Kadohama Goma-tofu honpo — Restaurant in Koya

A very thoughtful restaurant centering the design and display of their meals in the same Buddhist symbology found across town. The tofu is specially made in Koyasan for the monks and delivered and served fresh here. Unlike regular tofu, the tofu of Koyasan is made with sesame seeds instead of soy. Despite the food here primarily consisting of one ingredient, the goma tofu, the different variations bring about a very rich and complex set of tastes. If you have to try one place in Koyasan, it’s Kado-Hama.

I ordered the Kongo-kaiseki set and was not disappointed. The main difference between the Kongo and Taizen sets primarily are the dessert flavor as well as the paste (shiraae) vs the Koya tofu (dashi soaked tofu). Each tofu variation was a surprise to the tongue, going in between various soft to chewy textures and bringing about a mixture of flavors. I also ordered the udon which was perfectly cooked and chewy. The dashi broth used was one of the cleanest dashi broths I’ve had in Japan while maintaining a richness of flavors. Some dashi, while can come out clean, end up being very plain and not appetizing.

Overall, I had a great time at Kado-Hama, and the service was superb. If you plan on eating here, grab a ticket early on, explore the town, and come back when it’s close to time. The restaurant gets extremely busy and can usually draw a line, even at...

The tofu here is seriously incredible. They serve tofu set meals with a mix of normal tofu and their signature goma tofu (made from sesame). Everything I got in the kaiseki was absolutely delicious and it really goes to show how great tofu can be when prepared well. I especially loved the tempura - loved the contrast between the crunchy exterior and the silky smooth goma tofu interior.

Service was friendly. I had to wait 10-15 mins for a table - but the food came out reasonably quickly after ordering. Highly recommend during your...

I'm a tofu lover and consider myself a sort of tofu connoisseur so I'm always intrigued by non-soybean-based tofu options. In this case goma tofu is also a specialty if Koya-san. We went on a weekend and it was crowded, in fact we had to wait about half an hour, but it was worth it. This was possibly the best goma tofu I've had in Koya-san, so much so I bought some to bring back home. Even the rice was excellent (it contained mushrooms from increased deliciousness). Menus in English with detailed explanation of each dish are...