Tae-ro Lee, co-founder of iconic Korean restaurant chain BCD Tofu House, died March 8 at 88, according to a family statement.
Lee and his wife Hee-sook Lee, who died in 2020, were known for popularizing soondubu jigae, a spicy, red silken-tofu stew, and building a restaurant empire in L.A. that has expanded to 11 locations across Southern California, Texas and the East Coast.
Tae-ro is survived by three sons and many grandchildren. His sons currently lead the company, aiming to “uphold the legacy that Mr. Tae-ro Lee and Mrs. Hee-sook Lee built together,” the family said in a statement .
According to the statement from the family, Tae-ro was born in Hamgyong Province — in modern-day North Korea — in 1937. During the Korean War, he fled with his family to South Korea, where they operated restaurants in Bukchang-dong, a district in Seoul. At the time, his family was facing significant poverty and depended on the restaurant for income.
Tae-ro was “deeply committed” to his education, according to his family, and began studying law at Seoul National University in 1956.
In 1967, he opened Yongdongpo Hamheung Naengmyeon restaurant in Seoul, which specializes in a North Korean cold noodle dish. The restaurant, “both a culinary pursuit and a deeply personal expression” for Tae-ro, according to his family, still operates today.
Tae-ro and Hee-sook immigrated to the U.S. in the early ‘90s. Aiming to share the flavors that defined their journey, the couple opened Buk Chang Dong Soon Dubu in Koreatown on Vermont Avenue in 1996, named after the Seoul district.
In a 2013 interview, Hee-sook said that soon tofu was previously not a popular dish in Korea, and was mainly seen as a quick lunch for business people. The flagship restaurant, which eventually became BCD Tofu House, popularized the spicy tofu stew with more than 10 variations that are still served today, including versions with seafood, kimchi, gopchang (small intestines) and a vegetable option.
BCD grew in global recognition, opening locations in Tokyo, Seoul and Seattle. Though those locations have since closed, the remaining restaurants continue to be frequented by Korean celebrities and K-pop stars. Blackpink singer Rose named BCD Tofu as one of her favorite Korean restaurants in L.A., and K-pop band Girls’ Generation has dined at the Irvine location.
In addition to soondubu, BCD serves a variety of traditional Korean dishes, including galbi, bulgogi, bibimbap and japchae.
The Koreatown location on Wilshire Boulevard is known for its late hours and is open until 3 or 4 a.m. every night.
The Lee family described BCD Tofu House as “an enduring cornerstone of Koreatown and a meaningful part of Korean and Korean American culinary history.”
“His legacy lives on through his family, the business, and the community he helped build, continuing to bring people together in the way he always envisioned,” his family said in a statement.
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