Nikko Yubamaki Zen

We wanted to go here a few nights earlier, but apparently nothing is open for dinner in Nikko. The whole town seems to go to sleep early. We were able to go for lunch before we got the train back to Tokyo and boy was it worth the trip. This place has a cool contemporary feel and it's all about yuba. That's so cool. They take this super traditional Buddhist monks' food and turn it into a culinary adventure. If you don't know, yuba is a kind of tofu. It's the thin skin-like sheets that form on the top of heated soy milk. We ordered the Yuba set lunch. And it was great. The centerpiece is a roll--tender Japanese beef rolled in rice and held together with yuba. They give you some fresh wasabi--really really good fresh wasabi--and some soy milk to dip it in. It's great. The elasticity of the yuba, the grainy rice, the chewy and sinewy meat. Great contrast of complimentary textures. Then you get this incredibly high quality wasabi flavor to go with it. It feels very light but also very filling. Amazing. They also served a bowl with wild mushrooms and tofu in a light soy flavored sauce. The mushrooms were rich and their chewiness went nicely with the silky smooth chunk of tofu. They served a yuba roll with shrimp and wilted greens, in some sort of sweet syrupy sauce. The rolled yuba is a very different texture than the yuba on the beef roll. I think it's marinated int something that gives it sponginess. There was also a small bowl of soy milk pudding with sweet red beans and some other garnishes that I wasn't familiar with, but they were all delicious. The entire meal was interesting and unique but also felt traditional. I love that. It shows that the creativity is not pie in the sky, but rather grounded in a real understanding of ingredients, culture, and cooking. If you're looking to try Nikko's speciality: Yuba. And you want to do it in a contemporary setting that won't distract from tradition. This is a place for a great meal.  You'll probably have to wait to be seated, but it's worth the wait.