Tofu ROCKS

We still have a Kyoto Day 3 blog coming up, but our next post had to feature our wonderful, expensive, fantastically unique dinner on day 2. I read raving reviews about this place on TripAdvisor.com and it just so happened to be a block away from our hotel. So we walked down a little alley to find it. We actually went to the wrong place at first, but when I simply said, "Tofu?" the folks pointed us in the right direction. :) The restaurant is called "Tosuiro" but the sign in the alley wasn't in English at all, so it really was a guessing game. Thankfully, tofu is the same in English and Japanese, so it was easy to communicate what we were trying to find.

So, we sit down in this cozy restaurant and each order a "set" menu which included nine tofu courses. They make all their own tofu fresh in the restaurant so this was absolutely the best I've ever, or probably will ever, have. YUM.

I've never seen Joel this excited for soy.

We each ordered the middle set, so about $45 a piece.

Course #1: A mixed set of tofu creations.

A chilled tofu crumble - it wasn't sweet. I think it had onions and spices if I recall correctly.

Believe it or not, these are tiny pickled fish

Geletin with shrimp and peas

Tofu quiche with cucumbers and a tofu paste

Course # 2: Chilled, FRESH tofu with a little broth and garnish. We could have had unlimited refills of this course, but were WAY too full by the end to even consider it!

A close up - so yummy

Course # 3: A tofu mayonnaise with bonito fish sashimi and wasabi with a ginger dipping sauce

Course # 4: A tofu soup - simply tofu in a warm broth with little pieces of potato too

Joel and I each ordered one Kirin beer in typical Japanese fashion. We shouldn't have though because it made us full quicker!

Course #5: A trio of tofu

Grilled onion with tofu sauce

Ginger and lotus root

Skewered and slightly grilled tofu with an amazing sauce

Course # 6: Tempura!!

Eggplant tempura

Egg, tofu, crab and something green tempura wrap

Courses 7 & 8: Rice with flavorful tofu crumbles, pickled vegetables, and miso soup with tofu

SO GOOD!

The typical Oolong tea comes around course # 7

Course # 9: Tofu and tangerine sorbet. OMG. SO DELISH.

The chef volunteered to take our picture outside the restaurant. We were so totally fat and happy. What a wonderfully unique and delicious dinner! Yay for 5 years of a fantastic marriage!