It’s the Perfect Time for Soon Du Bu

BY RACHEL BREIT

Soon Du Bu ($8.95). Photo courtesy of Chogajib

Take a deep breath and let curling ringlets of wafting steam caress you. Feel both soothed and your senses awakened. Sounds like a trip to the spa, right?

Actually, this moment is brought to you by soup — more particularly, Chogajib Korean Restaurant’s Soon Du Bu soup. Either midday or midnight, it’s ready when you are.

The soft tofu soup, consisting of a special beef base that is cooked for hours, is prepared quickly to order. Choose from seafood, kimchi and pork, beef or Spam. The seafood version features shrimp, clam and squid.

The special base and house-made sauce of peppers (peppercorn, red pepper and jalapeno) overflow the soup with flavor. The silky-soft tofu soaks up the broth along with the tender seafood. The soup is topped off with an egg. Then, customize it to your preferred spice level at the table with chili sauce.

“This soup is healthy, affordable and good for both lunch and dinner,” says owner Jeong Lim, whose recipes are a spinoff of his mother’s.

All dishes at Chogajib come with radish kimchi, won bok kimchi and a green salad. Combined with a side of Bulgogi-beef ($14.95) or Kalbi ($14.95), this dish makes a perfect meal to share with a friend.

Chogajib Korean Restaurant

825 Keeaumoku St. #111
744.3440
Open daily, 10 a.m.-4 a.m.