Curd Your Enthusiasm

Jong Ka Jib smashes the tofu stigma.

by Trey Popp

In a country where no criticism is more devastating than "Where's the beef?," tofu has gotten a bum rap. A synonym for orthodox vegetarianism, it probably turns off more American eaters than brussels sprouts and chicken liver put together.

A lot of them might change their minds after a visit to Jong Ka Jib, a Korean restaurant that has become an Oak Lane neighborhood favorite. Brought out of the kitchen in heavy black stone bowls so blisteringly hot that their contents continue to boil for several minutes at the table, Jong Ka Jib's soft tofu dishes aren't likely to remind you of past sufferings from PETA fundamentalists. Indeed, some versions provide a most satisfying answer to that famous Wendy's query. Where is the beef? Why, brushing right up against the bean curd.

That's not the only option. You can choose from clams, oysters, shrimp and pork — or mushrooms, if that better suits your politics. Vegans beware, though: That raw egg is meant to be cracked over the medieval stoneware and boiled in the broth.

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I've been injecting ground pork into my home-cooked tofu dishes for a little while now, but rarely have I achieved the comforting subtlety I found in Jong Ka Jib's tofu-and-beef bowl — especially when that dish is poured over rice cooked in another stone bowl so that the grains on the bottom and sides take on an addictive crispiness.

Jong Ka Jib serves plenty of other fairly priced Korean classics, too, and its dining room — with handsome wooden lattices, rice-paper walls and broad wood tables — is a pleasant place to eat. I wish several dishes had been bolder with the chili, but I suspect my Euro-mutt face was to blame.

A perfectly eggy Korean pancake picked up delicate notes from a soy-vinegar dipping sauce, but the folded-in calamari could have been more tender. A squid entrée suffered from the same toughness, but the mild, chili-based sauce slathered on top was delicious. Sweet beef bulgogi got the texture just right, though, and was expertly accented with sesame. The similarly sweet pork ribs came in long, thin strips with a pair of kitchen shears.

I liked the array of not-toned-down banchan side dishes even better than many of the mains. Adzuki beans dressed in sesame had a pleasantly chewy core, pickled cucumber slices rang with an acidic red chili paste, and the crisp kimchee boasted a spiciness that seemed to vanish from your tongue as soon as it registered — a perfectly cool complement to that molten tofu stew.

(t_popp@citypaper.net)

Jong Ka Jib

6600 N. Fifth St., 215-924-0100

Hours: Daily, 10:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.

Tofu dishes, $8, Specials, $8-$14.99

BYOB.