Sohn-mat: Recipes and Flavors of Korean Home Cooking

From one of the country’s most beloved Korean restaurants, a master class in making the iconic Korean stew, soondubu jjigae, with recipes for everything to serve alongside it, including kimchi, banchan, grilled meats, and more.

In Sohn-mat, which translates to “hand taste” and refers to intuitive cooking, Chef Monica Lee showcases recipes for soon tofu, the iconic Korean soup made with soft tofu, from her beloved LA Koreatown restaurant Beverly Soon Tofu.Sohn-mat is a master class in how to make this exceptional tofu soup at home, as well recipes for all of the other dishes you need to complete the meal, from banchan, to kimchi, to large-format dishes like bibimbap.Beyond its loyal customers, Beverly Soon Tofu was highly acclaimed. The restaurant was written about by Jonathan Gold and Ruth Reichl, and profiled by Anthony Bourdain in Parts Unknown. Blending the technical expertise of a chef with the practical know-how of a home cook, Sohn-mat offers what no other Korean book on the market does: a level of sophistication that is still geared toward the home kitchen.Sohn-mat is for fans of Beverly Soon Tofu and those interested in learning about Korean food and cultivating their own intuitive cooking skills.

About the Author

Monica Lee opened Beverly Soon Tofu in 1986. It was the first restaurant of its kind in LA, a pioneer serving soon tofu stew to residents and visitors of Koreatown for over thirty years.Tien Nguyen is the co-author of three books, including New York Times bestseller L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food with chef Roy Choi, and The Red Boat Fish Sauce Cookbook, one of NPR’s 2021 Books We Love.