Korea’s calling

If you’re not already familiar with Korean cuisine, now is the time to learn more.

Korean food is justifiably gaining in popularity across the country. You’ll find most of Sacramento’s Korean restaurants along Folsom Boulevard just west of Rancho Cordova, but they’re starting to move closer to downtown.

YD Tofu House, the second outpost of YD Restaurant (8979 Folsom Boulevard), stands out not just for its high-quality cooking, but as the only Korean restaurant in the Land Park area. The closest are Tako Korean BBQ in East Sacramento and Aura Korean & Japanese Restaurant in Midtown, neither of which focus on a traditional experience.

Despite its location in an unattractive strip mall, YD Tofu House is surprisingly massive, with several rooms with large tables for group dining. You still need to watch your elbows, though, because the plates pile up quickly, starting with at least 15 banchan delivered soon after you sit.

Banchan are the complimentary side dishes that immediately show the kitchen’s skill. The more banchan, the fancier the restaurant. You nibble on them throughout the meal or use them to garnish main dishes. There’s always kimchi—the iconic pickled and fermented cabbage—but we also sampled delicate pink pickled daikon, garlicky broccoli, chili-sauced zucchini and miniature crabs, steamed spinach and long strands of cooked fiddleheads.

Bulgogi ($10.99 lunch/$18.99 dinner) is a must-try, as is galbi ($11.99/$22.99). We ordered the “spicy” pork bulgogi, and although the meat was exquisitely tender and suffused with a savory barbecue sauce, it wasn’t very spicy. (We may have gotten the “non-Korean” spice level, according to Korean friends.)

If you’ve eaten Korean barbecue, you’re probably already familiar with galbi, the Korean beef short ribs. YD serves thin, cross-cut slices with a soy-based sauce and lots of sesame seeds and green onions. Forget your propriety and gnaw all the meat off the bones.

If you’re just learning about Korean cuisine, mandu ($8.99 to $10.99) makes for a great gateway dish. Get these dumplings fried or steamed with your choice of protein and veggies—but they’re somewhat plain until you add soy sauce or gochujang, the spicy chili paste.

If you’re more adventurous, try the bossam ($32.99). It seems pricey, but easily feeds three or four. The large platter supports a mountain of daikon kimchi coated in gochujang, Napa cabbage and sliced pork belly. Make a Korean taco with a cabbage wrap and add slices of garlic and jalapeño if you dare.

All the hippest farm-to-fork menus offer fried chicken, but Koreans have been making it far longer. Get the Yangnyum version ($15.99) with a pool of chili-tinged, sweet red sauce. The meat comes with craggy, crunchy exteriors and leaves you literally licking your sticky, spicy fingers.

YD Tofu House doesn’t specialize in tofu dishes, despite the name. The menu is huge and varied, but quite meaty. Vegetarians can find some options, though.

One is a huge stone pot of bibimbap ($11.99 to $15.99), with a base of crispy rice surrounded by mushrooms, spinach, sprouts and other vegetables. Mix them into the rice along with meat, tofu or seafood and plenty of banchan for additional spice and acidity.

Or sample pajeon ($14.99), a plate-sized pancake of eggs, green onions and kimchi or seafood. It’s cut into wedges and—as with everything else—you garnish them with your favorite banchan or sauce.

While the food virtually mirrors the mother restaurant, YD Tofu House offers accessibility for those living closer to the central city. Servings are large, so go with a group and try many things; it’s common to battle chopsticks as you reach for yet one more item.