Kyotofu Japanese Dessert Bar in New York City (NYC)

Never one to pass up on sweet desserts, my friends and I ventured into Midtown West to search for Kyotofu, the relatively new Japanese dessert bar getting a lot of positive buzz for their innovative small plate dishes and delectable tofu desserts. It was a bit hard to find (if you're unsure of the address or cross streets, as I was), with only a discreet, hard-to-spot red-lined sign set against the whitewashed wall to indicate the wooden door entrance. A full-height glass window entices passers-by to peek inside Kyotofu at all the happy folk by the bar downing their desserts and sake. Fortunately, there was space available at Kyotofu's main dining room, and we were soon led to our table. The simple, low-key, elegant design extends into the minimalist dining room which is lined with white cushions, combined with wooden panelling and recessed lighting.

My friend Rinna had been to Kyotofu a few times, and since she had a lot of dessert recommendations, I opted for the three-course Kaiseki dessert sampler ($17) with sake pairing (additional $14). No, I wasn't trying to get drunk, but since I had heard a lot about Kyotofu I wanted to try as many dishes as possible. The first course is the signature sweet tofu served with kuromitsu black sugar sauce topped by candied apricot. Mmmm...simple yet delectably sweet! The sesame shochu (distilled Japanese liquor) on the rocks provided a complimentary strong, bright finish that jolted my taste buds. So far so good.

Next up was the Japanese okayu rice pudding, made with ginger infused soymilk, seven spice tuile and candied ginger (I admit, I'm reading off the cardboard menu). Unfortunately I neglected to take a picture of it, busy as I was savoring each bit of flavor. Rinna ordered the warm raspberry mochi chocolate cake topped by green tea anko cream, almond nougatine and kinako gelee, and yes, it was as delicious as it sounded. Yet another sharply sweet fancy-schmancy concoction especially the raspberry inside the chocolate.

Last course were a couple of chewy green tea-dipped cookies with almonds and sesame seeds paired with plum sake, a lighter less sweet version of plum wine. Speaking of sake, due to a minor snafu with bringing out the sake pairings, Kyotofu management provided complementary glasses of Komekome (Happy Bride) seasonal sake to our table, which was easily the best among the ones I tasted. A lovely gesture on their part.

Moreover, Kyotofu offers a dizzying array of cocktails (shochu caipirinha anyone?), sake, and appetizers (e.g. cheese, rice balls) as well. Perfect for a light snack or after-hours hangout. Note that the menu at Kyotofu changes every season, so all the more reason to keep coming back to sample their desserts and satisfy your sweet tooth. I know I will.