Lounge
March 4, 2015
The 7th Kyoto's Tofu is Delicious (1) "Not the So-Called Tofu Cuisine Restaurants"
Kyoto's Tofu is Delicious: Part 7 (1)
Not Your Typical Tofu Restaurant
When you think of tofu in Kyoto, you might think of Nanzen-ji Temple?
But no, there's even more delicious tofu to be found.
Where?
From that tofu shop over there...
Text by Takashi YanukiPhotos by Maki Arimoto
I Eat Tofu Almost Every Day
"So, how is Kyoto?"
As soon as people heard I had moved to Kyoto, many of my friends would ask me this question.
For some reason, they always asked in such a vague, unspecific way.
When asked, I always gave the same answer.
"The tofu is delicious. I eat tofu almost every day."
It's true. Kyoto's tofu is simply delicious. I, who barely ate tofu when I lived in Tokyo, now eat it all the time.
Kyoto's tofu is delicious.
There's no doubt about it. However, the "delicious Kyoto tofu" I'm talking about isn't from the so-called tofu specialty restaurants near Nanzen-ji, Kiyomizu-dera, or Arashiyama. It's the tofu from the local tofu shops in the shopping streets.
Five old friends from Tokyo came to visit Kyoto.
"We want to eat delicious tofu dishes while admiring a beautiful garden."
It was a typically touristy request.
They assumed that ordering a tofu kaiseki course for around 3,000 yen would fulfill their wish, and they asked me to take them to a famous tofu restaurant.
What is this!?
Alright, I got it.
I readily agreed and arranged to meet them at Tofuku-ji Temple, not far from the hotel where they had just checked in near the station. I haven't seen the movie, but it's the place where Etsushi Toyokawa and Shinobu Terajima first meet in 'The Deserted Place of Love'.
It has nothing to do with tofu, but a female friend I hadn't seen in 40 years had changed so much it was sad.
"Wow, Yanuki-kun, you've really let yourself go."
She seemed to have thought the same thing.
I brought with me the "Yubakake Tofu" I bought from a tofu shop near my house. It's tofu wrapped in fresh yuba, served with a special sauce. I also brought chopsticks.
"Eat the Yubakake Tofu while admiring the garden at Tofuku-ji Temple."
My five friends seemed a little taken aback by the unexpected turn of events, but they sat on a bench and soon began to eat.
After one bite,
"What is this!? It's incredibly delicious."
Right?
The tofu from Kyoto's local shops is truly delicious.
(To be continued)