Koreatown is not a large area, but families and corporations continue to cram interesting restaurants into the rectangle, which is fantastic news for diners. The Choi family debuted Tofu & Noodle in late 2013 in the back corner of 8th St. Plaza, featuring the cuisine of their home city, Daejeon. Eun cooks, husband Jang is the partner, and son Paul runs the front of house, which sports lavender and red walls and flat screen TVs. The family is particularly proud of Uhl-Keun-Ee, which they peg to Daejeon on a hand-drawn Korean map.

Uhl-Keun-Ee ($8.50), which the Chois translate to English as “original spicy chopped noodles,” are a specialty of Daejeon. The “chopped” part remains a mystery, since the fettuccine-like noodles arrive whole in the bowl, but it’s hard to argue with the rest of the savory results. Tofu & Noodle’s broth combines seafood, fish and vegetables, with a spicy spike from green pepper paste and chile powder. Eun Choi layers flavor and texture with sesame seeds, nori flakes, scrambled egg, scallions and julienne zucchini. The topper consisted of crunchy crown daisy leaves, which lent some nice bitterness to each bite.

Paul Choi said more Daejeon dishes may surface at Tofu & Noodle. Good for Koreatown.