This Korean restaurant is worth the hassles—be sure to look up the directions before you go, because it’s hard to find the exact strip mall that it’s in—for its best-loved dish, soondubu (spicy tofu stew). This is simply the best version of the dish in the metro area. Hosoonyi makes quite a few varieties; along with the silky tofu you can add beef, seafood, pork, or vegetables like kimchi and mushrooms. You also get an egg to crack over the bubbling cauldron of stew.

If you don’t order the soondubu—and really, why go, if you don’t?—the seafood pancake is very good and the banchan that come with any meal are plentiful and terrific. Barbecue doesn’t stand out here: the marinade they use for the meats is sweeter than we prefer, and they also grill the meat just until done—no yummy char. The Korean beer list is pretty long—four or five of the major brewers—and complements the spicy soups well.

With Korean pop music videos playing loudly and gratingly, it’s not exactly elegant, but it does feels like a real part of a Korean community, with many expats dining here. Service is generally friendly, but sometimes very slow—you might have to flag down another server.