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Okutan 奧丹
Add: 86-30 Nanzenji Fukuchicho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto
Tel: 075-771-8709
Hours: 11am-4pm (Closed on Thu)
Website: webkyoto.com/okutan/
Price: Yudofu set meal ¥3,240
When in Kyoto, one absolutely must have a tofu meal.
I first visited Okutan’s Kiyomizu branch almost 7 years ago in winter 2009. I still distinctly remember the utter satisfaction of having a steaming hot pot of tofu after a whole morning of walking around in the wintry Kyoto air. This time back in Kyoto, I decided to pay Okutan another visit, though this time I went for its original location near Nanzenji.
去京都，一定要吃一席湯豆腐料理。
第一次造訪 “湯豆腐奧丹”，是2009年冬天。當時在京都冬日冰冷的空氣中找到了奧丹清水店，入內吃了頓熱呼呼的湯豆腐全餐，當時的惬意和滿足感至今都還印象深刻。六年多後回到京都決定再訪，不過這次，去的是更古老的南禅本店。
Okutan’s Nanzenji location was established in 1635, and claims to be the oldest yudofu restaurant in Japan. Upon entering, we were first greeted with a lush little Japanese garden, after which we were to take off our shoes to enter the dining area. The space is equipped with floor-to-ceiling windows so that guests can enjoy the view during the meal – a lovely design. If memory serves correctly, however, I think the Kiyomizudera location has an even better view.
奧丹豆腐創立於江戶初期的1635年，號稱是日本最古老的湯豆腐料理專門店，南禪寺店是其總本家。入門後先看到的是精致的庭院，用餐區也特別設計了整排落地窗，讓客人能夠邊享用豆腐邊欣賞窗外的美景，非常貼心（不過印象中好像清水店的景觀更美？）
I was delighted to find that the menu has not change a bit since I last visited almost 7 years ago, except that since it’s currently summer season, Okutan is also offering a chilled tofu option. The restaurant serves set menus (¥3,240 each) only, which includes yudofu/chilled tofu, vegetable tempera, sesame tofu, grated mountain yam, miso baked tofu, rice, and pickles.
脫鞋後，踏入榻榻米的房間。六年後再訪奧丹，發現菜單完全沒有變，令人安心，不過由于是夏季，所以有當時我沒嘗到的冷豆腐。奧丹僅提供套餐（各3240日元），內容除了有湯豆腐／冷豆腐之外、還有蔬菜天婦羅、胡麻豆腐、山藥泥、木芽田樂豆腐，白飯和漬物。
Yudofu started near the end of Edo Period right near Nanzenji, originally intended for the monks only. Authentic, handcrafted tofu relies on high-quality soy beans, good water in which to soak and boil them, and of course the expertise of the tofu maker. What we get in supermarkets today is lacking in the pure taste of soy beans and the flavor of their protein, an unfortunate result of mass production.
湯豆腐源于江戶末期，發起地就是南禅寺附近，原本是寺內僧侶實用的精進料理。由于水質的關系，這裏的豆腐素以質感細膩、滋味淡雅而聞名；看似樸實，但經由匠人們堅持傳統的制程、料理、擺設，能演化多種層次風貌。在奧丹，就是要品嚐這個古老的文化。
But first, a pot of chilled tea to cool us down from the summer heat of Kyoto.
先來一壺消暑的冷泡茶。
Then commenced the meal. First came 胡麻豆腐 black sesame tofu served with a dab of fresh wasabi and light soy sauce. This actually isn’t tofu, but a look-alike made from pureed sesame seeds and water, then thickened with potato or kuzu starch. The sesame flavor is lovely, and the texture is pleasantly sticky, almost like that of a yokan.
先上來的是胡麻豆腐。雖然被稱爲 “豆腐”，不過它的制作材料與黃豆無關，是用芝麻糊做出來的。奧丹的胡麻豆腐口感滑嫩微粘，富涵芝麻香氣，加上一點點新鮮的芥末泥，非常美味。
木の芽田楽 tofu grilled with miso glaze. The sweet and savory miso glaze is flavored with sansho, the distinct aroma from this Japanese pepper is very appetizing. The texture of this tofu is quite firm, a nice contrast from the sesame tofu.
”木の芽田楽“ 田樂燒，意指味增烤豆腐。奧丹的味增裏加有山椒，香氣十足，味道頗甜，搭配口感紮實的豆腐，剛剛好。
精進揚げ vegetable tempura.
”精進揚げ“ 蔬菜天婦羅。
とろろ汁 grated mountain yam. I’ve always been a huge fan of mountain yam, and would gladly down the whole bowl just like that..but it is suggested to save half of it to be mixed in with the rice served later during the meal. Fine.
”とろろ汁“ 山藥泥，天然迷人的清甜味一直是我的最愛。建議先喝一半，將剩下的加入一會兒上桌的白飯中，拌勻一起吃。
The main course of the meal, of course, is more tofu. We ordered both the 湯どうふ yudofu, which is served hot in a broth, and 冷奴 hiyayakko, which is served chilled in iced water. The broth in which the tofu was cooked was unflavored other than the single piece of kelp at the bottom of the pot, so the natural taste of the tofu is preserved. It is recommended to have the first few pieces of tofu just by themselves to really taste its pure flavor, after which you can add soy sauce and chopped scallions for additional flavoring.
接下來上的就是湯豆腐了。奧丹和滋賀縣的農民合作，採用無農藥栽培的有機大豆，並使用比良山山麓的純淨山泉來制作出最美味的豆腐。雖然湯豆腐有搭配的醬汁以及蔥姜末，不過第一塊最好直接享用，品嚐豆腐最純粹的美味，感受一下黃豆本身的淡雅香氣。
The hiyayakko is served in a glass bowl, bathing in iced water and adorned with a green maple leaf. While the yudofu above is silky soft, the hiyayakko tofu is firm and hearty. It might not show in this photo, but the portion is actually quite large.
冷豆腐用玻璃碗盛裝，泡在冰水裏並以碧綠的楓葉裝飾，擺盤相當清涼消暑。口感紮實偏硬，很有天然手作的樸實質感，也能嚐到黃豆的香味。話說，這照片裏雖然看不出來，不過冷豆腐份量挺大的，朋友最後差點都沒吃完。
After tasting the tofu in its purity, you can add a bit of soy sauce, scallion, and grated ginger. There is also a sansho shichimi powder if you like extra flavor, but it’s best not to add too much to avoid overpowering the delicate flavor of the tofu.
湯豆腐和冷豆腐都可以先品嚐原味，然後再搭配醬汁、蔥薑末一起享用。另外店家也有提供山椒七味粉，喜歡口味稍重的人可以隨意添加，不過建議不要加太多了。
I ended the meal by pouring the grated yam over a bowl of perfectly cooked rice, and polished that off with some accompanying pickles. And at that moment, I thought my life was perfect (no exaggeration intended).
最後，將山藥泥倒在白飯上一起吃掉，瞬間覺得人生完美了（不誇張）。
Each dish at Okutan showcases the artisans’ incessant effort in making the best tofu, and a light meal like this is especially appreciated by all of us who are eating a little too heavily on a daily basis. If you think an all-tofu meal might not be substantial enough, you can perhaps try “Junsei”, another restaurant specializing in tofu dishes but also incorporates sashimi and the likes in the set. For me, however, Okutan is just what I was looking for.
在奧丹的每一道料理中都能吃的到店家對於豆腐制作的堅持，尤其是在大多數人都習慣重口味食物的現在，一頓清淡的豆腐是非常特別的經驗。京都另外還有幾家湯豆腐名店，其中 “順正” 聽說不錯，套餐內容除了豆腐之外也有一些生魚片類的料理，覺得只吃豆腐很無趣的人可以嘗試。奧丹對我個人來說，正好。
總本家湯豆腐奧丹 南禪寺店
地址：京都市左京區南禅寺福地町86-30
電話：075-771-8709
營業時間：11am－4pm，周四休
價位：湯豆腐料理￥3240
造訪：2016年8月
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