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50th St-8th Ave (C, E)
50th St-Broadway (1)
49th St-7th Ave (N, R, W)
Tue-Wed. 12:00 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.
Thu-Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 a.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.
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Please do keep in mind that the 4 star is just for the dessert. For the food, it is about 2.5. The portions are way too small and I feel like they are trying to be too cute with food. But for desserts? Their dessert is certainly different from your normal fare but delicious just the same.
I really like their desserts, especially the black sesame tofu and sweet potato cake. They also have a good selection of sake, for those who are alcoholly inclined. They offer the basic selection of coffees and teas as well as several Japanese drinks.
The place looks really small if you look at the place from the outside (just a few bar stools and bar) but if you go in, there is another room that can sit a good number of people. I think I remember seeing about 5-6 tables on each side. Modern interior with bright lights.
This is an absolutely lovely blink-and-you-will-miss-it type of place. I had a work function here in the back room. The front of the place is tiny, but the back room was perfect for a group of around 30 people. There is seating around the perimeter and a nice open space to mingle.
I loved the menu. Servers offered a variety of drinks and savory and sweet appetizers. The drinks ranged from bellinis to sake. The standout dishes were mushroom pastry, miso cod, and salmon rolls. The food was substantial enough to be dinner and the desserts were great.
If you need a place for a private mid-sized party, I would give this place a try. Ask for Atsuko. She sets up private events there.
New York City's best cupcake?
That is quite a BOLD statement to come out of a tofu-based dessert shop in the middle of Hell's Kitchen. I dared them to test my taste buds and prove that it was the best cupcake in Manhattan.
The damn cupcake wasn't even a cupcake, but a warm chocolate soufflé in the shape of a cupcake. Either way, the cupcake/soufflé was light on the tongue, but rich in its chocolate flavor. It came with a side of pumpkin & chocolate swirl frozen yogurt (ya know I was all up on that) and a tiny dish of sliced strawberries.
Sorry my friends, it was not the best cupcake I've ever had, but it satisfied my chocolate cravings in a heartbeat.
Despite the false advertisement, the whole experience was special, in a Japanese-high-school-uniform-wearing-couple-love-s tory-when-the boy-takes-countless-photos-of-his-girlfriend kind of way. Let's pretend her name is Yuki. This actually did happen in the table across the room from me, sans uniforms.
Yuki is looking at the menu. *click*
Yuki is twirling the curls in her hair as she waits for the server to take her order *click*
Yuki smiles longingly at her boyfriend, but in her mind she's thinking about the pile of dirty laundry she forgot to put in the washer *click*
Yuki squeals at the sight of her Tofu dessert. *click*
Yuki eats the whole thing in front of him. She thinks it's selfish to eat the entire thing alone so she offers him a spoonful. *click*
Japanese soft ballad covers of Guns N Roses and Bob Marley lingered in the background. Slightly confusing, but then again, it felt like being in a sci-fi movie inside. The ambiance was also calm and relaxing, making it a great escape from all the hustle & bustle. The clean modern décor lent a cool feel to this dessert haven. I will be back to try the other tofu-based desserts.
That's a pretty bold statement, New York City's best cupcake. I'm on NYC cupcake patrol and I'll be the judge. There are cupcake qualifications that need to pass MY test like size, taste and more importantly price. A $4 cupcake that is teeny is getting low points from me. That's where Kyotofu falls, somewhere in the middle.
I walk in about 3:00 on Thursday to an empty store. I start to kid the counter person about the "free" cupcakes that I missed. She's not feeling my vibe. No biggie, I order a cappuccino and a Chocolate Souffle cupcake.
The presentation was so elegant, I was really impressed.
My order was placed on a, I'm guessing a banana leaf? I feel like I'm on my honeymoon again with this presentation.
The coffee was pretty good, no issues here so far so good. The cupcake has a dollop of ice cream on top, this is really raising my cupcake meters.
The reason for the 4 star review is the price. It was expensive for a coffee and dessert. I also ordered a (4) sample pack to take home to my wife and the cupcakes were small. Go to Amy's across the street to compare cupcake sizes..
I'll have to try Kyotofu again, maybe for lunch?
Stay tuned!
Free desserts? Well, yes I'm there. Kyotofu was giving out free sampler dessert bags, as I discovered on a few blogs I follow. [dork] Having nothing better to do, I trekked up to 9th ave that day, and was smitten by this small, modern spot. As I was waiting to get my sampler (you didn't have to buy anything to try it), all the little desserts on displace were so cutesy. The lady in front of me and I started talking, and she swore the soy pumpkin soft serve was so good. Well, so I had to ask for a sample, and the sweet lady running the place obliged.
Woo! Wow, for a non-dairy soft serve, it was so creamy and delicious. So, I had to get a bowl. $3.85 for a small + 1 topping... Matcha isn't a flavor I had tried before, but the matcha mochi was intriguing, so I went with it. (They also had fruit, granola, a few other options. More limited than your run of the mill Red Mango.) The matcha mochi was a bit herby on it's own, but with the pumpkin soft serve, it oddly worked. And the ice cream was delicious. The sampler was good too. Ooooh man the chocolately baby cupcake things? Yum! The pumpkin and chestnut cupcakes were yummy, and the little baby green tea cake/cookie was pretty good too. I'm not in that neighborhood often, but when I am, I'm sure I'll find my way back to Kyotofu.
The food here was tasty but the portions were so small and it was slightly expensive. I came here with my friend and he's a big guy (6'0", athletic, etc.) and we probably would have had to order 2 orders of every single dish on the menu to fill him up.
I think this is more of a good place to go with a group of girls to just share desserts together.
I told my roommate I was going to "wander" the streets, but my real intention was to make a stop at Kyotofu for their macarons.
I asked the girl working at the front what kind of macarons they had. She informed me it was green tea with ginger filling, black sesame, and chocolate for the day. After a lengthy miscommunication, (something to do with my stuttering and forgetting what flavors she just said), I ordered a green tea and chocolate to go, $1.35 each before tax.
After I let them warm up to room temperature at home, I bit into the green tea one, which had a nice texture - pleasantly chewy. On the other hand, the ginger syrup-y filling was way too sweet for me. Next! Chocolate one was tougher than the first; there was resistance when I tried to take a bite. I noticed there was a slight bitter taste, which could've been from the chocolate ganache filling, but more like the meringue had been burnt, leaving a bitter aftertaste.
The macarons aren't comparable to other places in the city, which is kind of expected since Kyotofu's known for it's Japanese influenced food and miso cake rather than macarons. I tried the mini pack of 4 cupcake things too, total meh and not worth the $4. For macarons, I'll stick to le Francais.
I loved the food here, I really did, but I'm having a really hard time giving this restaurant a better review because of the absurd price tag and the puny portions. I came here for the special prefix menu on their third anniversary, and despite the $25 price tag, I was hungry enough at the end to eat a second dinner. The sake was also expensive by expensive sake bar standards.
On average the food was pretty good. The unagi, the croquet, the red snapper sushi, and the scallops in the prefix meal were all fantastic, but the slider felt really out of place (although, I would say it was an above average slider) and I really didn't care for the cold green beans at all. Now as for the dessert... Wow, the dessert was phenomenal. Not only was my dessert phenomenal but it seemed like every dessert everyone in my party got was phenomenal. I personally had the sweet tofu and although I've had sweet tofu many times in my life as part of Chinese dim sum, I've never had it like this. There was some subtle difference that just made it so delicious. If you've never had sweet tofu or if you hate sweet tofu or even if you hate tofu in general, something tells me that you will still love this dessert.
Given how expensive this place is and how tiny the dinner portions are, I cannot recommend this place as a good dinner sport, but I can *definitely* vouch for this restaurant as a fantastic dessert spot.
You know how some people/men/women/gf/bf help you on your path to self discovery, and you (hopefully) become a better person thanks to that person? Well, thanks to kyotofu, I have discovered my love for sesame.
I mean, I've always had the stuff...little black/white grains that were suppose to help my intelligence..the syrup-y goo like filling in my chinese tong yuans.....but kyotofu took it to another level.
The greentea cheese cake was flavorful and not at all heavy, but really, it doesn't warrant a 4 star review without the intense sesame flavor from the ice cream. Oh sesame. My friend had the chocolate cake with mochi, and I thought it tasted wonderful, especially with the mochi in the cake adding a very unique texture to the cake.
The path to self discovery continues, and I shall become a better person after I return and try the sesame tofu dessert.
To top things off, this will be my 100th review and I've chose Kyotofu to be my number 100 because...
I came here a couple of times and I still love coming here. When I was coming here I almost missed it because the shop front looks so ordinary, but when you walk to the back it's like "wow this is really cutesy". I find this spot to be a cute little place for a date after dinner.
The passion fruit tofu cheesecake was really good, but it is a little tarty (yep that's passion fruit for you). The housemade sorbets were a delicious! I have a thing for black sesame in general and I love sweet tofu, but when black sesame meets sweet tofu, it is like the best thing ever! From the bakery the mini choko brownies are really moist from the bite and when you open your mouth all the chocolate is stuck to the roof of your mouth. However every time I come here I love getting the raspberry lychee anmitsu! Something about the agar that I really like. Too bad this one is only on the summer menu. It would be awesome if this wasn't on the summer menu only.
I happed upon this spot again over Labor Day and while my desert was on spot the service was sorely lacking and the chairs were 10 minute chairs. We set upfront and they have these little stools that you must balance on that are not very comfortable for more than 10 minutes.
Had the dessert sampler and it was tasty, but the service was a downer.
We were lucky enough to hap upon this delightful dessert spot late one evening. The desserts were… Read more »
Good, but not great. Very cute interior, beautifully presented desserts, but nothing hit it out of the park for me.
I debated getting their signature sweet tofu dessert, but then realized it was very similar to the Chinese tofu dessert you can get at dim sum in Chinatown. We had the warm mochi chocolate cake with ice cream. Though nice, rich, and warm, it was essentially just a flourless chocolate cake with a tiny football-shaped scoop of ice cream on top. My passion fruit tofu cheesecake was more interesting - very light, slightly tart, and served with nice crunchy coconut crumbles and some tart sorbet.
We ordered 3 of their signature chocolate souffle cupcakes to take home. They were cupcakes only in the sense that they were the same size. No icing, just chocolate cake. To be fair, it was pretty good chocolate cake, but I think calling it a cupcake is slightly misleading. You don't microwave a cupcake for 20 seconds before eating it, the same way you do Kyotofu's.
Surprisingly, I enjoyed this type of Japanese desserts more than the ones at Cha-An. Kyotofu desserts are more gelatinous.
We got the black sesame dessert with the passionfruit greentea cheesecake.
I enjoyed walking past the kitchen before going into the seating area. At the end of our dessert excursion, we were given three tiny bites of green tea sponge cake type of dessert with our bill.
Would love to see my creative variety in the future. I asked the hostess and it looks like they might venture to San Francisco.
Vistiting NYC, kyotofu is a hidden hip chic place along the street tucked away with no sign (of course). We felt it was probably a more local hang-out than a tourist place due to the no-sign, mostly Asians filled the room, and they seemed rather comfortable and familiar w/the place. The only thing close to the tourist-y feel was the prices (pretty expensive - especially the drinks but what can ya expect?)
We were seated after a few mins of waiting - which was surprising b/c the place is pretty tiny. It had a mini small bar in the front and the back was a medium sized room with booths lining the walls, tables, and across was chairs. It could have easily been someone's large-sized studio. Nobody seemed to mind being cramped. It was pretty loud with modern music and very dim with low sexy lighting.
Boyfriend ordered a few Japanese beers while I ordered a Kyoto Bellini - white peach, rice shochu, champagne. Delish. We also ordered a bottle of sparkling sake - Hana Hou Hou Shu (rose), Okayama which is the rose of sparkling sakes, with hibiscus petals and rose hip. We didn't know too much about sake so this was what our server recommended. It was sparkling - like champagne and definitely a LOT better tasting than regular sake which can be strong and bitter for me. We downed the whole bottle in 4-5 shot sized cups.
We ordered the otsumami sampler - 4 plates at $4 each. You can choose 4,6, or 8. We chose Japanese curry puffs / housemade curry wrapped in a savory crust ,chicken & tofu sliders / teriyaki grilled with shiso in a brioche bun, side of lotus root chips, pigs in a duvet / berkshire pork sausage wrapped in puff pastry with spicy mustard, barbequed unagi / japanese sea eel wrapped in phyllo dough with sansho pepper
Each dish is tiny - i'm saying 1.5 bites and those are "my petite" bites and not my boyfriend's bite. The curry puffs were very fluffy, crispy, and flavorful. The crush was very buttery and savory. The chicken and tofu sliders were surprisingly yummy with their lotus root chips (very similar to terra chips) but nothing special. The pigs in a duvet were also tasty and not too spicy with the mustard but definitely had a slight kick. The barbecued unagi was veryyy interesting. The phyllo dough wrapped around it gave it a nice crunch crisp which went well with the eel and the pepper was surprising since I'm so used to eel over rice (donburi) or regular sushi. Overall, good choices.
For dessert, we went with the Chef's pre-fixed tasting menu of 3 courses for $17 (this was a great deal!!) For the first course, we got signature sweet tofu / white sesame tuile, kuromitsu black sugar syrup, dried apricot. OMG - I loved this dessert. I love tofu but usually wouldn't see it as a "dessert." The white tofu was very simple, fresh, and just enough firmness to be considered tofu and not flan but not too custard-y. The black sugar syrup with it was perfect - not too sweet and but enough that kept you going at the dish again to grab another bite. I vaguely remember the dried apricot but it was also very dark so maybe it was bits of it in there?
Second course which was 3 courses in itself!: The dessert on the left: rhubarb-strawberry cobbler / tofu biscuit, shiso mint ice cream. Boyfriend loved the rhubarb cobbler along with the tofu biscuit. I love the crumbled tofu biscuit that made everything more chewy and crumbly but not crunchy. It was not too sweet and fresh but I can't remember much else.... I remember loving the shiso mint ice cream - subtle and not too strong. This was the most filling of the desserts probably.
The one in the middle: warm miso chocolate cake / valrhona chocolate soybean ganache, green tea cream. Very warm, chocolate oozed goodness. Again, not too strong on the flavors here and not too sweet. The green tea ice cream was fantastic - enough green tea so it was not bitter but enough so I could *tell* it was green tea. Matched flavors very well with the chocolate. I'm not the biggest fan of chocolate but it was a small enough portion that I could throughly enjoy it all.
The last one: passion fruit tofu cheesecake / coconut sorbet, yamamomo peach. Again, loved this one! I love anything passion fruit and this was paired with tofu and cheesecake!? The cheesecake was not the regular gross kind that you can get at the super market but less dense and less...cheesy? Very light. The passion fruit was like a jello but a little more firm and was very smooth. Definitely the most "light and fresh fruity" dessert of the night.
Third course: Pairing of ice creams - The chocolate and ginger ice cream. Great subtle flavors - if it had too much ginger, it would have been very rich.
Overall , good presentation. It was pretty much about the presentation - quite beautiful & modern. It's a tease in flavors - subtle and gentle. You will not get rich dark chocolates that one bite is enough to enough to have you reeling but you want MORE bites. Service was great - very attentive & didn't rush or upsell.
Never disappointed with the Black Sesame Sweet Tofu!
Unfortunately, that's the only dish sweet or savory that is consistently good and well rounded.
But each time I step in for my black sesame fix, I always try the latest creation which, though may not be entirely perfect, at least they're creative.
Ok, I'm going to preface this review by stating that I only tried their mini-cupcakes. The interior looked chic and clean, but I didn't really stick around for any of that.
I don't know, I mean, I kind of get the allure of the place...tofu based desserts. Yay. I know.
But, that aside, there really wasn't anything special about it. I mean, you eat the cupcake, and it tasted..alright. If no one told you there was tofu in there, I think you would walk away completely unimpressed with the general quality. Someone tells you there's tofu, and immediately we're supposed to prance around.
I don't know, maybe I just feel a bit hosed for having spent $4 bucks for essentially 4 bites. Perhaps I'll change my review later once I've tried other desserts later.
Kyotofu was forgettable the first time. I went back with an open mind and l am still boggled to all the hype that surrounds it.
My first meal was during lunch. It was some type of sandwich served with salad and lotus root chips. Take home dessert was a green tea cupcake. The cupcake was light, fluffy, and bland.
My second experience was dinner for Fashion Week. Kyotofu is offering three prix fixe menus (all in the $20 range) with each level offering an extra dish: five basics, add ceviche and then add ceviche and unagi. I chose the Harujuku menu which consisted of spicy meatball tsukune, curried arancini, a chicken & tofu slider, bean salad, pigs in a duvet, and dessert of choice. I felt that the food design was too prim and proper to be called Harujuku. Taste alone didn't even have edge.
I got my plate and it was beautiful. Was this how models ate? I stared at my food and stared well. If you blinked, you might have missed it. It's not just the French who serve tiny food. I think Kyotofu takes it to a whole new level. The meatballs were the size of my pinky fingernail. They were tasty but small. I got one arancini and one slider. The pigs in a duvet were lil smokies wrapped in puff pastry served with spicy mustard. I hate mustard but I loved this pairing. I did enjoy everything on my plate and I actually got quite full. The arancini was my favorite and I used the bean salad as palate cleanser between each dish. After a few bites, I was ready to move on with the show. Dessert please!
I chose the black sesame tofu and it instantly reminded me of the weird space I was in. The thing was from another planet. I had to smell it and study it. I probed it and it didn't jiggle. It barely moved. The thing was solid and a bit strange. I was never a fan of dessert tofu and the tofu at Kyotofu is definitely an aquired taste IMO. The tofu needed to be drowned in the green tea syrup. I thought the green tea syrup was thinned out honey. I am so un-gourmet. I just don't understand Kyotofu. I don't understand their food concept and I don't understand the awesomeness of their dessert. There must have been a spell in their tofu because I left with their "award winning" chocolate souffle cupcake and two macarons.
Aside from the food, I must add that the service is cold. I was told sternly that I had to choose a dessert after I expressed confusion because I was given two dessert menus. Service is also slow considering there are not many tables full of people. In fact, the place only sits about 12 on each side. I just don't get it. I find nothing award winning about their souffle cupcake and the macarons are pretty sweet in a non cute and delicious way. I just don't get it. Three stars for staging delights and bite size classics. Two stars for everything else. You're not missing anything if you don't go here. My advice: make the best out of a mediocre situation.
I've enjoyed Kyotofu for brunch, lunch, and tea (and by lunch I mean tea and dessert), mainly with ladyfriends. While I'd be happy to go here for anything with anyone, this little shop definitely has some more appeal for the ladies than the gents. It is cuteness overload. The food even TASTES cute.
Everything I've had here has been really good, although I'm going to have to endorse the miso chocolate cake in both its normal and baby forms over the advertised chocolate souffle cupcake that won city's best during the height of the new york cupcake craze. The miso chocolate cake might be one of the best chocolate-cakey-brownie-things I've ever had, especially with that green creamy stuff it gets served with. Rich, chocolatey, just sweet enough without being sugar overkill.
I also love to get the "chocolate lovers assortment" (you get 4 different types of treats in a mixture of chocolate, green tea, and red been flavors, and at only $6 its enough to share with a friend, making it a really great deal).
The savories are good, but it is true that they come in little portions looking small and adorable like everything else. However, I've found that despite the small appearance of the food, the content usually has enough solidity to make it just the right portion.
I highly recommend Kyotofu if you've got a sweet tooth and have always longed to find a real dessert that would go well at the end of a sushi dinner.
A chic little place, with a huge TOFULICIOUS experience. Great for chicks! very girly and purty desserts. If you've never had or thought about Tofu as dessert, give it a try, everything is so yummy and delicately put, you won't even know it's tofu. Grab some girlfriends, grab a light bite, get some girly drinks and sweeten the chit chat with delicious tofu desserts!
For more reviews visit my blog.
Oh if it weren't for my allergies to soy I would eat this forever.
Met up with my very awesome friend, and fellow yelper Ben Y. and his girlfriend at this very popular spot. Kyotofu is cute and cozy, located right on the street, and kind of easy to miss if you don't carefully look where you are going.
We waited for about 20 minutes, but it was worth it. I got the suggestion of ordering black sesame tofu, which was simply amazing....until I felt my throat start to have that fun burning sensation. Me, being stupid tried eating all of it because it was so refreshing and light. The consistency reminds me of almond jello, and as I mentioned, very easy to eat a lot in one sitting.
Needless to say I would go back again next time I'm in the city - but will probably try to limit my intake on the tofu. :(
OMG OMG OMG - I AM IN LOVE!
I figured I could run an extra mile at the gym the following morning, and decided to treat myself to dessert. BEST IDEA EVER!
With an open mind, we ordered the kaiseki dessert tasting. The first course was a wonderfully surprising sweet tofu cup (my third favorite). The texture was light and velvety and fluffy with just the right degree of sweetness. The second course consisted of three delicious treats: a green tea/ginger/honey macaroon, chocolate cake with green tea cream (a close fourth), and another tangy berry tofu bite (second fav).
The green tea macaroon just might be the BEST DESSERT I"VE EVER HAD (obv. the winner of the night). The explosion of flavor in that little cookie was unreal. I promise to be back to try the other two macaroon varieties...
The final course was a chocolate and mint swirl soft serve. A refreshing cap to a wonderful experience.
In addition to all the sweets, we ordered the modern sake flight. My fav of the three was the sparkling sake - though I admit I am a bit biased as I love bubbly.
Plating like the decor was crisp and clean.
I plan on hitting the gym hard this week so I can induge again soon!!
We wanted to get dessert after dinner, and Hot on Yelp led us to Kyotofu. It was OK. We were glad we tried it, but it's doubtful we'd go back.
We decided to get the black sesame sweet tofu as well as the raspberry lychee anmitsu. The black sesame sweet tofu made the trip worth it for me, as I really liked it. I love black sesame Chinese desserts, so having this flavor in sweet tofu was awesome. It was more pudding-like in texture, as opposed to solid blocks, which is what we were expecting. Nonetheless, it was still good. Also, the consistency was a bit inconsistent (if that makes sense . . . some parts were runnier than others).
The raspberry lychee anmitsu was kind of strange. It was agar jello squares and small mochi balls, and neither the raspberry nor lychee flavoring was particularly strong in the agar. Not that enjoyable. We'd actually wanted the strawberry rhubarb cobbler, but alas, they were out by the time we arrived.
The check came with two small complimentary cupcakes, which were not very good. Much too dry.
Our server also was new, because he didn't know too much about the desserts and another server had to explain to us what the anmitsu was.
The decor inside is cute and intimate, though the space is really small. There's also a less formal cafe seating area in front. Some people were getting dinner food next to us, and I was curious about that food.
Dropped by for dessert the only night--I got three mini chestnut cupcakes and the Boy got a sampler of macarons (I believe he got six different flavors). The chestnut cupcakes were really tasty, but the woman behind the counter accidentally gave me two chestnut cupcakes and one pumpkin. Well, with the recent spate of pumpkin-flavored food items, I've been feeling all pumpkined out and wasn't too pleased to find that I only had two little chestnut bites to enjoy. The Boy's macarons were far too sweet and all tasted the same, other than the black sesame. All in all, we were underwhelmed and are not planning to return.
This place tries to be cute. I like cute. But only on girls. I mean, girl.
Actual contents are skimped in favor of aesthetics. I understand that I'm reviewing a foodie establishment, but since when did people deem it okay to pay more for looks than for substance?
I mean, everything actually tastes really clean and subtle sweet but I don't want clean and I disagree with subtle! I want rich and saturated. Dark chocolate and creamy vanilla. The sweetest of sorbets and pastries. I want to get a paper cut from a Golden Ticket and get smacked upside the head with Willy Wonka's pimp cane. But I came here and all I got was an Oompa Loompa.
I'm complaining. I know. I wanted to two-star this place but I gave it a third just because the mix of flavors they present is actually interesting. We had the kyotofu dessert KAISEKE prix-fixe ($17) which is pretty much a dessert flight. You get a smaller (don't know how they pulled this off) sampling of signature sweet tofu followed by a rhubarb strawberry cobbler, passion fruit tofu cheesecake, and a warm miso chocolate cake. To end the journey, our arrival brought us their homemade sorbets of chocolate and ginger vanilla (flavors change daily).
My girl liked it, I liked it ok, and the ambiance was pretty sweet except it can get cramped and next thing you know you're pretty much conversing with strangers because you're so damn close to each other. I'd come again but only to bring friends from out of town who might enjoy such a minimalist experience. However, I'm McFatty McFat Snacks so I don't think I'd come of my own accord again.
I think it is about time I wrote a review for Kytotofu - after all, I know their veggie menu like the back of my hand.
I've done everything here from lazy brunches to hurried cupcake gobbling past midnight. I think the menu is kind of a mixed bag, and if you pick the right things you'll be wowed.
-My favourite things on the menu are the warm chocolate cake. I like how they change the accompiments - It used to be miso, now it's mochi, and they both give an interesting Japanese twist to the classic taste of warm, brown, molten, MmmmM.
-Among all their tofus, I loved the jasmine one the best - It's smooth, silky, fragrant and light as a feather. But hey, they took it off the menu. What! Bring it back, please.
-The cupcakes, which apparently won some high brow awards are merely average in my opinion. They're lighter and less sweet than most cupcakes but they leave a strange taste in my mouth.
-From the brunch menu, I like the Brioche french toast a lot - the shochu coffee syrup is a wonderful touch to the dish. The chef once made the Omakase platter vegetarian for me and it left me deeply unsatisfied - it was 10 parts rice and 1 part pickle. No can do.
-If you come here for dessert, definitely try the wine pairings -The wines are pretty delicious and delicate, just like everything else at Kyotofu.
This place is GREAT! My sis and I were in NY for a couple days and I was looking for a neat place to eat on Yelp and I'm glad I picked this place.
They had a Fashion Week menu, which had a few of their items as a course and also dessert. Everything I had was delicious and the presentation was also beautiful. The servers were also very nice! We told them we had to be leave by 7:30 and they obliged; at 7:25 our bellies were content and our check was on the table.
The half price sake sunday was fantastic too :)
For dessert I had the signature sweet tofu and my sis the black sesame sweet tofu, they were both great, but be warned: the black sesame one had a very strange consistency. We weren't bothered by it though, just amused. They were both delish.
If I ever go back to NYC, I'll definately stop by here.
Prix fixe dessert menu, signature sweet tofu in chocolate sauce, the passionfruit cheesecake mini-tower, chocolate mochi cake, rhubard pastry, combo ice cream.
sweet tofu: second best
the passionfruit cheesecake: the best item
chocolate mochi cake: decent
rhubab: wasn't in the mood for tartness, but decent
combo ice cream: always an ice cream fan
Expensive for what it is, the novelty of tofu escapes me as these desserts are similar to a good HK dessert cafe.
The main photo is deceiving, the place is tiny.
I love Japanese desserts. Not too sweet and super cute presentation. And this is what Kyotofu is all about. If you're looking for super sugary, rich desserts, this place is not for you! I stopped by for a mid-afternoon snack and couldn't resist ordering the omakase 5-course kaiseki dessert. I might as well try what the chef recommends right? And a good choice that was!
signature sweet tofu w/kuromitsu black sugar syrup - yum yum yum! i'm not even a fan of kuromitsu usually but this was very delicious. the soft sweet tofu was excellent.
warm miso chocolate cake - probably the least interesting. simple, good chocolate cake with green tea cream on top
rhubarb-strawberry cobbler - rhubarb must be in season and i'm loving it! the warm cobbler mixed with the tart and sweetness of the strawberry and rhubarb. excellent combination!
sweet potato tofu cheesecake - i love cheesecake, and this was definitely a top contender
black sesame macarons - oh i wish i could eat macarons all day. a little dryer than I prefer, but still very good.
We also had a pot of tangerine green tea, which I highly recommend! Very delicate flavors and a great compliment to the dessert. The staff was super nice and friendly and it was a great way to spend the afternoon. The place is pretty small though, so don't expect to walk in with a big crowd. Next time I'll have to try all their cookies and other take-home baked goods!
This is probably the best Lava-cake like dessert I've ever had. I decided to go after reading about it on the New yorks best cupcake by NY mag and was not disappointed at all!. Best out all the high end restaurants and their desserts when it comes to the warm chocolate richness. Though the dessert is small..it is enough. Its an amazing 3-4 bites and reminds me of a rich, light, and souffle-like. I haven't had the food there yet but will definitely go at some point and grab another cupcake.
List: Sweeties
http://www.yelp.com/li...
Does the scene look familiar to anyone? The contemporary look of this Japanese dessert spot is from none other than Hiro Tsuruta, the very same interior designer for the ever so popular dessert bar, ChikaLicious. White walls, large, glass windows, and a very clean feel. Fusing Eastern and Western flavors, Chef Ritsuko Yamaguchi presents a delicate touch of artistic dessert excellence.
Offering food for $10 and below and dessert items for as much as $17, this boutique cafe brings you the elegant feel of relaxation. Oh, and in case you didn't quite catch it, this place specializes in turning your dinner tofu into a sweet mix of flavors.
The dessert chef prepares an array of artisan dessert as well as some more conventional items such as soft serves. A great spectrum of food items from burgers to classy dessert.
The decor - unpretentious and inviting. The food - surprising and fun. The service... hm... Well I'll just say this, when ordering food you might ask the waitress to recommend a sake. She will recommend a bottle and bring it over the the table. The sake tastes delicious, slightly fruity but very clean. Then at the end of your meal you might get a bill where you'll see that the recommended bottle of sake is $84. Ouch.
I realize its my own mistake for not checking the price before ordering, but a little warning might have been helpful.
I think I will still go back to Kyotofu since the food was so original and impressive. But I will be much more careful when placing my order.
We took a day trip to NYC and happened to run into Kyotofu. Although they server food as well, we were only interested in desserts and coffee that night. This restaurant reminded me of Iron Chef where the chefs compete by making several dishes using the "selected" ingredient of the day.
Kyotofu uses Tofu as their ingredient in all their desserts. We went with a few people so were able to try everything on their dessert menu :-) and were not disappointed with any of them.
The place is trendy looking and also serves great coffee and tea.
::Takes a deep breath in::
I didn't love Kyotofu.
There. I'd been afraid to say it.
::Exhales::
I've heard good things. So I stopped in late on a Sunday night at 11p.
Turns out that they're open until 12:30a or 1a+ during busy days! 50% off sake late-nights on Sunday, apparently.
They have macaroons now. Apparently they didn't earlier last year. A little dry.
Signature sweet tofu dessert -- much like a sweeter version of dofufa that you can get in Chinatown. Comes with a brown sugar caramel.
The amitofu (raspberry & lychee agar w/ small mochi balls) was more delicious. Great textures (small squares of agar with chewy balls), and not quite as cool as I'd expect.
They topped off with four small green tea muffins. Dry, though...
Will have to try more later when I don't drive.
This place serves very cute desserts that are garnished nicely. I went there with 2 other friends and the 3 of us ordered a trio dessert which surprisingly satisfied us for $17 along with a bottle of Sake for $35. I forgot what the name of the dessert was, but it's the first item on the menu. The dessert we ordered is served as 3 different dessert entrees in small portions with the use of tiny wooden spoons...
You can actually see the bakers through a glass window preparing the desserts near the entrance way.
We actually went there because my friend was visiting New York so it was a perfect place to socialize and catch up.
This is a good place for a couple or a group of 3. Any more than that you will be expecting to wait. We waited for about 20 minutes to be seated on a Thursday night and there was only 3 of us. We ended up sitting at the bar just to avoid waiting any more longer.
I take it all back. Kyotofu, you rock! Perhaps I'm just a little high off that black sesame ice cream I just had! Topped with a Japanese black sugar whipped cream AND weird little matcha jelly things, it was definitely peculiar, but also addictive. I want another
It's a lot tastier than it sounds, I promise. Go try it while the weather is still at prime ice-cream-consuming temperatures! That means right now!
PS For the lactose-intolerant and soy aficionados among you, this ice cream is soy-based. For the soy-averse and indifferent among you, it won't taste funky at all, it's just really really good. The ice cream comes in chocolate flavor too, but it's more standard-tasting, not distinctive like the black sesame.
As a bakery, Kyotofu doesn't stand out for its goods. The matcha cupcake tasted ok, but w/o green… Read more »
For my lucky 77th review on yelp, I will have to pick Kyotofu. I am from Kyoto myself, so anything/place with the name "Kyoto" on it will gain extra attention from me. Moreover, Kyoto is famous for having the best tofu in Japan. I just had to check this place out if Kyotofu didn't disgrace Kyoto's name with their name.
I had the traditional tofu dessert with black sugar on it. It was good. I highly recommend this place to ladies since tofu in Japan is known as a health food.
Approved!!
Absolutely loved this place, and I cant get enough of it!!! They solved my sweet tooth I was having, and everything is so adorable about the place. I got the black sesame pudding, matcha muffin, and a espresso brownie. This is the place I would go to for a cute Japanese sweets. And they are also all affordable too, not breaking bank.
Kyotofu, similar to Chikalicious, also has a blank white banner with no name no nothing on it. The inside decor is also pretty simple, though dark and lit with a candle like most restaurants.
They have actual food but it is small portions and I have not actually tried it. I only tried their desserts.
I ordered the trio sorbet and my friend got the black sesame sundae and it was FREAKING DELICIOUS. It's a little pricey but I would definitely go back again and I would love to try their actual food. Although, it's not big portions, I'm guessing from observing the other customer's tables. :))
TRY IT! I recommend.
We were there for the dessert. They are known for their tofu dessert. They came in small portions and rather pricey for what you get. Kinda cute little place to be in and will be going back to check out more items on the menu.
Happy Hour!
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
now serving on sundays!
Neighborhood: East Village
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: Desserts
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: Desserts
Neighborhood: Park Slope
Category: Chocolatiers and Shops
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Hell's Kitchen
Category: Bakeries
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