Saga Tofu Ine is a shop known for its specialisation in the Tofu cuisine and they serve Kaiseki sets dedicated to showcasing the versatility of Tofu. They have a few Kaiseki sets to choose from (and they do have an English menu!) with less or more components (or "courses"). I decided on the Arashiyama set (¥2180) which had nine components: Teoke (bucket), Stewed dish, Small ball, Steamed dish, Grilled dish, Rice, Soup, Pickles, and Dessert.
I almost didn't know where to start! There must have been a good amount of thought and consideration that went into the conceptualisation and preparation of this meal, which made me utter a small "いただきます", a tiny sentiment of thanks and appreciation that is left for the chef to receive through an unspoken contract between him and the customer.
Teoke: Tub dish of kumiage yuba (thick soy milk skin)
This was not as unfamiliar as some other parts of this meal was. Tofu skin 腐皮 is regularly used in Chinese cuisine as well. I usually like Tofu skin, but personally, this tasted a bit bland to me. The texture of the Tofu skin here is a lot silkier and smoother than regular commercial Tofu skin.
I can see though, how to somebody less familiar with Tofu, the different form and texture of Tofu presented here would be interesting.
Stewed dish: Homemade hirousu (fried tofu fritter). Deep fried tofu ball with simmered Japanese mustard spinach
This also didn't taste very unfamiliar. Imagine a denser taupok but in the shape of a ball and stuffed with some mushrooms inside. With the leafy vegetables, this is very similar to a regular Chinese stir-fry dish.
Small ball: Homemade Gomatofu (made from Sesame and Kudzu wine)
Gomatofu is one of the things in this meal that isn't made from tofu but tastes like tofu. This was a very confusing yet exciting experience for me as I kept hunting down the flavours in this small cube of "tofu". The flavours were very subtle, a distinct peanut-y, roasted aroma, and I had to consciously look for the flavours in my mouth in fear that the experience would be over too soon.
Rice dish: Yuba ankake don (soy milk skin and thickened white miso soup with rice)
The tofu skin here was so soft and silky and almost blended into the rice. However, I found I wasn't particularly fond of the thickened white miso sauce. White miso is a bit sweeter than regular miso, and the soup was too thick for my liking, it was almost like the rice was being preserved in white miso jelly.
(Top) Grilled dish: Namafu no dengaku. Grilled namafu (fresh, dried wheat gluten) in the two flavours of yomogi (mugwort) and sesame.
(Bottom) Pickles: Kyoto pickles
I did have to do a bit of research after this meal for this particular component. Namafu is a kind of wheat gluten that is used a lot in Kyoto Buddhist cuisine, and here it has been made into a mochi-like sweet. Dengaku refers to the sauce, usually a miso sauce, that is used with grilled foods.
I am ambivalent about how this tasted. The sauce was savoury, slightly salty and slightly sour. The bean paste flavour is strong, but it also reminded me a little of sour plum sauce. The combination of the chewy mochi-like texture and the sauce threw me off a little and I don't think I had enough time to let this grow on me.
Soup: White Miso Soup
(Not in this photo) Steamed dish: Tofu chawanmushi (steamed tofu and egg hotchpotch)
Dessert: Homemade authentic warabimochi (powdered rice cake).
Ine's Warabimochi is a specialty of Arashiyama, made with Japanese bracken starch in true kamaneri (cauldron-mixed) style.
This was undeniably my favourite part of the meal. I love tofu. But I loooooove warabimochi. Warabimochi is unlike other mochi because it isn't chewy. Good warabimochi just melts in your mouth, as if they were cubes of jelly that contained water. (Bad warabimochi requires some chewing still.)
This particular warabimochi was slightly sweet, as if it had consumed the kuromitsu sauce that usually accompanies warabimochi. The kinako was also lightly dusted and added a touch of roast-iness.
Reflections
Tastewise, I can't say this was the best meal of this trip. The nature of it being Tofu-based means the flavours were mostly bland and subtle, which was not what I was used to.
But this was definitely one of the most memorable meals of my trip. I would even venture to say that this meal was educational for me, and that's not something I find in every meal. The variety of ways Tofu was used in this meal was very interesting, and the work and thoughtfulness that went into the preparation of this meal touched me in a very different, spiritual way.
Perhaps this meal is not meant to be enjoyed in an extravagant fashion, but in a way, humbles the eater, and reminds one of life's simplest pleasures.
Value
This particular Kaiseki set was ¥2180/SGD28 which was also the most expensive one.
The cheapest set is ¥1720/SGD22.
It's fairly priced, and for the experience of a Tofu Kaiseki meal, very worth it.
LocationThis outlet is very near the bamboo forest and a short walk away from Arashiyama park.
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