Kyoto Yuba Tofu: The Best Tofu You Will Ever Eat

While in Kyoto with my 3年生 teachers, we stopped at a well-known tofu restaurant to have their lunch course and it was divine. The only tofu I've ever eaten has come from the grocery store so to eat freshly made tofu from scratch was like taking a bite in heaven. Yuba tofu is literally the skin that forms on the surface as the liquid cooks and its taste is exquisite when done right. The pictures don't do the food justice at all, but I will attempt to explain them ^^ 

The start of the course

The only foods that I can name in this picture are the ebi (shrimp) and yuba tofu (the partially hidden yellow-ish food to the left of the shrimp)..sorry! 

Salmon sashimi and squid with wasabi on the side. The sashimi was incredibly fresh and tasty and the squid was chewy, yet easy to bite into :)

Sauce for the yuba tofu that would come later. 

Tiny fish that usually accompany a traditional breakfast as well. If I remember correctly, they were served with tsukemono

Yudofu!! Unlike regular tofu that you buy at grocery stores, yudofu has a smooth, creamy and custard-like texture. It's heavier than regular tofu yet has a clean and light flavor with a slight sweetness to it. 

Up next: tempura~ and it was one of the best I've ever had. The batter was lightly sprinkled with salt and was incredibly crunchy, yet light, giving the vegetables a subtle flavor to it. 

Freshly-made tofu with a miso paste on top. Think of it as a solidified version of miso soup :) 

The highlight of our lunch course was  making our own yuba tofu! Yuba tofu (or tofu skin) is skimmed off the surface of soy milk as it boils in a shallow pan. The soy milk was about an inch and a half deep and after letting it boil for a few minutes, a thin film began to form on the surface...

We used the bamboo skewer and and loosened the edges before lifting up our fresh yuba tofu...

and dipping it into the sauce!! It was exciting to skim off the yuba tofu and dip it into the sauce again and again :) 

Finished off the course with chawanmushi, an egg custard dish with a variety of ingredients cooked inside of the dish. Common ingredients include shiitake mushroom and kamaboko ^^