"If you transplanted a Korean grandma to Northern California, what would she do with the produce here?"
"In the heart of Oakland's vibrant food scene, Steve Joo has quietly cultivated something profound: a small, cheerful banchan shop that hums with playfulness, intentionality, and a deep respect for ingredients,"
"Silky, nuanced and jiggly, Joo's tofu is exquisite: a revelation, almost like a pudding,"
"Made with just soybeans, water, and a coagulant with sea salt, his tofu is both labor-intensive and time-consuming. It requires patience."
Steve Joo opened Joodooboo in Oakland in 2022 as a Korean restaurant with California flair, producing house-made tofu and hyper-seasonal banchan. Menu highlights include green tomato kimchi, broccoli with hot date sauce, a fried dooboo set with crispy house-made tofu and dooboo sauce, a chilled acorn noodle bowl, and a rice bowl with seasonal vegetables, banchan, and a fried egg. Joo trained at restaurants like Chez Panisse and learned to make dooboo during an apprenticeship in Korea. Food & Wine named him one of the 10 Best New Chefs of 2025, noting his playful, intentional banchan shop and exquisite, labor-intensive tofu.
Read at SFGATE
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