Whatever level of spiciness you desire, you should probably bring it up a notch when ordering at Totoro. Jenny ordered her soup "mild", but it was so gentle that she needed to spoon in some of my soup, which I requested "hot", to add some bang. Even though I aimed high with the spiciness, my beef soup didn't bring the heat that one might find in a beef soup at, say, Tofu House or Queen's House.
The rice that came along with the soup was fine, but being used to the rice and beans (with the latter turning the former a pleasant shade of purple) at Tofu House, I found it slightly lacking. Also, there was little beef. The soup was still boiling when it came to our table, though, and on a cold day like today, that's what mattered most.
The food arrived quickly and water streamed into our glasses as needed. Sure, Totoro came short in quantity and quality compared to, say, Tofu House. However, my next bowl of sundubu will be at Totoro because any shortfalls were more than compensated for by Totoro's quick, friendly service and, not insignificantly, my being able to use a credit card. A cash-only policy, so prevalent among Asian restaurants, always leaves me wondering where the "tax" I'm charged is really going. Our bill with tax but before tip, by the way, was $17.32.
Totoro
841 Villa Street
Mountain View, CA 94041-1233
(650) 691-0796
