Speaking of tofu soup, there's a wonderful Korean take called soontofu jigae (pronounced soon-DOE-boo -- just forget the jigae). Most Korean restaurants sell it, a few specialize in it.
Shel, you'll love it. As in adore.
It's chili tofu soup with this or that; or, this and that -- depending. The generic is usually mixed, while the specialties or not. IIRC you're a seafood kind of guy and you might want to start with mixed seafood, or clam, or oyster. Other popular choices are mushroom, beef, pork, kimchi, mandu (dumplings), "baby" octopus (my fave), and mixed. Mixed is usually a combination of clam, oyster, shrimp, beef and pork. Mixed is usually what you get in a non-specialty restaurant.
No matzo balls, though. Since they have kreplach, it's too bad they haven't hit on knaidlach. Give it a century. Never (or "hardly never") chicken, either. And that is odd.
The soup itself is prepared with two kinds of red chili, a broth appropriate for the add-ins, plenty of tofu -- all in a special stone bowl (dolsoot). The spice level is "to order." Koreans can get intense with chili, but I know you love it. In your case, I'd start at "medium," or "medium-hot" if they've got the English to understand the distinction. One thing about Koreans, they don't regard "hot" as a challenge. They understand and respect it. If you order "hot" it won't be pure habaneros. It will be hot by Korean standards, which is plenty hot. "Hot" Korean is roughly "vindaloo" in Indian, and "al diablo" in Mexican. I.e., most people find it inedible, while a few can't get enough.
It's served with a dizzying variety of side dishes, which collectively are known as bonchon (or panchan or banchan or ...); you'll be familiar with some of them and not others. Part of the pleasure of Korean food is the seasonal variations in panchan and the creativity going into them. In fact, sometimes you choose a soontofu joint by the soup, and sometimes by the panchan. Koreans think it's healthy and like it for a light lunch. They also think it's great stuff and like it for dinner as part of a combination -- with galbi or bulgogi for instance.
The soup comes to the table at a rolling boil -- and the stone bowl it's served in will keeps the soup boiling for the first few minutes. You'll get a raw egg with the soup. Break it and slide it in. You can let it poach, break it and make an emulsion, or let it cook a little and stir it into threads. Your choice. You also get special rice. The rice is an important part of your eating strategy. Some people take all their tofu out and let it sit on the rice for later. Others, all the add ins. Some (including me) put a little rice in their spoon and get a little soup -- using the hot rice to cool the ridiculously hot soup to temperatures that will only blister and not char your mouth. The best plan is to watch other people in the restaurant and do as is done. Fortunately, as a cultural matter, most Koreans don't mind. They're like Chinese in that respect -- more interested in what you ordered and how it compares to what they ordered, than in waspy social norms.
I don't know what the soontofu scene is like in the East Bay or the greater Bay area. But wherever Korean's are concentrated, y'know. My daughter tells me that there's one place in or around Santa Rosa and it's lousy -- but that's Santa Rosa for you. Not exactly an Asian hub.
Anyway, get a feel for whether, what and how you like it. Then I'll hook you up with the technique for DIY.
BDL
