With some restaurants, the name says it all -- no one's confused when they see signs for Luke's Lobster, Donut Plant or BLT Steak. So it stands to reason you'd assume Kyotofu is a place for tofu. Well, yes -- but there's more to Kyotofu than tofu. In fact, though the Hell's Kitchen restaurant's known as a dessert spot (voted New York's Best Cupcake by New York Magazine), it's dinner is spot on, and proves (yet again) there's also more to Japanese food than sushi.
Choose from a diverse menu of comfort food with a Japanese twist. Starters and small plates include mushroom salad, tsukune chicken meatballs, and "Pigs in a Duvet", a fancier version of the popular party food. Sake-infused mac and cheese and curry rice top the list of regular's entree favorites. For those of you after tofu, try the trio of tofu dips with house made flatbread and chicken and tofu sliders.
The soothing effect of Kyotofu's modern and minimal interior makes it ideal for intimate dinners and first dates but its extensive cocktail list opens it up for something more rambunctious. You'll find the sleek dining room an irresistible place to sip exotic cocktails like the Ginger Margarita, the Pomegranate Shiso Mojito, or a variety of shochu martinis. There's also the Tokyo Bloody Mary, made with wasabi.
By any other name, Kyotofu would still be a tofu restaurant that makes a mean chocolate souffle cupcake, but it's time to look beyond nomenclature. Yes, life is uncertain, but when dinner's this exceptional, you have every reason to hedge your bets and eat it first.
REVIEWS
Critics and diners both rave! Kyotofu gets a 3 star review from NY Magazine, Robin Raisfeld of NY Magazine called it 2007's Best New Restaurant, 363 Yelpers give it 4 stars, Citysearchers give it 4 stars!"There is no belligerent health-food agenda or anti-meat attitude at Kyotofu, the singular Japanese café masquerading as a dessert bar. There is just a serenely transporting space, a drinks list that bests most froufrou bars with inventive shochu cocktails and interesting wines, and a menu that pays equal, meticulous attention to the sweet and the savory. The house-made tofu is smooth and creamy, whether you have it in a salad, doused with sweet syrup, or blended into a lovely square of cheesecake, perfumed with sansho pepper and crusted with black sesame." Robin Raisfeld, NY Magazine's Best of New York
"I tried it for the first time on Saturday and we were overwhelmed at how good the food is. The chicken tofu sliders, barbecued unagi, and mac and cheese were out of this world. We both tried their cocktails and thought that they were weak but trust me the blood orange caipirinhas started to catch up. We finished with the sweet potato cheesecake and we couldn't stop talking about it. We literally were there until they closed at 1:30 AM." Andre L., Yelp
"The menu is appealing in its brevity (unlike the equally appealing beverage list, which is voluminous and potentially disorienting, if the highly hands-on owners didn’t helpfully suggest pairings of wine, sake, and shochu cocktails)...In a wise move, the kitchen offers a few savory tidbits, which can be ordered separately or in a bento-style appetizer plate. None of these will jeopardize your appetite for dessert, and all are tasty and somehow vivifying: the warm nori-wrapped rice balls studded with salty bonito; the light tofu-chicken meatballs; the toothsome black edamame (only vaguely darker than the familiar green); and the quivering dome of excellent housemade tofu." Robin Raisfeld & Rob Patronite, NY Magazine Review
"The main dining area in the back is beautiful, gorgeous white leather banquettes and lighting that is both bright and subdued. The Japanese waitress/hostess was unfailingly attentive, pleasant, illuminating, and refreshingly down-to-earth, and she helped me to choose from the handful of entrees. I got the Omakase tasting menu, and the flavors were subtle and nuanced with hints of sake, wine, soy, vinegar. The curry was unexpected and surprisingly flavorful, and the homemade tofu really did melt in my mouth. Every small item on my plate was so fresh and yet so different." Christina, Menupages