Kyotofu: Oh, the desserts!

Posted by ZenKimchi in Newsletter, Restaurants | 0 comments

I was invited to a blogger dinner at the new Kyotofu in east Itaewon, next to Spice, occupying the old location of Toque. I had been hearing good things about Kyotofu–in New York. The story is that some guys went to Kyoto and learned how to make traditional tofu and fell in love with it. They came up with interesting takes on the ingredient, and soon they had a place in Manhattan with lines out the door.

This is their first Seoul foray. Another branch, as of this writing, has opened at Time Square in Yeongdeungpo.

The interior is Blade Runnerish, giving that urban Tokyo vibe. Though the music isn’t pumped too loud.

The menu we had for this dinner was simple.

Smoked Salmon Salad

Olives, grana padano cheese, mixed greens, apple dressing

As far as smoked salmon salads go, this was fine. Not too sweet.

Kyotofu Mushroom Salad

Tofu tempura, seasonal Japanese mushrooms, mixed greens

It’s a shame that my favorite savory dish turned out to be my worst pic. The mushrooms were divine, and I was hooked on that tofu tempura.

Kyotofu Chicken Doria

Fried rice, bechamel sauce, mozzarella cheese, tofu, house-made pickles

Now we’re diving into Japanese comfort food. This was the best chicken doria I’ve tasted. Rice, cream sauce, cheese–not the healthiest dish, but oh, so satisfying.

Tofu & Meat Donburi

Beef, deep fried tofu, chicken broth, basil, oyster sauce, Kikkoman soy sauce, rice

My grandmother never made this, but it tasted like her cooking.

Here come the desserts! This is what Kyotofu is famous for.

Today’s Ice Cream

Soymilk ice cream, cookies

I’m converted. Soymilk ice cream can be decadent. This tasted like the homemade ice cream we made when I was a kid on the Fourth of July. The cookies were fine, but the ice cream was the star. This was my favorite.

Signature Sweet Tofu

White tofu pudding with kuromitsu syrup and black sesame tuile

Another epiphany dessert. Tofu pudding!

Kuromitsu is a Japanese sugar syrup similar to molasses. Pour the shot onto the pudding and enjoy. My dining buddy said it reminded him of breakfast back in New Zealand.

It was a nice little meal. I came away thinking of Kyotofu as an innovative restaurant with familiar flavors. They have a much wider seasonal savory menu and a ton of desserts. The desserts are worth the trip alone.

[googleMap name="Kyotofu (Itaewon)"]682-1 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea[/googleMap]