Tofuya Ukai

When I moved to Tokyo this summer, I resolved to eat through at least 20 Michelin stars within one year. I printed out a list of all of the Michelin-starred restaurants and started researching some of the ones that sounded good. How does a restaurant "sound good" just by the name? I don't know, it's a lot like choosing a book based on its cover. For example, an Italian restaurant by the name of Monnalisa was immediately noted with a "pass" because the name just sounds so cheesy for an Italian restaurant, whereas the name Tofuya Ukai immediately caught my eye because I suspected it might be a restaurant specializing in tofu, which it is. I put a star next to it, indicating it was one of the restaurants I wanted to garner a star from (along with Tapas Molecular Bar and Ryugin and a few others).

Maybe it was the Michelin star or maybe it's the picturesque location with Tokyo Tower in the backdrop of a beautiful, serene traditional-style building with a lush Japanese garden, but securing a reservation at Tofuya Ukai was the most difficult one I've encountered to date while living in Tokyo. Weekends get booked months in advance, as do dinners, so I had to settle for a lunch slot. The full menu is available at lunch, as are a few lunch-only options. We opted for one of the abbreviated lunch options since we had reservations at Tapas Molecular Bar that night.

The first impression is quite...well, impressive. After you walk through the garden, which makes you feel like you are in a small town or village rather than steps away from the chaos of central Tokyo, you are greeted by extremely polite female servers in traditional garb who escort you through the silent hallways to your private dining room, each of which has a gorgeous view of the garden.

However, like a book with a captivating cover but badly written story, Tofuya Ukai's cuisine was sadly disappointing. It wasn't bad, per se. Just...underwhelming. I love the tofu kaiseki at Ume no Hana, which was not on the 2009 Michelin list, so I (falsely) assumed that Tofuya Ukai would be even better. But I think Ume no Hana does a much better job of presenting a vast array of tofu-derived food items that dazzle and delight, while Tofuya Ukai leaves you slightly hungry and wanting (for more variety, more flavor, more...tofu - strangely, there weren't all that many tofu dishes in our tofu kaiseki). Afterward, I couldn't help thinking: "THAT was a Michelin-starred restaurant? The Michelin guide is SO losing its credibility."

I recently purchased the 2010 Michelin guide and discovered that Tofuya Ukai lost its star. So maybe the Michelin guide isn't completely un-credible.


Lotus root cake and simmered mushrooms in starch-thickened broth.


Deep fried tofu skin and tamago (sweet omelet roll)


A tiny (but beautifully presented) portion of sashimi


Quail meatball and yam in simmered broth. The quail meatball had some strange crunchy bits, which I couldn't help but wonder were bones or beak of quail. Shudder. Needless to say, I didn't finish the meatball.


Hassun - assortment of small dishes. Our hassun included rice cracker-batter fried shrimp, pickled turnip and salmon roe and tofu with peanut dressing


Fresh tofu in soymilk broth - this was my favorite of all the courses. The broth is savory and very satisfying.


Rice with salmon, pickles and miso soup. The salmon was severely overcooked and I refused to eat it - after one bite, I declared: a Michelin-rated restaurant should NOT overcook salmon (which even the most basic decent chef will not screw up)


Steamed sweet potato dessert with red bean paste - slightly bland and not very good


Private dining room with view of garden

Food rating: ** and a half
Bang for buck rating: *** (the scenery is gorgeous, at least!)

The essentials:
http://www.ukai.co.jp/shiba/
Location: at the foot of Tokyo Tower
Average price of meal for two (lunch): 13,000 yen (~$145)

Ume no Hana

When a fellow food-lover friend told me he'd be visiting Tokyo for exactly 48 hours, I asked what his priorities were: sightseeing? Karaoke? Clubbing? Sushi? Kaiseki? I was thrilled when he informed me that it was all about food for him, noting that if he wanted to learn about the culture, he could read about it on Wikipedia. Which left me with a blank slate to plan (my second favorite thing to do after eating). I asked if he liked tofu, and he responded: "I'm a good Chinese boy, of course I like tofu."

After calling Tofuya Ukai (a Michelin-starred tofu kaiseki restaurant) again and again and finally reaching a reservationist, I was told that they were completely booked for every single meal during the weekend for the next 4 weekends. But determined to try tofu kaiseki, I made a reservation at Ume no Hana in Aoyama/Gaien Mae.

The lunch kaiseki courses start at around 5000 yen (~$55) and consist of about 10 different tofu, yuba or wheat gluten based dishes. It's the perfect meal to take a vegetarian visitor, but I think tofu kaiseki is a terrific experience for omnivores as well - the meal is beautiful, served in a private tatami dining room and every course was delicious. We had just spent about $300 each at Ryugin, the much hyped two Michelin-starred modern Kaiseki restaurant, the night before, but I honestly thought that our tofu kaiseki meal at Ume no Hana was much better bang for buck.


Fresh tofu wrapped in yuba skin, cooked tableside and served with sesame-soy dipping sauce that you prepare to your taste


Milk/cream tofu with green sauce (looks so simple but was so delicious), yuba skin in broth, spinach gomae salad


Tiny sashimi, chawanmushi (egg custard with gingko nut, shitake and other little surprises - Ume no Hana's is one of the best chawanmushis I've ever had)


Fried gluten mochi and deep fried tofu tempura


Tofu gratin


At most kaiseki meals (and other meals in Japan), rice and soup is the penultimate course, right before dessert.


Soybean milk ice cream and azuki jelly

Food rating: ****
Bang for buck rating: 4

The essentials:
http://www.umenohana.co.jp/
Location: several, but I went to the one in Aoyama/Gaienmae located in Aoyama M's Tower
Average price for meal for two (lunch): 10,000 yen (~$110)