The dish to eat in Kyoto · Japan

Yudofu

Name: Yudofu (Kyoto hot-pot tofu)
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Japan
Ingredients: 1 piece kombu, about 4 by 6 inches (10 by 15 cm); 5 cups (1.2 l) soft water (filtered if your tap water is hard); 1 1/4 lb (560 g) best-quality silken or soft (kinugoshi) tofu; For the dipping sauce: 1/3 cup (80 ml) soy sauce, 1/3 cup (80 ml) dashi, 2 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sake; Condiments: 2 scallions very thinly sliced, 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger, grated zest of 1/2 yuzu (or lemon), shichimi togarashi, bonito flakes; Optional: a few shiitake mushrooms and a handful of mizuna or spinach

Photo: hiro kobashi, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons · source

Silky tofu warmed in kombu broth at the table, dipped in soy with scallion, ginger and yuzu.

Kyoto's soft water makes some of Japan's best tofu, and the temples around Nanzenji have served it simply, warmed in kelp broth, for centuries.

Where to eat it Cook it at home

Where to eat it: the best three in Kyoto

Okutan
Nanzenji
Order: The yudofu set with sesame tofu and vegetable tempura
Open for nearly 400 years in a garden by the temple; the oldest yudofu house in the city.
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Nanzenji Junsei
Nanzenji
Order: The yudofu course in the garden rooms
A former medical school turned tofu restaurant, with a large garden.
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Yudofu Sagano
Arashiyama
Order: The yudofu set after a walk in the bamboo grove
A calm dining room near the Arashiyama bamboo path.
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All three are on Chef Amazing’s list The best yudofu in Kyoto, which you can save and take with you.

Cook it at home: Yudofu (Kyoto hot-pot tofu)

Serves 2Time 40 min (30 for the kombu soak)

This is about the tofu itself, so buy the best you can find, ideally fresh from a tofu shop. The broth is just water and kombu; never let it boil, or the tofu goes spongy.

Pans and tools

Donabe clay pot or wide saucepan
Tabletop burner (optional)
Slotted spoon or small tofu ladle
Small heatproof cup

You’ll need

1 piece kombu, about 4 by 6 inches (10 by 15 cm)
5 cups (1.2 l) soft water (filtered if your tap water is hard)
1 1/4 lb (560 g) best-quality silken or soft (kinugoshi) tofu
For the dipping sauce: 1/3 cup (80 ml) soy sauce, 1/3 cup (80 ml) dashi, 2 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sake
Condiments: 2 scallions very thinly sliced, 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger, grated zest of 1/2 yuzu (or lemon), shichimi togarashi, bonito flakes
Optional: a few shiitake mushrooms and a handful of mizuna or spinach

Steps

Wipe the kombu lightly with a damp cloth; don't wash off the white powder, it's flavor. Put it in a clay pot or wide saucepan with the water and soak 30 minutes.
Make the dipping sauce: bring the sake and mirin to a boil in a small pan for 30 seconds to cook off the alcohol, add the soy and dashi, bring just to a simmer and turn off. Pour into a small cup that will sit warm in the pot.
Cut the tofu into 6 large cubes, about 2 inches (5 cm). Handle gently.
Set the pot over medium-low heat (on a tabletop burner if you have one). Heat until tiny bubbles form on the bottom, about 180F (82C). Do not boil.
Slide in the tofu and add the mushrooms if using. Warm gently 3 to 5 minutes, until the tofu just starts to sway and float a little; that's when it's ready. Add the greens for the last minute.
Set the cup of dipping sauce in the corner of the pot to keep it warm.
Lift a piece of tofu out with a slotted spoon into a small bowl, spoon a little sauce over, and add scallion, ginger, yuzu and a pinch of shichimi to taste. Eat it hot, piece by piece.

Chef’s tips

Japanese markets sell fresh kinugoshi tofu; it should be creamy and taste of soybeans.

Hard water makes tofu tough. Use bottled soft water if needed.

Finish the meal with a bowl of rice and the last of the sauce.

Contains: Soy, wheat, fish (bonito, dashi).

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