Kyotofu Fujino – rediscovering the taste of tofu in Kyoto

Kyotofu Fujino 京豆富 不二乃（JR京都伊勢丹店) is a restaurant specialising in tofu on the 11th floor of JR Kyoto Isetan department store. It is a large and popular store with direct access from the Kyoto Station the serves the JR railway lines that connect Kyoto to Osaka, Kansai Airport and other parts of Japan. Instead of the usual sushi, tempura or teppanyaki options, we decided to have an all tofu lunch at Kyotofu Fujino.

This was nearing the end of our trip to Kyoto and we had by then been introduced to the beauty of tofu in Japanese cuisine. We had experienced tofu in various forms, such as yuba as a topping for traditional noodles (see our post here). So far, tofu had been a supporting actor in various forms. We decided that it was time to have a full tofu meal.

Kyotofu Fujino is decorated in a simple no frills way that is typical of many Japanese restaurants. Service was prompt and courteous. As the Isetan store at Kyoto Station is frequented by many foreign visitors, this is a very foreigner friendly store. Basic English was spoken and an English menu was available. But the Japanese version had pictures and was therefore more user friendly – we ordered by pointing at various items.

Kyotofu Fujino Menu (Isetan Kyoto)

Here are pictures of some pages from the Kyotofu Fujino menu.

Cups of tea and soymilk were served at the start of the meal.

This is a composite picture of what our lunch at tofu restaurant, Kyotofu Fujino. We were impressed by the various forms that the humble tofu can take.

The grilled skewers of chewy gluten with different flavours of miso paste was an interesting start to the meal.

Simple tofu and soy sauce never tasted better.

Next was the agedashi tofu – deep-fried tofu served in a broth. The broth and the crispy skin of these cubes of tofu made it especially delicious.

We had a paper ‘pot’ of simmered tofu. This was another very delicately flavoured tofu dish. The pieces of yuba (made from the thin film that forms on the top of soymilk) were the best part – slightly chewy and with a complex tofu taste. The other pieces of tofu were soft and creamy in texture. A specially prepared soy sauce dip with bits of seaweed and scallion was available for dipping the tofu. The simplicity and purity of the tofu dishes were memorable.

The total cost of our tofu meal at Kyotofu Fujino was 3,240 Yen. Having discovered the beauty of tofu, a full tofu meal is now a to-do item on future visits to Kyoto.

Ratings:
Food: 5
Service: 3
Value: 4
Atmosphere: 3
Overall Rating: 4 TOPs

Kyotofu Fujino (Isetan JR Kyoto)
京豆富 不二乃（JR京都伊勢丹店)

京都市下京区烏丸通塩小路下る東塩小路町　ジェイアール京都伊勢丹11階
Higashi Shiokoji-cho, Shiokoji Sagaru, Karasuma-dori, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8555
Located on the 11th floor of JR Kyoto Isetan Department Stores

Hours: 11am-10pm (Subject to JR Kyoto Isetan’s store hours and holidays).

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