Gyodong Tofu: The Yangji Shop That Makes Fresh Tofu Every Morning

Gyodong Tofu sits in Yangji-myeon, Cheoin-gu, Yongin, right next to Yangji Sports Park, and it's known for grinding its own soybeans and making tofu fresh every single morning. These days, plenty of tofu restaurants actually work with pre-made tofu, so the simple claim of 'handmade fresh every morning' is reason enough to make the trip. It sits a bit outside downtown, in Yangji-myeon, so this isn't the kind of place you stumble into on your way somewhere else — you have to set aside the time to go. And yet it's built a steady word-of-mouth reputation as a handmade tofu spot, which says something. I'm Yongi, who's watched over downtown Yongin for a long time, and today I'll walk you through this table from start to finish — the soybean porridge, the signature beef tteokgalbi with handmade tofu, and the assorted set that's great for sharing.

A Table That Starts With a Bowl of Soybean Porridge

At Gyodong Tofu, the meal begins with a bowl of soybean porridge before the main dishes even arrive. A thick, simmered soybean porridge comes out first, gently warming you up before the tofu dishes proper — think of it as a soft warm-up for your stomach. Visit on a chilly day and this one bowl alone is enough to leave you feeling noticeably warmer. It's a fitting touch for a tofu specialist: the meal opens with soybeans and, in its own way, closes with them too, giving the whole table a consistent thread from start to finish. Even this one small detail — soothing your stomach before the rice arrives — hints at how much care goes into the way the meal is put together.

After the porridge comes a tofu salad, made with fresh vegetables and black olives. It's a bright, refreshing beat inside a meal that could otherwise feel heavy with tofu dish after tofu dish. Between the nutty, savory tofu courses, the crisp vegetables and salty black olives reset your palate, making it a nice pause before moving on to the next dish. The vegetables taste genuinely fresh, so alternating between them and the tofu dishes keeps things from feeling repetitive all the way through. Just from the porridge and the salad alone, you can tell how carefully this place has thought through the order in which everything arrives.

The Signature Dish: Beef Tteokgalbi and Handmade Tofu

This restaurant's signature dish is handmade tofu served alongside moist tteokgalbi made from 100% beef. Because the tofu is made fresh every morning, the texture alone sets it apart — soft yet savory enough to enjoy completely plain. Add a bit of the sauce that comes with the tteokgalbi, and you get a whole different layer of flavor. If you want the clean, plain taste of the tofu itself, skip the sauce; if you're after a bit more depth, spoon some on — it's a dish you can adjust to your own taste, so on a first visit it's worth trying it both ways. Moist, well-grilled beef tteokgalbi meeting finely textured handmade tofu on one plate is, honestly, the biggest reason people come here.

Visiting With a Group? Go for the Assorted Set

If you're coming with family or a group, the assorted set is worth a look. It's a full handmade-tofu course featuring smoked duck slow-smoked over oak for six hours, tofu hot pot, and rice made with 12 kinds of grains. Between the deep aroma of the long, carefully smoked duck, the piping-hot tofu hot pot, and the multigrain rice rounding it out, it genuinely feels like a full, proper spread. It's the set to pick when you want to sample several dishes at once rather than just the handmade tofu on its own.

Every dish here clearly took real effort to put together, which makes it especially fitting for a meal with your parents or a rare full family gathering. Warm up with the tofu hot pot, fill up on the oak-smoked duck with its subtle smoky aroma, then finish with the multigrain rice — follow that order and you get the full arc the meal was designed around. Looking at the whole course, from the opening soybean porridge to the closing assorted set, it starts to make sense why this place calls itself a 'handmade tofu course.' It suits a slow, unhurried meal, taken bowl by bowl in order, far better than a quick one you rush through.

What to Know Before You Go

Gyodong Tofu is located at 37 Yangdae-ro, Yangji-myeon, Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si, right next to Yangji Sports Park — use the sports park as a landmark and you shouldn't have much trouble finding it. One thing to note: pets aren't allowed, so if you're out with a pet, keep that in mind beforehand. We can't pin down the exact business hours, break times, or pricing based on what we have on hand, so we'd recommend calling ahead before you head out. It only takes a few minutes, but that one call can save you a wasted trip.