Review: Kyotofu

I am always the last to know--Kyotofu has been open since 2006, but I didn't hear about this place until late last year. Well, what can I say, I am a creature of habit, and hanging out in Hells Kitchen is not part of that habit! Although I should change that--there is some great stuff over that way, like the Pony Bar. Mmm, beer. (For a more low-brow but also fun experience, Rudy's is nearby with the bonus of free hot dogs. Actually this sounds like a better idea than it is, unless you like smelling like hot dogs for the rest of the night. But the drinks are cheap!)


Anyway, a couple of us met up there the other night for snacks and dessert. They had a nice selection of what I think of as maybe Japanese style tapas--you know, just small bites, and we got a sampler of everything, plus tofu dips. Apologies for the less than stellar photos--it's dark in there, and my hands are shaky. But above is our tray of snacks. My favorite things were the rice balls, the pigs in "duvets", and the sliders. I was not crazy about their cheese selection, but the little sesame cookie that came with the cheese was yummy! But really, the highlight here is the dessert, and we had three (we shared).


Warm chocolate mochi cake. This was good, but the mochi part of the dessert is a tiny ball in the bottom of the cake. I wish there had been more, because really I felt like this should have just been called "warm chocolate cake." I really liked the ice cream on this though.


Strawberry shortcake! This was my second favorite of the desserts, with cake cubes tossed with strawberries, cubes of strawberry jello (alcoholic!), and tofu cream. The sorbet on the side was also delicious.


And the sweet potato cake--my hands down favorite. It was drizzled with a bit of some kind of caramel sauce and came with a scoop of ice cream and a tuile. I love sweet potatoes, so this was right up my alley. Oh! And when you get your bill, they bring you some teeny, adorable chocolate cupcakes. Nice touch! On our way out, we stopped at the bakery (the restaurant is in the back and they have a bakery counter and some bar tables up front) and picked up a few things.


Macarons--black sesame in the front, chocolate with green tea, and green tea. I have to be honest--I was not crazy about these. The texture was off--macarons should be crisp and then soft. These were a bit hard.


Mini financiers in green tea and ginger spice. These were so good! They are really small (maybe an inch across) and totally addictive. And cute!


And finally, imagine my joy at being able to bring sweet potato cake home. They are mini-loaf sized which is perfect for breakfast with a good cup of tea. Must try to make sweet potato cake myself now. Maybe this weekend...

I'll definitely have to go back--we didn't try any of their signature tofu desserts (I know, and I call myself tofugirl? I am ashamed.) And I think next time I'll do the sake pairings with the desserts. Who wants to go?

Kyotofu
705 9th Ave (between 48th and 49th)
New York, NY 10019
212-974-6012