restaurant review: kyotofu

Restaurant: Kyotofu
Location: 705 Ninth Ave., New York, 10019
Telephone: 212-974-6012
Website: kyotofu-nyc.com

Meal type: Dinner

Average price per person: $26-$60

What I ordered:
Tasting Menu (shared):
- chicken & tofu sliders
- barbequed unagi
- smoked salmon onigiri
- japanese karobuta sausage
- simmered lotus root
- housemade edamame artisanal tofu
- seaweed salad
- spicy tsukune
Dessert:
- mini green tea cupcakes
- warm miso chocolate cake

Ratings:









Comments:
There wasn't any obvious signage outside Kyotofu, so we actually walked right past it. Good thing we were looking for it, else we would never had a chance to eat here.

Their setup is definitely interesting - they have a few spots to sit & enjoy desserts and people-watch, and then the kitchen and food preparation area flacks a small short hallway that leads to the rear of the restaurant which reveals a very small and intimate simply decorated dining area. I would have enjoyed if it the kitchen could be seen from the dining area as well. I felt so isolated from the outside world and sunlight sitting in the back.

After a quick look at the menu, we decided to order the cool tasting menu option. Each dish was only $4 and we ordered 8 dishes, which was all but 1 of the items offered. When our food came it looked so cute & pretty. My favorite was the Barbequed Unagi (barbequed eel in a phyllo pastry shell).

We were both still hungry afterwards, so we ordered dessert. My miso chocolate cake was a super decadent molten lava cake. Although it was very good, my favorite part of it was the green tea mouse garnish. It was so light and refreshing and reeked of green tea.

Since Kyotofu is known for their cupcakes we bought some to take home for an evening snack. I wasn't much of a fan of the green tea cupcakes, but I really enjoyed Dave's chocolate souffle cupcake. But it wasn't really a cupcake....more of a mini-souffle.

This would be an awesome hangout spot with their small dishes perfect for sampling and sharing. I wish we had a Kyotofu in Toronto. =P