BCD Tofu House – Torrance

Some people are born with the gift to teach, the ability to explain, to enumerate, to elucidate in a way that makes even the muddiest concepts crystal clear. Some people are born with this gift, but I for one was not. On my lips, complex principles are rendered more confusing, simple truths are twisted, and even the clearest concepts turn to mud.

I don’t teach. I took medical vows to do no harm a long time ago, and my teaching would only add to this world’s chaos and confusion. So when I tell you that I’m about to teach you the ABCs of dining at BCD Tofu House, just think how important this lesson must be.

A is for appetite, and you’ll need to bring one when you venture to BCD. Because you’ll get at least half full before you even order thanks to the array of free appetizers. No need to order an extra side of kimchee with there’s already a sizable side dish to start, and if you’re into pickled veggies, there’s almost no limit to how many of these you can try. Too much pickled veggies can wear on you so make sure you take bites of this fresh fried fish in between.

B is for bring a buddy because you’ll need more than one to split the Seafood Pancake with. This brazenly bold, pizza-sized omelet special is loaded full of tentacles, shrimp, and all sorts of deep-sea delights. BCD gives you a soy-based dipping sauce, but if you take leftovers home, it goes great with hot sauce and citrus.

C is for casserole. When we think of the great American casserole, we think of soggy cans of green beans baked in a can of Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup, sometimes sprinkled with a topping of onion crisp. Asian casseroles are considerably better, and BCD has the Soon Tofu to prove it. Soon you’ll stuff yourself with this casserole-stew of tender pork and a kick of kimchee. Between that and the seafood pancake, you’ll probably fill up too soon.

I’d never take a good teacher for granted, and believe me, I’d never take BCD Tofu House for granted either. Because a good chef is like a good teacher. A good teacher possesses the intangible talent of clarifying even the most confusing of concepts, and a good chef can clearly cook even the most complicated of dishes. And believe me, Asian food may seem simple, but balancing those flavors is no small feat.