On the day we spent with my gourmet sister in Tokyo, she took us to a really interesting place called Tofu Shokudo. We like tofu, as it is tasty, healthy, and has lots of benefits as well. Rich in high quality protein, vitamins, and dietary fiber. Tofu Shokudo is unique in a sense that they focus on tofu from every aspect. They make tofu daily from fresh soybeans and in the traditional methods by artisan for tofu-based dishes. We were curious and excited to go check this place out!
They have a stand right next to the entrance for those customers who just want to order some things to go. You can see all the to-go selections, neatly wrapped, ready for purchase, such as handmade fresh tofu, fried tofu, freshly squeezed soy milk, tofu ice cream, Douhua and other delicious desserts. We were dining in, so we went inside with much excitement. The atmosphere they are going for here is a “good old tofu shop.”
They have alcoholic beverages such as shochu, sake, and beer. My hubby and my bother-in-law decided to get draft beers (700 yen), and my sister and I went with something more fun (in my opinion). My sister ordered Plain Fresh Soy Milk (搾りたて豆乳) (450 yen), and I ordered Fresh Soy Milk with Black Sesame (搾りたて豆乳 黒ごま) (450 yen). Actually, my sister wanted to have a hot soy milk, as it was January, but the staff said they don’t have it. They had a sign outside by the stand, advertising hot soy milk… Maybe it is only available for to-go order? Their soy milk was indeed awesome, I loved my black sesame soy milk! It had that nutty flavor, and the milk was slightly thicker, not thin like water, but not thick like smoothies. Somewhere in between, great velvety smooth texture. We also got some complimentary soy beans, which was a nice way to open up your pallet and get ready for tasty tofu dishes.
Tofu Shokudo offers dishes inspired by various Asian countries such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea. We ordered a few different dishes to share, Izakaya (or tapas) style. The first dish was Yuba Spring Roll (湯葉春巻き) (900 yen). Yuba is dried tofu skin. Very cool and unique dish start off the dinner. Yuba has somewhat rubbery texture, but this spring roll was nothing but. Lightly fried, super crispy exterior, and chunky inside with nutty, earthy flavor. Their menu really doesn’t say much, so I don’t know what was in there, but whatever it was, it sure was tasty!
Then we got some of our (many) favorite dishes, Mapo Tofu and Fried Chicken. Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐) (1,300 yen) was a nice size, enough to share among the four of us. Hence the higher price tag. It had a really nice punch and kick to it. This is a real deal Mapo Tofu! You might wonder what in the world a fried chicken got to do with Tofu? Well, it is called Tofu Koji Marinated Fried Chicken (豆腐麹に漬けた鶏の唐揚げ) (800 yen), and the chicken is marinated in tofu and koji (malted soy) before being fried. I played around with some Japanese ingredients with koji before, and it was quite interesting and tasty. This fried chicken was great too, umami from the koji, and it was so juicy and moist from the marinade, with crispy batter. So good!
Then, we had one of their recommended dishes, Tofu Sayu Soup (豆腐白湯スープ) (2,200 yen). It is made with rich chicken broth base soup, homemade Tofu, and chicken. It came bubbling hot, it was so enticing! The soup was loaded with generous amount of tofu, chicken, and some veggies. Flavor had such depth to it, with almost creamy texture. It was a perfect soup on a cold day.
Then, back to the classic. Freshly Made Chilled Tofu (おぼろ豆腐) (600 yen). It is a silken tofu, scooped up in a ladle, hence the shape you can see here. Oboro Tofu is usually served warm, or in a warm soup, I believe, but they offer the chilled version, with some condiments. You can drip some olive oil and a dash of salt, or some drips of soy sauce. It is such a great way to enjoy the flavor of the pure, freshly made tofu! It was so silky smooth, melt in your mouth. The little added flavor from the condiments enhances the natural flavor of tofu, it was excellent.
Our tofu journey continues… Next up is Whitebait Fish and Tofu Omelet (しらすと豆腐のオムレツ) (800 yen). We had some delicious dishes made with whitebait fish from Mokichi Kamakura, so I was really excited for this dish. The omelet was a nice large size, enough for the four of us to share. The egg was cooked just right, not too overdone, with lots of whitebait fish. The addition of tofu made it look and feel more juicy and kind of milky. It was really tasty!
Then we tried Triangle Inari Sushi (三角いなり寿司) (500 yen). It is made with their homemade Abura Age. If you are not familiar with abura age, it is made from thinly sliced tofu, deep fried (usually twice fried). The sushi rice has shiso, ginger, and black sesame from what I understand. As you can see, it comes with just two, so not as easy to share among four people. It was tasty, with nice flavoring of the sushi rice, and moist and juicy abura age. A bit pricey in my opinion for the amount received, but it was high quality indeed.
The last savory dish was a real staple of this spot. My sister insisted we had to get this, and I was so happy we listened to her (we always do…). It is simply called Tofu Rice (豆腐めし) (600 yen), and I gotta say, I was very surprised when it was brought to our table. It had a bowl of rice, and atop was this huge brick of tofu! The tofu almost looked like some kind of chocolate mousse or chocolate cake. They dip and soak tofu in their special “tare” (dipping sauce), making the tofu to be this color. Then, topped with some Tenkasu, which is crunchy bits of deep fried flour-batter, and Sansho pepper. The tofu was substantial, both in volume, and yes, explosion of flavor! Tare was Sweet and tangy, packed with umami. It was a quite memorable dish, nothing I’ve ever had. Such a simple dish yet grabs center stage and spotlight with ease, totally a star of the show.
After the epic climax of the dinner, we moved on to desserts! We ordered Tofu Mitarashi Dango (豆腐みたらし団子) (600 yen) and Douhua (豆花) (700 yen). Mitarashi Dango is one of the traditional Japanese sweets, made with rice dumplings with sweet soy glaze. I assume tofu is mixed into the dumplings. They were so plump, soft, mochi-y, and very comforting flavor.
Douhua/Tohua is a Taiwanese sweet, made with silken tofu, and toppings like tapioca balls, peanuts, red beans, mung beans, and fruit. And of course, some drizzle of syrup. Tofu Shokudo version of Douhua/Tohua was really good, all the fresh ingredients, all bringing some interesting texture and or flavor, all working perfectly like a symphony. What a great dessert to end this grand tofu journey!
After a day filled with so much fun and tasty places, our trust in my gourmet sister for anything food-related has increased even more than ever. We knew she was going to take us to amazing places, but then, she still managed to surprise us! So, thanks to her, we discovers new places, and we ended with full tummy and happy feelings. If you love tofu, and are looking for an interesting spot, give this place a try!
Tofu Shokudo – 1-3-1Ebisu-Nishi, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
豆腐食堂 – 東京都渋谷区恵比寿西１–３–１