, warm hospitality and gratifying service.
At “It’s Tofu!”, our most important philosophy is to provide happy, healthy, and hearty dining experience to our guests in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. The nurturing of our body and soul is equally important to us the owners, and hence, Elisa and I have chosen Soft Tofu Casserole, Stone-pot Rice, Bulgogi/Galbi (marinated meat barbeque Korean Style), Jap-Chae (Sweet potato starch vermicelli mixed with stir fried vegetables), and Jun (pan fried seafood and vegetables with flour and egg coatings) as five most significant dishes of Korea and to introduce them as our signature dishes.
We are proud to serve them with complementary side dishes such as Kim-Chee (various vegetables marinated and fermented in Pepper sauce) and Namul (vegetable side dishes cooked and seasoned) made from the choicest seasonal ingredients.
The simplicity of our rustic and comfortable interior is also reflective of our philosophy- of wanting to respect and reserve the wholesomeness of traditional Korean culinary culture whilst adding a new dimension to it as the tradition is always being expanded or modified with the new. By displaying visual artifacts from Korea’s past and current culture, we try to capture and recreate the essence of the soulful atmosphere of Korean food culture as it is engrained in my heart from my childhood in Korea. As for life outside the kitchen, I often indulge in mountain hiking in Utah or visiting the markets in other cities and invest many hours in developing my recipes with my wife and colleagues. For us, food is our life and passion.
Press Release
Yelp
Reviews for Its Tofu
Ryan H.
Salt Lake City, UT
Fantastic! I'm no expert in Korean food, but loved everything. The entrees came with several sides, including house-made kimchi. The decor and service were far above expectations, and the food was prepared perfectly.Prices were ~ $8 to $13 an entree, which I thought was great. Seriously, if you want to save a measly couple of bucks, go to Panda Express. If you want great food, come here.Portions were huge, and yes heavy on the vegetables, but really, that's a GOOD, thing.Free edamame was awesome. If I sound overly enthusiastic, it's because I am. Best place I've tried anywhere in the area. Was this review …?
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Salt Lake City Weekly [Wednesday, April 7,2010]
Best Tribute to the Soybean
It’s Tofu Grill
Utahns, despite outside appearances, do love the exotic. Over the years, sushi, dim sum, Thai, and pho have become popular dining choices. But Korean fare … well, now, that still seems a little unfamiliar. So, Korean couple Kevin and Elisa Kim decided to offer a taste of Korea at It's Tofu Grill using a non-threatening delivery system: tofu. You know: soybean curd. But, in truth, it isn’t really all about tofu—there’s plenty of barbecue-meat and fried fish and veggies, rice and noodles. There’s even fried eggs that top off some dishes. But it’s the presentation of these meals—with the array of condiments on the side, the metal chopsticks and the long slender spoon and fork—that is just so cool. Embrace these Korean vittles, people. It’s time for a new craze. 6949 S. 1300 East, Cottonwood Heights, 801-566-9103, ItsTofu.com
Deseret News [ Thursday, March 25, 2010 4:52 p.m. MDT ]
Dining out: It's Tofu
By Stacy Kratz
I can't help but think that It's Tofu has kind of an unfortunate name.
I mean, despite its wider use in all sorts of dishes these days, tofu still has an exotic, health-food vibe for many people — or, in the case of my husband, a "non-meat and therefore not very interesting to eat" vibe.
The problem is, a name like "It's Tofu Plus A Lot of Other Korean- and Asian-Inspired Dishes That May Also Include Meat" is a little too long. That's what you'll find at It's Tofu, however, and I was impressed with the quality, cleanliness and service of this Cottonwood Heights restaurant.
My friend Kay and I took a couple of our kids to It's Tofu for lunch on a recent weekday. I felt a little worried as we stepped inside. This place has a modern feel, with lots of dark wood, mirrors and subdued lighting, but it also feels a little upscale or, in other words, a little too fancy for kids.
That's not true, though. The staff welcomed us — and the toddler and baby with us — with big smiles and placed us at a comfortable table with a partition, so we'd have a little space to ourselves.
To start, we tried the zucchini and red bell pepper jun, or crispy flour pancake. Think a tortilla mixed with a frittata and filled with juicy, crisp-tender vegetables, and you get the idea. It was served with a great, tangy, potsticker-style dipping sauce.
We got a bunch of other food to share, starting with the japchae with shrimp. Japchae is clear Korean vermicelli with vegetables — in this case, onions, spinach and carrots — and a subtle, light and savory sauce that showed off the veggies' fresh flavors. It was topped with sweet grilled shrimp with a delicate, flavorful char.
We also tried the short rib and tofu stew combo, a huge meal that probably could have satisfied all of us without the japchae (though I'm glad we had that!). It started with a plate of intensely flavored and beautifully seasoned short ribs, and also included a delicious hot pot of tofu stew, clouds of silken tofu in a spicy, tangy broth.
We had the kimchi and pork variety, which I've never tried before, and I enjoyed the lean meat, tender sliced onion and tang of kimchi very much. This is one of those soups that require that you scoop to the very bottom to get the full range of flavors, and it's kind of a fun excavation experience. We also had it with a fresh egg cracked in just before serving, which adds extra richness and depth of flavor.
With the combo meal were dishes of all of those great little Korean pickled and marinated side items, from kimchi to cool and mellow potatoes, plus a pot of creamy sticky rice.
For folks who aren't sure about trying Korean flavors, the menu also includes beef teriyaki, salad and various Korean barbecue items, a good way to introduce oneself to the cuisine.
But, on the other hand, maybe you should give the tofu a try. Trust me, you won't have it much better than it's handled here. After all, they're staking their name on it!
Appetizers and dumplings $5.75-$9.75, entrees $7.75-$14.75, tea $2.50-$3.75.
It's Tofu
Rating: ★★★
Where: 6949 S. 1300 East, Cottonwood Heights
Hours: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday
Closed Sunday
Payment: Major credit cards accepted
Phone: 801-566-9103
Wheelchair access: Easy
Also: On the Web at www.itstofu.com
e-mail: skratz@desnews.com
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The Salt Lake Tribune [01/19/2010]
Dining out: Fast food eatery offers unique twist on Asian cuisine
It's Tofu rides the recent wave of interest in bold Korean cuisine.
By Vanessa Chang
Special To The Tribune
Updated: 01/19/2010 05:11:36 PM MST
Click photo to enlarge
The sleek dark wood-accented interior of "It's Tofu" includes booths, which face a wall with wood detailing.
Midvale » Korean food has been the darling of the food magazine world of late. The publishing gods at Saveur, Gourmet (R.I.P.), et al, have all smiled upon Korean dishes and their bold flavorings of sesame, garlic, chili and yes, even the unfairly maligned kimchi.
I dare anyone to try a good batch of the stuff -- since it can be made with any sort of vegetable -- with some grilled meat and deny its righteous, crunchy, tangy, slightly funky, spicy balance. That's probably one reason why Korean tacos have entered the culinary lexicon with such force.
In Salt Lake City, Korean restaurants are few and far between. Many resort to blending themselves into more familiar cuisines -- with mixed results.  For a culture that has tried to distinguish itself from its neighbors China and Japan in the past century, it hasn't done a good job promoting its cuisine. As my mother sometimes says, "What would the ancestors say?"
I like to think the ancestors would say good things about places like one of my latest encounters -- It's Tofu. Funny name. Even funnier concept in a town that covets meat as if Eleanor Roosevelt herself crafted it into the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
How cool then is it to see a cross-section of a population lingering on a recent Saturday night? Admittedly, it was a little too quiet for my liking. Only three months into its life, the place is still relatively unknown and more glaringly -- there was no requisite flat screen TV displaying beautiful, crying Korean actresses.
There was a different soundtrack instead: the bellow of masculine laughter signaling the satisfaction after a meal of tender, not-too-sweet short ribs ($14.75), a couple whispering while feeding each other delicious, slippery, clear japchae noodles ($11.25) with lightweight metal chopsticks. At our table, it was the noise of vigorous chewing and slurping.
First, we tried crisply seared tofu mini cakes ($5.75). As a bona fide meat eater, I can honestly say I enjoyed them as well as the jun , Korean savory pancakes the size of the skillet it was cooked in. Ours was spiked with chopped kimchi and sliced shiitake mushrooms. Unlike most Western cultures, noise is a requisite to the whole ritual of eating in Korean culture. The louder your noises, the higher the compliments to the chef.
One dish though, literally spoke for itself. Bibbimbap ("mixed rice," $9.75-$11.25) is a composed dish. On a bed of white sticky rice, there's a slew of beautifully prepared vegetables, a few hot, a few cold, sometimes slivers of tender meat, all topped with a fried egg. It arrives in a modern, lighter facsimile of traditional stone pots used to serve food magma-hot. In this case, the rice sizzled. Your job is to attack it whenever you deem it safe for your tongue. Mix it all together (hence the name) with your spoon and marvel at the textures, the flavors and balanced seasonings.
It's Tofu is the most Korean set-up in town. The place is sleek, modern and super clean. It's a casual place: you are seated and served by a friendly waitress, your food is delivered on lacquered trays and you can summon your server with the easy push of doorbell-looking contraption located at each table.
But its signature dish involves -- you guessed it -- tofu. According to our server, the kitchen has the means to make their own tofu, which they eventually will when they expand in downtown Salt Lake City and other places in the west.
But for now, a company in L.A. is doing a fine job with the silky soybean curds. Soon dubu ($7.75-$8.75) is basically a kimchi and tofu stew. Tofu, being neutral in flavor, picks up whatever is alongside it; in this case, a tangy spice, and if you choose beef or pork as your option, a rich meaty flavor. It's served in the same sizzling bowl as the mixed rice, only instead of a gentle hiss, you hear the soft "blops" of boiling soup. Order it as a combo ($12.75-$13.75) and get your choice of the famed Korean barbecue meat along with an array of panchan -- Korean side dishes.
 Bulgogi and kalbi (sesame marinated beef in either case) are good; if you want more spice, go for the spicy pork slathered in Korean chili paste. My vegetarian companion was more than happy with his selection, even though he was completely surrounded by meat. He, like us, took to his spoon, blowing gently into the electric red broth and bracing himself for the concentrated layers of fresh, made-from-scratch flavor. We slurped. We conversed. And we ate well.
The gods -- of the food publishing world and otherwise -- would be smiling indeed.
E-mail Vanessa Chang at food@sltrib.com.
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The Salt Lake Tribune [01/21/2010]
Dish of the Week » Tofu stew
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 01/19/2010 05:11:36 PM MST
 $7.75-$8.75 » Korean food has been the darling of the food magazine world lately with its bold flavors. Yes, there's Kimchi, but it's nowhere near the "stinky" status many people unfairly give it. Especially when it's a major component in a hearty stew called "soon dubu." At It's tofu (read the full review), they take good cabbage kimchi, silken tofu and bits of chopped meet to strategically add flavor to the silky curds, which is served bubbling hot in deep bowl. The Korean way is to eat it literally boiling, straight from spoon to mouth. But no one will think any less of you if you let it cool.
It's Tofu is at 6949 S. 1300 East, Midvale; 801-566-9103. Open M-S, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
-- Vanessa Chang
Catalyst [01/29/2010]
Chef Profile: It's Tofu Grill
Emily Moroz
Tofu has been a traditional element in many types of East Asian cuisine for ages. Seasoned tofu-eaters celebrate the varieties and versatility of this natively bland food made from cultured soy milk. Skeptics distrust its stealth, its ability to masquerade as other foods. Belittled or bedazzled, interest in this bean product is blossoming. See for yourself at the new It's Tofu Tofu Grill in Cottonwood Heights. These people know and love the stuff.
Co-owner Kevin Kim has a gentle demeanor, greeting diners with a warm smile, and it's easy to feel welcomed by his restaurant's simple, groomed interior. Variegated dark wood accents walls and comfy booths under soft lighting and clusters of plants. Kevin wanted his restaurant to express a refined touch, hospitality and gratifying service in a relaxed atmosphere, which are all part of enjoying a traditional Korean meal.
He and his co-chef (and wife) Elisa are proud of their selections made, where possible, with seasonal and local ingredients.
 If you're unfamiliar with Korean cuisine, you won't feel overwhelmed with options at It's Tofu. Everyone usually has a few questions, and Kevin loves answering them. He says that apart from a too-spicy kimchi variety here and there, since opening three months ago he hasn't heard anyone say they didn't enjoy the meal.
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Banchan is the Korean word for an array of small dishes eaten alongside main entrées. You may know of kimchi, a fermented cabbage and vegetable side dish and by far the most well-known banchan. Kevin and his chefs make all of their kimchi from scratch. In traditional Korean dining, shared dishes of kimchi are set in the middle of the table and diners help themselves; here, each diner enjoys four or five personal dishes.
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Despite the name, It's Tofu specializes in variety: Chicken, pork, beef and seafood dishes share the easy-to-read menu. The spicy pork and chicken barbecue dishes, marinated and tenderized for several hours, are spectacular, served in a sizzling metal tureen that singes the wooden tray underneath as you spoon the succulent pork and onions onto your plate, surrounding your table with a primordial aroma of smoked wood. Bibimbap —"mixed food"—is a beautifully arranged knoll of vegetables (such as bean sprouts, mushrooms and spinach) and seasoned meat or tofu over rice, topped with an optional cooked egg. The hot stone bowls are coated with sesame oil before heating, turning the rice on the bottom golden brown and crispy.
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The entrepreneurial couple plan to open four or more restaurants in Utah alone; look for locations in downtown Salt Lake and Park City in the coming year. Outside of the kitchen, Kevin and his wife enjoy being outdoors hiking, skiing and camping. And cooking? "Absolutely." Kevin adds with a smile, "For us, food is our life and passion." Stop by sometime and dare yourself to rethink tofu.
It's Tofu Tofu Grill
6949 S 1300 E, Cottonwood Heights.
M-Sat 11a-9:30p.
801-566-9103
http://www.itstofu.com
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Copyright ⓒ 2010 It's tofu. All rights reserved.
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