In Kyoto, in front of Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, the famous Kyoto tofu restaurant Toyouke Chaya is always crowded with people.
This is a restaurant of Toyoukeya Yamamoto, a long-established Kyoto tofu shop founded in the Meiji era.
Not only does it serve meals, it also offers take-away tofu, hirousu and other items.
From JR Kyoto Station, take city bus routes 50 or 101 for about 30 minutes.
Get off at Kitano Tenmangu-mae and it is right in front of the bus stop.
If you take the Keifuku Electric Railway, it’s a 5-minute walk from Shiraume-cho Station.
I visited this time to choose a present for my father on Father’s Day.
A friend of mine, who was born and raised in Kyoto, recommended this gift.
I was thinking that a gift of sweets or alcohol would be too delicate for his health, but then I came across a tofu set.
As you would expect from Kyoto, there are no more healthy gifts.
Indeed, the products at Toyouke Chaya are fun, with a variety of tofu, hirozu, fu, etc. to choose from,
Moreover, the prices are reasonable, with gifts starting at 1,500 yen.
Yes, ‘Toyouke Teahouse’. Crowds of people are here today.
The second floor is used as a dining area; the first floor is for take-out.
The signboard has a motif of the ‘Wind and Thunder Gods’.
I could understand if it was near Kenninji Temple, but why?
I was wondering why, but it turns out that the Thunder God and Wind God written by Tawaraya Sotatsu were modelled on the national treasure ‘Kitano Tenmangu Engi’ at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine.
I didn’t know that!
The storefront is full of takeaway tofu and fu products. This is fun.
Fukudawara, ¥240, fresh yuba wrapped in blown tofu.
Ordinary hirousu is 50 yen per piece.
Hirosu with lily bulb and gingko nuts is 160 yen. This looks delicious.
There is a considerable variation in the type of tofu yosedofu.
Also soymilk pudding.
These can be selected and given as a set gift.
This is our family’s ironclad gift to older people, which is almost always absolutely delightful.
Here you go!
This is the hidden specialty, the exquisite TOYOUKEYA YAMAMOTO soymilk yoghurt.
What a beautiful whiteness. I wonder if this is what the character for ‘clean and pure’ would look like if it were expressed in terms of colour.
It is a calm white.
A tofu shop that has been in business since the Meiji era (1868-1912), it seems like they would be hard-headed and say, ‘This is not tofu’,
But the shop’s policy is ‘We will consult with you about non-standard or unusual tofu’.
This spirit must be the reason why these products were created.
Only a tofu shop would have a pure white heart and a soft head, lol.
This stretches out in a very smooth way.
The texture is just superb.
And the balance of sweetness and sourness is irresistible.
This is so-called Caspian Sea yoghurt, but when it meets soi milk,
It has been sublimated into a very mild and tasty sweet.
It uses the Caspian Sea yoghurt bacteria of Dr Iemori, a professor emeritus at Kyoto University.
He is the first person to bring Caspian Sea yoghurt bacteria to Japan after researching health and longevity around the world.
I didn’t realise that it also uses venerable yoghurt bacteria.
It is indeed of excellent quality.
If I eat this every day, I’m sure my health will improve.
I envy the people in the neighbourhood.
Toyoke Chaya
822, Kamiyagawa-cho, Imadegawa-dori, Gozen-nishiiru, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto
tel(075)462-3662
Food and drink: 11:00-15:00
Shop/10:00-18:30
Closed on Thursdays (open 25 days/unscheduled once a month).
