The founder of BCD Tofu House, a Los Angeles staple beloved by K-pop stars and fans alike, has died at age 89.
According to The Korea Herald, Lee Tae-ro’s funeral was held in Los Angeles on Saturday (March 28) and was attended by family members and acquaintances at a Korean-American church.
His wife, Lee Hee-sook, who co-founded the business and built it into a global brand with her signature tofu recipe, passed away in August 2020.
Born in 1937 in Hamgyeong Province, now part of North Korea, Lee Tae-ro graduated from Seoul National University with a law degree. In 1967, he opened a Hamheung naengmyeon restaurant in Seoul, inspired by the cuisine of his hometown. He began his U.S. business in 1996 after moving to Los Angeles with his wife for their children's education.
The couple opened the first BCD Tofu House restaurant on Vermont Avenue in Koreatown, centering the menu on sundubu-jjigae, a spicy soft tofu stew developed from his wife's closely guarded recipe.
The business later expanded to more than 11 locations across the U.S., including California, New York and Texas.
Even before Korean culture gained global recognition, the franchise helped introduce Korean cuisine to a broader American audience through its signature dish, sundubu-jjigae, as well as dolsotbab and LA galbi.
According to BCD's website, BCD is an acronym for Buk Chang Dong, a district in Korea well known for its prosperity.
Throughout the years, many famous K-Pop stars have visited the LA location including Girls' Generation, KARA, 2NE1, among others.
In 2025, Rosé of BLACKPINK named BCD Tofu House as one of her go-to Korean restaurants when visiting Los Angeles.
Users on Reddit have also reported seeing other K-pop stars like TOMORROW X TOGETHER and SEVENTEEN’s Mingyu dining at the restaurant’s Wilshire location.
