Mamezen Soba: Soymilk Ramen

Mamezen is the creation of a young Kyoto chef named Minoru Yonegawa. His family owns a very nice yudofu (simmered tofu hotpot) restaurant in Kyoto called Toka. Toka make their yudofu in a soymilk-based broth, which is very unusual, creating a very ‘Kyoto’ luxurious and rich broth with which to simmer your tofu in.

Chef Yonegawa worked at his family’s restaurant for several years and noticed that local Kyotoites really don’t come to yudofu restaurants, even if you make your broth with soymilk! He wanted to serve food that was in keeping with his roots, being based on soy but also something that would appeal to Kyoto people. Of course travelers are welcome too. While he had never seen or heard of tonyu (soymilk) ramen, he thought that he ought to be able to pull it off and that Kyoto people would like to eat it regularly. He was right, he started out serving it privately just to friends and then soon realized that he had to open his own restaurant!

Mamezen Soba: Soymilk Ramen - detail

Mamezen Soba: Yuba Donburi - detail

Developing Soymilk Ramen Recipe
When Chef Yonegawa was developing his soymilk ramen recipe his wife was pregnant with their first child and the recipe is quite informed by that time in their life.

Japanese ramen is usually very salty and very high in calories. It is often said that you should not drink the soup after you finish the noodles. Children, pregnant women and elderly are told not to eat ramen as it is really not very healthy and their bodies cannot take the extremes of the dish. Mamezen Soba, on the other hand is made with a deeply flavored but gentle Kyoto dashi broth and rich, healthy soymilk, so drink it up!

Mamezen Soba: Ramen or Soba?
Ramen comes from the Chinese, la mian. Soba is an indigenous Japanese word. Originally, in Japan ramen was called chuka soba, lit. Chinese noodle. Today, ramen is the most common term for this dish in Japan, but chuka soba is still quite common. Ramen and chuka soba are the same dish.

I have only been to Mamezen for lunch but they do offer a dinner menu that includes the Mamezen Soba dishes and a limited number of soy-based a la carte yummies as well and quite a good selection of Japanese beer, shochu and sake, among others. Refreshing Chinese tencha is served. Tencha is the Japanese name for this tea which is made from rose buds. It has a subtle sweetness but is only very slightly flowery.

I ordered the set lunch that includes Mamezen Soba and a donburi of yuba and ankake over rice. The donburi was quite good and unlike the kumiage yuba donburi that I am familiar with.

Mamezen Soba: Soymilk Ramen - detail

Mamezen Soba: Yuba Donburi

How Did Mamezen Soba Taste?
Very good! I hadn’t been to Mamezen for quite awhile, about a year, and realized that I would be going there more often now.

Soup: This being Kyoto, we must be dashi crazed and Mamezen is right on target. Chef Yonegawa starts by making a very rich katsuo dashi broth and then adds soymilk and simmers it down until it is thick, rich and silky. It is a very unique soup for Kyoto. I recall the soup being lighter in flavor previously. I asked the boss about it. He said that he might be simmering it longer as it thickens up the taste and density. If you like your soup stronger and richer, just ask for ‘koime’. The overall taste and feel of the soup is wonderful, I can’t think of a dish that combines the rich and pungent (dashi) with silky smooth (soymilk).

Noodles: The noodles used are very thin, something like angelhair pasta. They contain egg but I couldn’t really taste that. Personally, I am not really into thin noodles, I like them thicker and meatier. Chef Yonegawa’s choice of thin noodles is to be subtle and delicate, like Kyoto. Though not my fav, I have to agree with his choice. He might offer customers a choice to thick or thin.

Garnish: The dish is garnished with scallions, nama yuba, simmered shiitake and a bit of umeboshi. In the winter and spring, when nanohana (rape blossom) is in season, Chef Yonegawa uses it too.

Donburi: The donburi rice bowl was very interesting because it features a thick ankake sauce that is made with, you guessed it, Kyoto dashi and starch for thickening. Several sheets of namayuba is layed on top of the rice and then it is smothered in ankake with some ground fresh ginger on top.

This was a very interesting take on yuba donburi for me, which I liked very much. However, I like kumiage yuba donburi perhaps a little better. I would love to see how Chef Yonegawa would do that dish.

Veg or Vegan: The dish does use katsuo (bonito), that’s a fish, in the dashi. The noodles contain eggs. By request the dashi can be made without katsuo. Of course the egg cannot be removed from the noodles.

Do Not Miss: I have added Mamezen Soba to my Do Not Miss list in Kyoto. Rich and pungent (dashi) and silky smooth (soymilk) is something not to be missed! However, I do have a caveat. It might be a bit too ‘Zen master’ for those who are not really into Japanese and soy cuisine. The restaurant is a bit out of the way and if you really just want a delicious, but more ‘meaty’ ramen, you would probably be more satisfied with the restaurants on our Great Ramen Shops in Kyoto list. If you are sure you are into the kind of taste described here, by all means, make the trip to Shimogamo! (Twenty to thirty minutes from the city center by bus.) Also, the restaurant is closed often, call first to confirm that they are open when you plan to go.

Mamezen Interior - Counter

Chef Yonegawa, also a Shakuhachi Bamboo Flute Master

Some headgear there! It makes Devo look uninventive. His flute master name is 菊水流尺八道準師範米川翠月. That is a long name indeed! And, many Japanese probably can’t read it.

Owner Chef Yonegawa at the Mamezen Gate

Me at Work on a Sunday Afternoon

Mamezen is located in the historic Shimogamo neighborhood of Kyoto, a bit north-east of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Shimogamo Shrine. Mamezen is a very small and personable restaurant. Owner chef Yonegawa is a really, really nice guy. His wife helps run the restaurant and his two beautiful young children poke their heads in regularly. In addition to being a chef, Yonegawa is also a bit of a Zen master and is a master of the Japanese shakuhachi bamboo flute.

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Mamezen in English
English Menu: yes
English Website: none
Service: Warm-hearted and friendly
Price: 1,000-1,500 yen
Hours:
lunch: 11:30-3:00 pm (2:30 pm last order)
dinner: 7:30-11:00 pm (10:30 pm last order)
closed: Wed, Thurs and some other days (Zen master chef isn’t a salary man), call the mobile number listed below before you go.
Location and Access: Shimogamo neighborhood. Best accessed by bus, taxi, bicycle or on foot. Nearest bus stop is on Kitaoji Street.
Address: Kyoto-shi, Sakyo-ku, Shimogamo, Higashi Takagi-cho 13-4 (京都市左京区下鴨東高木町13-4)
Telephone: 075-703-5731
Mobile: 090-1153-5297
Near Sightseeing Spot: Kamigamo and Shimogamo Shrines, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These shrines are older than even the ancient capital!

Map

View OpenKyoto/KyotoFoodie Map in a larger map

Recently I had an opportunity to interview founder Shingo ‘Johnny’ Ito at his office in Yagi, a small town in rural Kyoto prefecture. Though Otokomae Tofu is based in Kyoto, it isn’t really a ‘Kyoto’ company. It is very ‘Tokyo’, or ‘Osaka’, for me that has its downsides but I think the company breaths some new life into often stuffy old Kyoto. I affectionately think of Shingo ‘Johnny’ Ito as a kind of shock therapist for Kyoto.

Johnny and Johnny

Michael: Why ‘Johnny’ (for product name)?

Johnny: For tofu product names there had been names like Minosuke and Shigezo (typical Japanese male names), all Japanese names, so I thought that Johnny would be great for a new tofu because it sounds extremely new and is unforgettable. Since we started selling Johnny, 6 or 7 years have passed.

Michael: Why did you think to develop this tofu?

Johnny: I wanted to make a tofu that had a taste different from the tofu that had been available previously. It is still tofu, but ours is quite sweet. Of course we don’t use sugar, we draw out the natural sweetness of high quality soybeans. I researched and developed the production method. I came up with a very interesting and delicious taste. So, for such a special tofu it would be a pity to give it a boring name!

Since we started selling this tofu, 6 years or so have passed and there are some people that think ‘Johnny’ instead of ‘tofu’! (laughter.. When people hear ‘Johnny’ they wonder what it is. There had never been any food or product called Johnny.

Michael: So, was Johnny your first product?

Johnny: No. Otokomae was first. After developing Otomokae, I made Johnny.

Michael: Ah, Otokomae Tofu (product name) was first? I see. What is the characteristic quality of Otokomae?

Otokomae Tofu Package Detail - Notice the Water Trap at the Bottom (男前豆腐)

Johnny: Well, there is a Japanese proverb; mizu mo shitataru ii otoko (水もしたたるいい男). For a really great guy, you say this.

explanatory note: The meaning of the proverb is a bit difficult to convey in natural English. Here goes. The literal meaning is ‘even water is dripping from (this) man’ (could be a woman too — or tofu). The metaphor of water is of being fresh, sexy, healthy, active — just too good!

I developed the container for this tofu first. The tofu is wrapped with a paper-like sheet and the container has a trap at the bottom to collect water. It has a double function to remove water from the tofu. This was the first tofu in-which water is slowly and thoroughly removed from the tofu while still in the package.

This is mizu mo shitataru tofu. (A word play on the above proverb.) And from that, I made the name of the company: Otokomae Dofu-ten (lit. handsome guy tofu shop)

There hadn’t been this kind of tofu available and people were surprised by the name of the company and the rich flavor of the tofu produced by the unique package I developed.

When I first started out I would be waiting in line at the bank and when the clerk said Otokomae Dofu-ten (handsome guy tofu-san) all the other customers waiting would look around see me … laughter

So, that was our start and next I made Johnny.

Otoko Sanren-chan (three guys in a row)

Johnny: Next came Otoko Sanren-chan (three guys in a row).

Michael: What is the unique characteristic of this product?

Johnny: This is a product packaged in three small portions so that it can be eaten little by little. The three faces on the package are of the guys who are in charge of the product line and actually make this tofu. The names are actual too; Ryokuichi, Tetsuo and Masahiro.

And then we have these three varieties available in single larger packages for people who want to eat more of one.

(looking at the package)

Michael: I never noticed this! What is this barcode?

Johnny Package Detail: With Surfer 'Design Barcode'

Johnny: Yeah, that is a barcode. It is called ‘Design Barcode’ You see here on Johnny the barcode is in the shape of a wave and there is a surfer riding the top of the wave.

Michael: So is Design Barcode from Japan?

Johnny: Yes. I first saw it reported on Yahoo! News. I mailed the guys who invented it right away and told them I was making a tofu product called Johnny in the shape of a surfboard and I want to have a surfing image barcode. It became popular very quickly!

Michael: Are you into surfing?

Johnny: No, I don’t know very much about it!

laughter

Michael: But, humor and personality in business is extremely in this era.

Johnny: Well, in Kyoto there are many stores and companies with decades, even centuries of history. We have only been around for a little more than 5 years, so we can’t really compete with them on history, we have to do something new!

But, one important point. Some people might think that our tofu is much easier to make that that of the very old tofu shops in Kyoto. That is not true at all though. Otokomae Tofu is very troublesome to make. Our production process requires a lot of labor.

Michael: And why is that?

Johnny: Our tofu is very thick and creamy. I am really maniacal about how we simmer soybeans and soymilk and research and develop the recipe for each product.

Michael: So you do research for your recipes?

Johnny: Oh yes, of course.

Even though we don’t have such a long history, our tofu can’t be beaten in taste and quality by the old shops. However, if we take such a serious tone in our marketing, supermarket shoppers won’t notice our products.

We sell our tofu like they used to sell albums and CDs, by the jacket. People don’t know what is inside, but they see the label and think that is would be worth trying. Then they realize the quality of Otokomae Tofu!

They think; Johnny, otokomae. Umai! (lit. Johnny, handsome. Tasty!) They can’t forget it!

laughter

Michael: How would you describe the difference between your tofu and that of other makers?

Johnny: Our tofu is extremely thick and creamy. Of course, how we make each product is a trade secret, not to mention a great deal of work. Our tofu is very thick and rich. However, some people don’t like that kind of tofu, they like tofu that is more plain and light in flavor. So the market is really divided into those two types of tofu lovers.

Michael: I am definitely drawn to big flavors, maybe because I am American! So, I like your tofu very much and often eat it at home. So, maybe Otokomae Tofu would appeal to Western people particularly well?

Johnny: Where in America are you from?

Michael: Minnesota.

Johnny: Oh, you grow excellent organic soybeans there! I have been to Minnesota to purchase soybeans. Also, Minneapolis, that is where Prince is from.

Shingo (Johnny's real name) Tofu

Michael: What is your favorite Otokomae Tofu? What do you eat at home?

Johnny: Recently I am enjoying Shingo. Shingo is my name. This has a bottle opener on the package because it goes very well with beer on hot summer evenings. Just some soy sauce and scallions on cold tofu makes the dish called hiyayakko. It goes great with beer and I like beer! Shingo is also good in the winter cooked in nabe.

Actually this is made with imported soybeans, from Canada. This product, among our lineup is the lightest in flavor. Previously I only ate Johnny at home and didn’t really think that we could make tofu that I would like with imported soybeans. I researched and developed the recipes and techniques for these imported soybeans and I like the tofu we have now very much!

If we can make great tofu with imported soybeans, from Canada and America, then we should also be able to make great tofu there in those countries. Someday I think that we could have a tofu shop in New York or Los Angeles.

Also, water is very important for tofu. I am researching about how to present tofu for American consumers now. If we could make delicious tofu in America with American soybeans and local water, that would be great, wouldn’t it!

My Portrait of Kyoto Shock Therapist and Tofu Entrepreneur Shingo 'Johnny' Ito

Next I got a peek at a few new products under development and took a few very interesting photos of founder and CEO Shingo Ito.

A Sneak Peek at New Products in the Pipeline

Otokomae Tofu Bottle Opener - In Summer, Beer and Tofu Go Well Together!

Founder Johnny and Company Mascot Johnny at the Entrance to the Corporate Headquarters

'dandyism' (I didn't ask)

Otokomae Getup - This is what the staff wears at fairs and events!

Otokomae Tofu Products

Otokomae Tofu is a company based in Kyoto prefecture that burst onto the supermarket shelves several years ago and is by all accounts a runaway success. The company name is very unusual, ‘otokomae’ means handsome or good-looking. (You will no doubt notice the character ‘男’ all over the packaging and even on the tofu itself, in some cases, ‘男’ means ‘man’.) Think of a tofu company in the English-speaking world called Handsome Guy Tofu. It is an ironic name in a country the traditionally displays little or no irony in public life and commerce. This brand name has helped the company score some marketing and PR points, I think. However, Otokomae Tofu makes the very best tofu that I have eaten. There are some famous old tofu shops in Kyoto, Morika and so on, and their tofu is very good but I don’t see the same quality among such a variety of products. So, I really like Otokomae Tofu and eat it at home a lot. Most supermarkets stock at least some of their products. They are a bit more expensive that other tofu, but the extra cost is well worth it, especially if you like tofu. The other day I bought a package of the cheapest tofu I could find in the supermarket, about 90 yen and it was indeed flavorless compared to Otokomae Tofu. Several of Otokomae Tofu’s products are so rich and creamy that they can just be eaten like ice cream or yogurt, right out of the package with no soy sauce or garnish.

Otokomae Tofu has an impressive line-up of products and I think I have tried them all, except for some minor seasonal ones. Here is a selection of what I like and also what is generally available at larger supermarkets in Japan. First, my favorites:

Fav 1: Purveyors to Nabe Gourmands: Otokomae Tofu 男前豆腐
This is Otokomae Tofu’s first product, the recipe that literally made the company and brought the founder to Kyoto. The specially developed package contributes to the unique taste and very dense texture. This tofu is very handmade looking and is not the usual square block. It is wrapped in gauze-like fabric and the package has a water trap at the bottom so it is well-drained of water when opened. This keeps the tofu damp and fresh but removes excess water.

The fragrance is fruity and the richness of taste is created with plenty of premium soybeans from Hokkaido. This tofu was made for nabe and sukiyaki. In fact you will notice the vertical red stripe on the right side of the package that reads 鍋将軍御用達 (nabe shogun goyotachi). If you have seen the film or read the book Shogun, you will know that this means military general. Nabe shogun or yakiniku shogun is a term used for someone who feels compelled to do all the cooking when having nabe or yakiniku with friends or family. (I am one of these slightly compulsive, perfectionist types.) Goyotachi means to be a purveyor of goods, usually culinary related, to the Imperial Household. Many confectionaries in Kyoto boast this inscription their noren curtain or shop interior. This ironic populism illustrates more of Otokomae Tofu’s clever humor sense and marketing acumen.

Otokomae Tofu (男前豆腐)

Otokomae Tofu Package Detail - Notice the Water Trap at the Bottom (男前豆腐)@

Otokomae Tofu After Unwrapping

Fav 2: Otokomae Aburaage 男前油揚げ
Aburaage is tofu that has been sliced thin and deep-fried. Aburaage can be used in soups and takikomi gohan. Aburaage is usually light and airy due to the deep-frying process. Otokomae Tofu’s aburaage is impossibly dense and heavy, with an equally dense and robust soy taste.

Aburaage can be used in many quick and healthy Japanese dishes such as soup, stir fry, takikomi-gohan and so on. (Aburaage recently appeared on KF in this okowa recipe and this niku jaga recipe.) I think that it can be easily adapted into Western cuisine quite well and could appeal to people that aren’t big tofu fans.

Otokomae Tofu’s aburaage is surely the best aburaage that I have encountered. If you can get your hands on some, I think you are sure to be pleased!

Otokomae Aburaage

Fav 3: Creme Fraiche Tofu? Oh yes! Meet, ‘Johnny’ 風に吹かれて豆腐屋ジョニー
This is the Otokomae Tofu’s second product and probably their most well-known. ‘Johnny’, or properly, ‘Wind Blown Tofu Shop, Johnny’ is a tofu product without peer on the supermarket shelves, both in terms of taste and image.

 ‘Johnny’ in a package shaped like a surfboard, the barcode for the product is a wave with a surfer riding it! (see photo below) This is the first Japanese tofu to sport a Western man’s name as the product name. (Tofu products named with Japanese mens’ names con be found in Japan.)

Otokomae Tofu’s founder told me that this tofu has become such an iconic product that some Japanese children think that ‘Johnny’ means tofu and don’t use the word ‘tofu’ when telling their parents what they want to eat!

Now, when I think of kids and their favorite food, I have to admit that I don’t think of tofu. Kids want ice cream, right? Remarkably I sometimes find myself sitting on the kitchen floor eating this tofu right out of the package with a spoon and no soy sauce or other flavoring. This tofu is impossibly rich and creamy, it coats the palette and the taste lingers like ice cream. The taste, consistency and texture reminded me of creme fraiche, only with a ‘soybeany’ taste. If you didn’t know it were tofu, you might not realize it when encountering ‘Johnny’ for the first time.

Johnny: Surfboard Shaped Tofu Package

Johnny Package Detail: With Surfer 'Design Barcode'

Johnny Package Detail: Surfboard Shaped Tofu Package

Fav Package Design: Nippon Danji 日本男児
Nippon danji is the name of this tofu and it is a silky soft tofu intended for yudofu (tofu hot-pot). Nippon danji expresses the qualities in the ideal man and is based on bushido, or the samurai spirit. The Japanese notion of masculinity includes the following values:

・to always takes full responsibility for his actions (no excuses)
・to always do what he says he will do (no need to make promises)
・to not complain (not be weak)
・to protect his family, society and country
・to never betray another

Interestingly this tofu package features a bare-chested guy drinking directly from a huge bottle of sake. There is nothing like this on the supermarket shelves!

Manly Silky-soft Tofu Nippon Danji Package

While hard drinking isn’t ‘officially’ a part of Nippon danji, it is said that the men of Kyushu are the most masculine men in Japan and that they are in general avid drinkers. Japan’s strongest alcoholic beverage, shochu comes from Kyushu. (However, I think the — official or unofficial — hardest drinkers in Japan are from Kochi Prefecture in Shikoku.)

Sake bottles in Japan come in two main sizes; 72o㎖ and 1.8ℓ. The guy in the picture is drinking from the 1.8ℓ bottle!

Thanks to this package design, I suppose the day is now coming when a tofu package will include a parental advisory!

Manly Silky-soft Tofu Nippon Danji Package - detail

Tagline (bottom): 本物の男前はあなたを裏切ったりしない。Honmono no otokomae wa anata wo uragittari shinai.
Meaning: A real man would never disappoint you.

Tofu, that makes a statement!

Some Other Popular Otokomae Tofu Products
Here are a few other products that you ought to be able to find in most large grocery stores in Japan.

Product: Masahiro Yudofu
This is tofu for yudofu, simmering in broth. The face on this package is that of the man who actually makes this tofu in the Otokomae factory. The underside of the plastic package has a 男 character which impresses the character into the tofu which makes for an attractive presentation.

Masahiro: Masahiro is the name of the man on the production line that makes this tofu.

Masahiro: Attention to Detail

Product: Atsuage Fujiyama 厚揚げフジヤマ
Atsuage is tofu that has been deep-fried, but unlike aburaage it has not been cut thin before deep-frying. Atsuage tofu is great in soups and nabe. When I do sukiyaki, I often use atsuage instead of regular tofu.

These come in triangular pieces, hence the reference to Mount Fuji in the product name.

Atsuage Mount Fuji

Product: Otokomae Kinudofu 男前絹豆腐
Kinu is silk in Japanese and the softest tofu is called kinogoshi: silken tofu. This product is Kyoto-style, extra soft and only available in winter.

Otokomae Kyoto-style Silken Tofu, Limited Edition for Winter

Where to Buy Otokomae Tofu Outside of Japan
Currently Otokomae Tofu is available in limited quantity in the United States, Hong Kong and Singapore. Visit Otokomae Tofu’s Facebook page for the up-to-date list.

United States
California
Mitsuwa Marketplace
21515 Western Ave.
Torrance, CA 90501
TEL: (310) 782-0335

Mitsuwa Marketplace
3760 Centinela Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90066
TEL: (310) 398-2113

Mitsuwa Marketplace
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd. #119
San Diego, CA 92111
TEL: (858) 569-6699

Mitsuwa Marketplace
665 Paularino Ave.
Costa Mesa, CA
TEL:(714) 557-6699

Mitsuwa Marketplace
675 Saratoga Ave.
San Jose, CA 95129
TEL: (408) 255-6699

New York
Katagiri & Co., Inc.
224 E 59th Street
New York, NY 10022
TEL: (212) 755-3566

Sunrise Mart (SoHo)
494 Broome Street
New York, NY 10012
TEL: (212) 219-0033

Sunrise Mart (East Village)
4 Stuyvesant Street, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10003
TEL: (212) 598-3040

Dainobu (Midtown)
129 E 47th Street
New York, NY 10017
TEL: (212) 755-7380

Daido Japanese Market
522 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains, NY 10605
TEL: (914) 683-6735

Nara Japanese Foods
169 Main Street
Port Washington, NY 11050
TEL: (516) 883-1836

New Jersey
Mitsuwa Marketplace
595 River Road
Edgewater, NJ 07020
TEL: (201) 941-9113

Chicago
Mitsuwa Marketplace
100 E. Algonquin Road
Arlington Hts., IL 60005
TEL: (847) 956-6699

Hawaii
Marukai Wholesale Mart
2310 Kamehameha Hwy,
Honolulu, HI 96819-4531
Phone: (808) 845-5051

Don Quijote
801 Kaheka Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96814
TEL: 808-973-4800

Hong Kong
Hong Kong Apita (Uny)
Cityplaza2
18 Taikoo Shing Rd.
Quarry Bay, Hong Kong
TEL: 852 2885 0331

Singapore
Isetan Singapore
435 Orchard Road
Singapore 238877
Singapore
TEL: 65 6733 7777

Links and Reference
Otokomae Tofu’s English Facebook Page
Otokomae Tofu’s Japanese Website

Otokomae Tofu Mushi Pan 男前豆腐店蒸しパン is really good! If you are in Japan and into mushi pan and/or Japanese convenience store junk food, this is worth looking for.

Otokomae Tofu Mushi Pan Steamed Bread - Package

Otokomae Tofu Mushi Pan Steamed Bread

Otokomae Tofu Mushi Pan Steamed Bread - detail

How Did Otokomae Tofu Mushi Pan Taste?
While the Otokomae Tofu cream bread was good it didn’t really wow me, this one has some wow factor to it! Some tofu is a bit crumbly and mochi pan is sticky and gooey. I was amazed that this mochi pan was both soft and moist and a bit crumbly!

It has a slight fruity fragrance that I imagine is supposed to simulate the fresh fruitiness of Otokomae Tofu, yet I suspect that it is neither natural or the fragrance of soybeans. Nice detail though.

The texture is more silky than ‘bready’, that keeps it on the tofu concept. While chewing it becomes creamy, just like tofu.

The taste is also similar to the texture, while it feels more ‘bready’ than tofu, the taste is very much of tofu. If you took a bite of this mushi pan, not knowing what it is, you would likely think ‘tofu’!

Tastes great and seems that it must have been very difficult to get the ‘tofu effect’ in steamed bread. I imagine the Pasco product development laboratory staff gave themselves a collective pat on the back when they pull this one off.

Otokomae Tofu Mushi Pan Steamed Bread - detail

Availability
According to Otokomaedofu’s blog this product will be available until February 28, 2010 in supermarkets and convenience stores in the Kanto, Chubu and Kansai regions (roughly the area between Tokyo and Osaka). Their tofu can be found in the tofu sections of most supermarkets.

From the Company Profile Page on Website - 'DonDondoko' is the Boss

Mothers Don’t Let Your Babies Grow-up to Work at Otokomae Tofu!
Though they make crazy great tofu, this is one odd company. In Japan, this is a company from the very wrong side of the tracks and one that is not really even plausible in old Kyoto. Despite the wacky corporate identity and website, this is a company to be reckoned with. Not just because it makes amazing tofu, but because just three years after the company opened for business the boss (shown above) was giving demonstrations abroad and actually shipping tofu to the US! (See this 2007 Japan Times article for details.)

According to commenter Akiko, the company profile above is fiction.

Links
Otokomae Tofuten Corporate Website (Japanese only)
Otokomae Tofuten on Facebook (in English)
Pasco Shikishima Baking Company (Japanese)

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In Japan, kuri-mu pan, or cream bread is ubiquitous and countless variations abound. This is a baked bread bun that is filled with custard cream and it is often flavored with something, coffee, fruit, maccha and so on. While I don’t recall having tofu flavored cream pan, I am sure it is not unheard of. This product is actually a korabo between Otokomae Tofuten and Pasco, a mass producer of bread in Japan.

Otokomae Tofu: Good Tofu is Creamy Tofu
The more soybeans that are used in tofu the creamier in texture and fruitier in fragrance and taste it becomes and Otokomae Tofuten uses lots of quality soybeans. While doing the research for this article, I realized that I need to interview Otomomae Tofuten and do a proper article about the company and their brand of excellent tofu.

On all of the Otokomae Tofu products the ‘男’ (otoko) character is featured prominently. This is the Chinese character that means man. Otokomae (男前) means handsome.

Otokomaedofu has an Un-Kyoto Brand Identity - 男 (otoko) means 'Man'

Otokomaedofu Cream Pan and Otokomaedofu Tofu and Package

Otokomaedofu Cream Pan

Otokomaedofu Cream Pan - Tofu Cream Custard Filling

How Did Otokomae Tofu Cream Pan Sweet Bread Taste?
I thought that this kuri-mu pan tasted very good. I have never been really excited about Japanese kuri-mu pan but I do pick this one up a few times a week. I especially like the tofu cream filling, it is very thick, a bit beyond creamy, approaching chilled cream cheese in consistency.

The bread bun is typical Japanese mediocre bread. It is soft, yet firm and rather chewy. The thick tofu cream filling is pure white in color as opposed to the usual off-white of kuri-mu pan fillings. Otokomae tofu is the heaviest, densest and most fragrant tofu that I have had, including compared to the legendary Morika Tofu in Kyoto. The filling is surely meant to evoke that density and definitely has the Otokomae tofu taste and fragrance.

When eaten the tastes of bread, cream and tofu meld together into a taste and feeling that was unique among kuri-mu pan for me.

As I eat (and enjoy) this, I find myself wondering if this is really Otokomae tofu I am tasting or a chemical approximation of what kuri-mu pan would taste like if it really were made with Otokomae tofu. But hey, this is junk food!

Availability
According to Otokomaedofu’s blog this product will be available until February 28, 2010 in supermarkets and convenience stores in the Kanto, Chubu and Kansai regions (roughly the area between Tokyo and Osaka). Their tofu can be found in the tofu sections of most supermarkets.

From the Company Profile Page on Website - 'DonDondoko' is the Boss

Mothers Don’t Let Your Babies Grow-up to Work at Otokomaedofu!
Though they make crazy great tofu, this is one odd company. In Japan, this is a company from the very wrong side of the tracks and one that is not really even plausible in old Kyoto. Despite the wacky corporate identity and website, this is a company to be reckoned with. Not just because it makes amazing tofu, but because just three years after the company opened for business the boss (shown above) was giving demonstrations abroad and actually shipping tofu to the US! (See this 2007 Japan Times article for details.)

According to commenter Akiko, the company profile above is fiction.

Links
Otokomae Tofuten Corporate Website (Japanese only)
Otokomae Tofuten on Facebook (in English)
Pasco Shikishima Baking Company (Japanese)

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Tonyu Soy Milk Doughnuts

Tonyu Soy Milk Doughnuts

How do soy milk doughnuts taste?
These doughnuts are a bit more chewy on the inside and slightly crunchy outside than the average ‘non-Kyoto’ doughnut. They are slightly sweet, the taste is natural, straightforward, quite ‘Kyoto’ in style. While not overtly sweet I find them completely satisfying due to the richness of the soy milk.

Again, these should be eaten hot. Don’t buy them already bagged from the stall in the Nishiki Market street, go around to the side of the shop where they cook them and get them right out of the oil. Usually there are some customers standing around gobbling up hot donuts. If you take them back home or to your hotel, try reheating them in a toaster oven.

Perhaps these are a bit pricey because a bag of 12 (mini) doughnuts cost 300 yen. I suppose they use plenty of high quality soy milk but still, at this price point I expect Fujino to be selling doughnuts for a long, long time to come.

Even if you are not into the more challenging Japanese food, raw fish, fermented beans … fermented fish, and so on, these doughnuts are a healthy and natural Western inspired treat that are quite ‘Kyoto’ in taste. If you are passing though Nishiki Market, don’t miss these! You will probably smell the shop before you see it.

Soy Milk Doughnut Shop

Properly this shop is called Konnamonjya, a really dreadful and un-Kyoto name, in my opinion. It is owned by Kyoto Tofu Fujino, a Kyoto tofu shinise that also makes a lot of new and inventive soy based products. They have a tofu cafe near Kitano Tenmagu Shine were you can try everything from tofu roll cake to tofu hamburgers.

– More Shop Photos and Map Coming Soon –

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We were given a gift of kumiage yuba from a yuba company up in Otsu recently and made donburi with it on Peko’s famous rice. Simply flavored with soy sauce and wasabi, this is veg, healthy, and not just tasty, but creamy tasty! Have you heard of yuba?

Yuba is made by simmering a large vat of tonyu 豆乳, or soy milk. As water evaporates, every minute or so, a film develops on the surface of the tonyu which is lifted off. This is yuba and it can be dried or eaten as is, fresh. If you like tofu and soy milk, you would surely love fresh yuba!

Yuba started out centuries ago as temple food in Kyoto but is now enjoyed by common people and is gaining popularity all over Japan because it is tasty and healthy.

Itadakimono: Kumiage Yuba

I had a chance to do a yuba making study/experience, called kengaku 見学, in Japanese at a shinise yuba company, Hiei Yuba in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on the southern shore of Lake Biwa. Otsu is just over the mountain from Kyoto, and though a rather small town compared to Kyoto, it has a history that is a bit longer than Kyoto. In fact, it was the capital of Japan, just briefly, even before Kyoto was. We’ve got an article simmering about yuba kengaku coming your way soon, but until then, please just feast your eyes on this.

One of our friends that works at Hiei Yuba came to Kyoto Takashimaya for a week to sell their yuba at a demise. We met for dinner in the evening and were given a package of fresh, kumiage yuba.

Kumiage Yuba

This is four or five ‘sheets’ of yuba swimming in soy milk.

Gokokumai Mugi Gohan: Ingredients

Peko’s Gokokumai Mugi Gohan Recipe

• Short grain rice 2 cups
• Oshi Mugi (rolled oats, for Japanese mugi-gohan) 1/2 cup
• Gokokumai (5 grains) 1 pack, about 25-30g
• Kombu (dried kelp)
• Salt and Sake to taste

Add the amount of water based on the instructions of your rice cooker.

Gokoku: Package

Five kinds of ‘bird seed’ added to your rice makes it much more flavorful and healthy.

Gokokumai Mugi Gohan: Just Done Cooking

Discard the kombu after cooking.

Gokokumai Mugi Gohan: Served

Five kinds of grain (gokoku), rolled oats (mugi) and Japanese short-grain rice: yum!

Making the Donburi
Making the donburi is really simple. Just serve rice in a large donburi bowl, place yuba on top and add wasabi and soy sauce. (I think) to be photogenic, we didn’t add any of the soy milk that can be seen in the photo in the plate above. Be sure to add it though, it will be more creamy.

Last step: Devour

Yuba Donburi: Served

Yuba Donburi – detail with Shoyu and Wasabi

Yuba Donburi: Looks Like this While Eating

Miwa didn’t want me to include this photo, but she’s not here now and this is what it looks like as you eat it.

Yuba is another very ‘Kyoto’ delicacy.

Yuba in Kyoto comes in many forms, it is made from soy milk. Soy milk is simmered in a large, rectangular pan and as a skin is formed on the surface it is scooped up and is eaten in various ways. Yuba in Japan is often served as ‘sashimi’, used like nori or spring roll skin to wrap other ingredients, deep-fried, dried for later use and so on. Nouveau uses include thick, dried yuba, cut into cubes and deep-fried to be used as salad croutons.

Komameya (literally ‘little bean shop’), is the creation of the Ueda Yuba Company which has four Komameya restaurants in Kyoto. I visited the shop up north, near Daitokiji (temple) which is a very nice neighborhood. There are many traditional shops around Daitokuji and the area is especially known for natto, fermented soybeans. One theory states that natto came over from China with Zen monks. Soybean based food was common for monks and Daitokuji is a major temple and had many monks in residence.

Komameya features yuba based dishes and several black bean numbers, including black bean soy milk soft cream (ice milk) cone.

I visited Komameya for lunch and had one of the three set menus (定食, teishoku) to choose from. Diner, with a different menu is also offered and is said to be very good.

The teishoku included yuba donburi. Donburi, literally ‘rice bowl’ is a popular dish in Japan, often enjoyed for lunch. It comes in countless variations with something cooked, simmered or stewed, served over rice.

Komameya’s yuba donburi is made with kumiage yuba, which is a thick, rich, custard-like yuba, halfway between soy milk and tofu. It is garnished with chopped scallions, nori, raw egg and wasabi. This is mixed well into the rice and eaten with a lacquered spoon. I had never had a dish like this before and it was very good.

Yuba ‘sashimi’, this is the typical yuba, skimmed off the surface of simmering soy milk. It is somewhat rubbery and is served in strips. It is dipped in shoyu and wasabi, like raw fish.

Another treat is the deep-fried yuba simmered in dashi. There are three kinds of yuba, including the regular, black bean and young soybean (枝豆, eda mame). This is served garnished with deep-fried shishito (Japanese sweet green pepper) and grated daikon radish.

There are several other dishes, all soy or vegetable based.

Not one, but two sweets are also served. One is a black sesame based kumiage yuba with Japanese black sugar (黒糖, kokuto) syrup the other is roasted soybean powder (きなこ, kinako), always a favorite among Japanese, in a soy milk custard with kokuto syrup on top. This dish is obviously inspired by Crème Brûlée.

The teishoku lunch ranges from 2,000 to 3,000 yen. Certainly not a budget lunch, but if you around Daitokuji and want a modern, casual, good karma lunch, I highly recommend Komameya. The teishoku was very tasty and healthy, also very filling (Japanese lunches often aren’t).

Komameya also offers black bean soy milk soft cream cones for take away. I got one. The soft cream was pretty good, but the cone itself was horrible. If it were served in a cup with a spoon I would probably get it again, especially on a hot summer day. It is probably worth a try.

English: no English

Map

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Ueda Yuba Company/Komameya website