Tousuiro Gion — Restaurant in Kyoto

We had a great meal at too Tousuiro in the Gion area of Kyoto. This is a tofu-based restaurant where many of the dishes revolve around tofu, some of which is prepared in a special container at your table. We came in as vegetarians and, as requested on their website, we made a reservation a day in advance, as they don't automatically have a vegetarian option available. This is classic Japanese style dining, where you order a “course," and then are brought many many little dishes, not necessarily knowing what they are or what's coming but which at the end of the meal, you feel incredibly satisfied. The dining room is brightly lit, maybe a little too Bradley, and they request that you takeoff your shoes and leave them in the entry area before being brought to your table.

We enjoyed hot sake to drink, we'd had sake and other places in Japan and this was our first and only time having the "hot "version of it. It tasted just like other sakes though it was, of course, hon. I think I prefer the non-heated version.

A starter came which was a small cone shaped shot glass of jelly like things, multicolored with a sweet sauce. Then an appetizer which was cold silky tofu with asparagus and mushrooms with your dip any soy sauce served in an ice bucket. These are both great.

Meanwhile tofu is cooking in a table top water bath with greens and a a solid gluten piece. You scoop out tofu into a small bowl, add soy sauce and ginger and little green onions. The tofu was very fluffy! The soy sauce was thin in flavor, but when we added a separate soy sauce which came with next course it was delicious. We love the soft fluffy texture of this till three which we've never had anywhere in America.

Among the other course were a steamed savory bun filled with, maybe bean paste and some other texture sitting in a savory tofu egg drop like broth which was delicious.

We also love the plate of baked tofu items which included 2 different flavors of tofu on skewers, (1 tofu, one gluten) topped with miso glaze. Plus a sushi-like tofu skin with pickled asparagus and a tiny bowl of coconut powder ball and a prickled scarlet red fruit sort of like a cherry with a pot. This was our favorite dish of the any they brought us.

It didn’t end there…soon came vegetable tempura, plus a tofu filled fried dumpling of sorts, in a savory sauce which made vegetables which were tasty not so crispy

The lost course before dessert was, as is traditional all over Japan, was miso soup with tofu which came with two “soup nut” like things. It was a dark miso which wasn’t my wife’s favorite but I liked it. This came with rice topped with mushrooms and tofu skin. and little sweet, tasty and pickled vegetables which my wife lived.

Finally we were brought green tea and a soy based coconut ice cream scoop which was a tasty refreshing way to end.

Overall this was a really great vegetarian, culinary experience. We had so much to eat, they took very good care of us and we were dining alongside locals giving us the feeling that we were not in a tourist restaurant. You're a vegetarian and one a unique Japanese dining experience you should definitely head here. But don't forget to reserve a vegetarian course a...

The food overall was pretty good, refined, a nice lesson in scaled back cuisine - the tofu flavour itself was not amazing, if you've had great tofu before at any of the spots in Japan or China that are famous for it then you've had better.

The service was what let the place down. As a solo diner the chef did not seem very happy to be serving me, despite the fact I was the only customer at the bar. He quite blatantly complained in Japanese more than once to the waiting staff, also looked over and rolled his eyes at me while he was saying it. They frequently seemed as if they were talking about me and giggling (I'm not paranoid to this type of thing, I've been in many foreign countries and although it's a rarity, it's often quite obvious when it does happen)

Overall the place was disappointing for this reason. The Japanese hospitality is not upheld in this establishment (to...

I am vegetarian and a colleague of mine needed gluten-free option and this was perfect. It had two sets that catered for both! I love my tofu and this was just heaven. Tofu prepared in all manner of ways from cold to fried. The best I had was a tofu made from green soy (endame) with the beans in it. Smooth, salty and sweet. The other I loved was the Tsumami yuba (bean curd skin). Finishing with a soy sorbet. It’s the really small details that will amaze you. Just perfect and the host prepares half the dishes in front of you. Fantastic space and give your self 1.5 hours and a very empty stomach! It is a lot of food. Service was excellent with English menu and passable in conversation.

Updated menu as of 23APR 2024. Second time just as fantastic. Service was excellent and food came out just...