If there's one thing the H Mart food court proves, it's that almost any facet of Korean food traditions, no matter how complex, can be adapted to a quick service environment. Bubbling hot soft tofu soup might be hard to envision on cafeteria trays, but it's the specialty of Sogongdong Tofu & BBQ, one of the food court tenants in Mesa. The combination of tofu and barbecue in a single food stall might at first seem incongruous, but the two items are complimentary within the context of Korean cuisine, which often uses tofu alongside meat rather than in place of it.
soon dubu jjige with mushrooms
Sogondong is the third stall on the left after customers enter the food court, sometimes also known as the "market eatery," and pass the Paris Baguette bakery. H Mart itself is located diagonally across from Sycamore/Main station in the Mesa Asian District. A bike rack is found near the second entrance to the supermarket, near the produce department. As with nearly all vendors in this shared space, customers order from overhead menus, find a table in the crowded dining hall, and then wait for their numbers to be called via a public address system.
fried dumplings
Appetizers include dumplings, served either boiled or fried. Of course, it's possible to obtain perfectly good dumplings from numerous stalls in the food court, so focusing on a few more distinctive items makes sense. For added Korean flavor, kimchi dumplings are also available with spicy pickled cabbage mixed into the filling. An eminently shareable option is the seafood pancake. Served slightly smokey from the griddle, it features abundant scallions and seafood scattered throughout a sliced disc the size of a pizza with a chewy, slightly charred texture.
seafood pancake
Sundubu, sometimes also romanized as soon dubu, is the restaurant's signature dish. It's a bowl of soft tofu in kimchi stew served bubbling and steaming. The soup is almost volcanic in its appearance, and caution is called for in carrying the heavy vessel on a tray from counter to table. The sundubu here is served with rice on the side or with either flat noodles or ramen mixed into the broth. The classic version with rice seems to best preserve the intensity of the dish by allowing customers to cool the stew gradually with successive spoonfuls of starch.
soon dubu jjige noodles with beef
Regardless of the carbohydrate added to the bowl, customers also choose from one of approximately ten additional ingredients. Some choices are meats like beef or pork, others are seafood like clams or oysters, and a few are just more of some ingredients like tofu or kimchi that are already present. These choices are largely repeated with two bibimbap entrees. One is a straightforward mix of rice, vegetables, and a protein with a fried egg on top. The other is a stone bowl bibimbap, a presentation which allows a layer of crisp rice to form on the bottom.
soon dubu jjige ramen with vegetables
Bulgogi, the Korean tradition of marinated, grilled meat, is what constitutes the "BBQ" portion of Sogongdong's menu. At this stall, the bulgogi comes in the classic beef version, along with pork and chicken variations. Typically, they're presented here on a stone plate with the meat mixed with vegetables and adorned with scallions and sesame seeds. Rice, miso soup, and some banchan, or cold side dishes, are also included on the tray. The chicken bulgogi is also available with udon noodles, and short ribs are the most indulgent and expensive item on the menu.
hot stone bibimbap with chicken
While most of the food served by Sogongdong involves intensely flavorful marinades, sauces, or broths, one item stands out for its simplicity. The grilled mackerel is just that: a sizeable piece of fish that is salted (probably more than is necessary) and served with some lemon wedges and little else. It's a welcome change for anyone wanting a minimalist dish or an emphasis on fish rather than mollusks and crustaceans when it comes to seafood. A few other dishes like japchae, sweet potato noodles, and topoki, cylindrical rice cakes, complete the menu here.
grilled mackerel
Like its neighbors in the food court, Sogongdong offers no dessert, but frozen treats like shaved ice and soft serve in fish-shaped cones are available from Snowtime on the other side of the room, and Paris Baguette offers all manner of pastry. Additional choices for milk tea and smoothies are found in nearby storefronts. Drinks are limited to canned sodas and bottled water. The tofu and barbecue combination, as surprising as it might seem at first, works well not only in the traditions of Korean cooking, but also within the setting of a supermarket food court.
1911 W. Main St., Mesa AZ 85201
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