A generous slice of South Korea on Lincoln Highway in Edison

The attractive interior of SKD Tofu House in Edison, where a complete meal of tofu, rice and side dishes costs $10.

Soft-tofu stew includes five side dishes and a fresh egg to cook in the hot broth.

Japchae is a non-spicy dish pairing vegetables with translucent, yam-flour noodles.

You can't argue with the freshness of live fish at H Mart.

The food court at the Korean supermarket in Edison.

Pigs' feet also are available sliced.

The buffet at Picnic Garden, an all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ restaurant.

Carnivores will delight at the abundance of raw meat on the buffet.

Raw shrimp, right, are displayed on plenty of ice. Each table has a big grill.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

A friend who lives in Edison invited me to have dinner at a soft-tofu restaurant, which turned out to be part of a large Korean shopping center on Lincoln Highway.

SKD Tofu House and Picnic Garden BBQ Restaurant flank a big Korean supermarket, H Mart. 

Other businesses include Korean and Chinese-American banks and a Korean bakery.

Another wing of the shopping center, which opened about 18 months ago, is vacant.

For a soft-tofu restaurant, SKD has a stylish interior, and the food and service are as good as any of the tofu houses I've tried in Bergen County.

My friend ordered a soft-tofu stew, which came with excellent cabbage and cucumber kimchis, three other free side dishes, a fresh egg and a small rice for $10, including tax. 

I had a large serving of japchae, translucent yam-flour noodles that are stir-fried with shredded vegetables, and asked the kitchen to hold the beef ($12).

We got a second set of the delicious side dishes, including bean sprouts and pressed tofu, as well as  hot tea.

SKD in the restaurant's name stands for So Kong Dong, a neighborhood in Seoul, Korea, known for its soft-tofu houses.

H Mart shopping

After dinner, we shopped at H Mart and looked over the all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ buffet at Picnic Garden.

At H Mart, I bought a box of 10 Champagne mangoes for $4.44 and a box of 20 Shin Ramyun Gourmet Spicy dried-noodle soups for $14.99 or 75 cents each (usually $17.99).

These superior mangoes also are known as Ataulfo, a variety with yellow skin, a thin seed, fiber-less flesh and buttery texture.

The Edison H Mart is one of six in New Jersey, including the Englewood, Little Ferry, Ridgefield and Fort Lee stores I usually shop in for fish, Asian greens and prepared Korean food.

In fact, for dinner tonight, we're having fresh, whole, wild-caught sea bass my wife bought on Saturday at the Englewood H Mart for $5.99 a pound. 

I came across the history of the supermarket chain on its Web site:

"We are H Mart, short for 'Han Ah Reum,'
which just happens to mean
'One Arm Full of Groceries.'
We're an Asian-inspired supermarket
started in 1982 in Queens, New York.
Despite our small beginnings,
we have grown because of
our continuous commitment to
the freshest ingredients in all our offerings --
while never forgetting that
value is just as important.
We hope our culture brings you new inspiration and
we look forward to seeing you soon." 

Edison, which has nearly 100,000 residents, is a center of Asian-American culture and food. It is about 40 miles south of Hackensack.

Details

SKD Tofu House, 1755 Lincoln Highway, Edison; 1-732-777-2110. Web site: Korean Comfort Food

H Mart, 1761 Lincoln Highway, Edison; 1-732-339-1530. Web site: Better Food, Better Life

Picnic Garden, 1763 Lincoln Highway; 1-732-650-1000.