Tofu cuisine is a thing in Japan; there are even high-end restaurants serving tofu-based course meals. While exploring Ningyocho I came across a shop and restaurant specializing in tofu that I decided to try: Tofu no Futaba (豆腐の双葉) on Amazake Yokocho street. Contrary to what you might find online, the restaurant is no longer open for dinner, it only serves set lunch menus from Monday to Saturday.
The visit
I knew the restaurant was upstairs and initially I headed to the main shop on Amazake street. But it is the wrong entrance for the restaurant.
The shop keeper assigned her six year old son to escort me to the right entrance on a side street around the corner.
Actually, I later realized they had a sign explaining where to go in front of the shop, but it was all in Japanese.
It was a Saturday and there were a lot of customers in the dining room dominated by a long communal table where I sat.
No English menu, but ordering was simple since they had a nice picture menu and you can order only set menus that start at 1,000 yen. I went for the most expensive deluxe set.
The order was taken by a lovely old lady that was literally running the all place by herself. After taking the order and going into the kitchen, she ran out and from the other side of the room she asked “Ponzu ok?”. Hell, yes, it was ok, I love ponzu, a citrus-based vinegar sauce. I guess she must have had trouble with some other foreign customers so she asked. She was adorable.
Soon the lunch set I ordered arrived in all its splendor. There were three different tofu dishes, in addition to a large miso soup, rice, cabbage, and pickles.
The tofu was prepared in different styles and combined with different vegetables. I found all dishes delicious even if I might have not understood all the details.
I have filed this restaurant under “vegetarian”, but you know that in Japanese cuisine they use a lot of stocks made our from meat, so I cannot guarantee that it is really vegetarian.
After lunch I had a dessert or two on Amazake Yokocho street.
The check
The check was 1,500 yen (or 13.75 USD). All the experience was really nice and I would certainly go back for the food.
And after the meal you can stroll on Amazake Yokocho street for desserts.
Where in Tokyo:
2-4-9 Ningyocho.
Website (not updated): http://www.futaba-tofu.jp.