Kyotofu

Saturday was nice and humid so we sat under umbrellas at a Mexican restaurant, eating tortilla chips and cooling ourselves with frozen drinks for several hours.  Margaritas can be nice and refreshing, but after a while we wanted something cool, sweet, and non-alcoholic so we headed to Kyotofu.  When I think of desserts, Asian cuisine absolutely never comes to mind so I was intrigued by an entire dessert bar and bakery devoted to Asian sweets.  I honestly did not think there were enough Japanese desserts to sustain an entire menu.

Pretty much all the desserts incorporate tofu and you would be surprised at how versatile the soy curd can be.  We were just doing take-out so our options were limited.  After viewing the full menu, I deem a second trip is in order so I can try some of the more intricate desserts and even some of the savory items like the chilled edamame soup.  The to-go menu was smaller but still offered enough variety for me to try several items.  I tried the vanilla sweet tofu with black sugar syrup and a mini macha green tea cupcake.  The cupcake was more like a muffin and by that I mean no icing and not overly sweet (the cake wasn't overly dense, either).  Considering I don't like icing or overly sweet desserts, this was right up my alley.  This and the chocolate souffle cupcake earned Kyotofu NY Mag's honor of Best Cupcake in 2007.  It may be healthier, but it's also just plain good.  The tofu was silky, not spongy, and the black sugar provides the sweetness.  It is almost like a far less intense honey broth.  Since it's not cavity sweet, it felt ok to indulge in the middle of the day.

If you're dealing with some dietary restrictions, this is a great place to keep in mind.  Many desserts (most, perhaps) are gluten free and some are vegan, too.  If you're looking for a very traditional dessert, Kyotofu probably won't satisfy you; however, they do have a nice selection of funkier sweets that will work for you whether you're craving chocolate or yuzu.