Tofu Ukai

I had dinner at Tokyo Shiba Tofuya Ukai, located right next to Tokyo Tower. The moment you step inside, it feels like you’ve traveled back in time to old Edo. The atmosphere is beautiful, and I was able to enjoy traditional Japanese cuisine in a truly special setting. Sadly, the restaurant will be closing at the end of March 2026, so this was both my first and last visit. I’m grateful I had the chance to experience it.

Beautiful restaurant specializing in tofu that is right by Tokyo Tower. I had accidentally booked at a different location without realizing it until we had arrived at this location, but the staff were extremely kind and helped me cancel the original reservation and were able to seat us for dinner that night as well. We had the Hana set, and they gave us a private room with a beautiful view of the garden. The tofu dishes were delicious, but we've had better fish elsewhere. Prices were high, but it was worth it for the quality of tofu and service.

Love this place. All the meal served was delicious. Can't find anything to fault. If any I guess I wish I had more portion. Environment was serene. View of the garden felt like a breath of fresh air meanwhile located in the centre of Tokyo. The staff despite limited english was hospitable and attentive. Sad to hear the news that it's due to close. Wish to bring my family again for the last time if possible before it closes down. If able, go and visit. Definitely worth the visit.

This restaurant is in a beautiful location and delivers food to match. The gardens within the courtyards of the restaurant are spectacular and create a unique relaxing dining experience. The private rooms, each with a view of the gardens, further enhance the peaceful and relaxing feeling. The food is meticulously prepared with some truly standout dishes such as the deep fried tofu and the tofu in soup. The grilled sable fish also tasted amazing. The restaurant provides a window into some aspects of Japanese cuisine that are perhaps overlooked in the globally popular staples.

Beautiful garden with catfish. Private rooms with an awesome view. Customer service is unparalleled and the courses were delivered with perfect timing. The food is on the lighter tasting side, so if you like that, then this is the place to go. Personally not for me though. Favourite dish was the deep fried tofu.

The course meals were great. I didn't give it a 5/5 because some of the dish didn't suit my personal taste. Some folks who prefer a more mild and lighter flavor would probably give this a 5/5. Every dish was good, but based on the food itself it isn't worth the price. But if you add in the service and location view, I think it's definitely worth a visit during special occasions. I love the dessert the most! I don't recommend any of the tea. Tasted very watered down.

Exquisite! The gardens—both the main and the back—are stunning on their own, but with the Tokyo Tower in the background, the view is absolutely breathtaking. The service was impeccable; everyone was formal, attentive, and truly made us feel well taken care of. As for the food, each dish was wonderful. The first course, Sakihassun, was good, but it was the deep-fried tofu with miso that truly impressed. The sashimi was fresh and flavorful, and even my husband, who isn’t usually fond of sashimi, finished it with delight. The Tosui tofu was a delightful surprise—I didn’t know what to expect, but it was amazing. The Wagyu roasted beef was tender, though I couldn’t help but compare it to the bold flavors of a New York steak, like the ones at Gallagher’s. The steamed rice was great, though I did notice a slight hint of wood aroma in it. The poached apple was a lovely dessert to round off the meal. If it were just about the food, I’d give it 4 stars, but the exceptional view, beautiful gardens, and outstanding service really elevated the experience. Overall, it was an unforgettable dining experience.

Good traditional tofu restaurant! Very traditional Japanese food. We went there for lunch and ordered a preset menu. Be aware for big eaters, you may get hungry afterward. Vegetarian and light food

Tokyo Shiba Tofu Ukai offers a beautiful traditional Japanese dining experience right at the base of the iconic Tokyo Tower. Amazing grounds complete with pine trees, koi pond, a Torii gate in addition to many other aesthetic touches that are quintessential Japan. In the lobby there was a gorgeous ice sculpture display with maple leaves frozen into the ice, accompanied by wind chimes and uchiwa fans representing a summer theme and indigo yukata cloth draped in the shape of Tokyo Tower. Spoiler alert: even the toilet paper is beautiful! Private rooms with great temperature controlled air conditioning overlook Japanese gardens. This particular Shiba restaurant specializes in Tofu which was served to us in two different forms as part of a 5 course Kaiseki meal. Dinner was accompanied by a detailed menu in English which I forgot to photograph oops! It included a number of items which I had never before encountered in my life including wineberry, white dried shrimp, and stems of a plant that tasted like lemongrass and a type of pickled pumpkin The kaiseki didn't blow us away, but the soft tofu stewed in dashi and the poached fig in wine gelee were outstanding. The entrance is busy with guards directing traffic since this site is prime ideal for taking pictures of Tokyo Tower. The only sour note of the evening was the officious elderly man who greeted us upon our entry and took our picture. He was arrogant and rude in English and then the pix he took didn't even come out well! (Hand on forehead emoji!) Ambiance: 5 stars "picture perfect" quintessential traditional Japan Service: 4 stars a mix of good and bad Food: 4.7 stars Total: rounded up to 5 stars

A really nice restaurant under the Tokyo Tower. You walk through a winding entrance and into a nicely manicured courtyard. We had a hosted party in one of the private room with private service. I think even if we ate outside of the private rooms, the service would still be exceptional. I don't really recall I ever had bad services in Japan. We had a set menu revolve around tofu and it was unique. All of the dishes were beautifully crafted and really delicious. Glad to had the opportunity to experience this restaurant while in Tokyo. Looked at the price of set dishes at this restaurant and it is reasonably priced. Hopefully next trip the exchange rate is still favorable and would definitely go back to experience other dishes on the menu.

My wife's dear friends who live in Japan picked us up at our hotel and took us to the Tokyo Tower (as we'd never been there) and then to lunch at a place adjacent to the tower, Tofuya Ukai. Japan continues to amaze me; how can there be an ocean of tranquility next to one of the major attractions in Tokyo? Unless you knew of its existence, you'd bypass a treasure. While we waited for our appointed time, we toured the grounds and marveled at the gardens, ponds, trees ... we were transported back in time to a quieter place, a quieter time. We were shown to a private room overlooking the gardens and feasted on a multi-course lunch ... I consider it to be the finest meal I had in three weeks in Japan. We began with Sakihassun, an appetizer tray with mashed tofu and chrysanthemum salad, chestnut, gingko nut, sweet potato, scallop with crispy brown rice, boiled shrimp sushi, and grilled and simmered sweetfish seasoned with sansho pepper. All I could say was "sublime". Next up was the best tofu dish I've ever had ... deep-fried tofu with miso. We'd seen a chef preparing this as we walked the grounds ... How can something so simple be so good? Next was assorted sashimi of the day. The fourth course was a dish of simmered eggplant and herring. I love eggplant and herring so this disappeared in seconds. The fifth course was not a favorite of our host ... Tofu in warm konbu seaweed soup. I liked it but one has to be accustomed to slimy foods ... it brought memories of natto, which I love. Next was a dish of deep-fried trout with vinegared vegetables. I was full but the food was so good I couldn't stop. At last, a rice dish ... steamed rice with seasonal mushrooms. Such a simple dish, such complex flavors. Finally, a poached pear in sugar and white wine syrup ... paired with ocha, it was the perfect ending to a perfect meal. Domo arigato Ichiko-san and John-san. You are too kind! If you're in Tokyo and can secure a reservation, you will not be disappointed. Tofuya Ukai ... perfection!

Very nice place to eat while you are in Tokyo. One of the finest place to eat while you are here it's a 3 star Michelin restaurant.

Amazing food, great ambiance, service was prompt. The fresh tofu (made at your table) was a unique experience.

Nice locate food and services Cross the street from the social media hot photo spots !

I love love love this place. What's not to love when you're being served delicious foods of the season in a nice private room with a view of a very pretty Japanese garden. I got the 8 course vegetarian lunch meal. By the end, I needed someone to roll me out. LoL. (Yes, they have non vegetarian meals as well.) -Peanut Tofu, Radish Pickles, Lily Bulb Tempura, Vegetable Sushi -Deep Fried Tofu with Miso -Yuba Sashimi -Baked Yam Potato -Tofu in Seasoned Soy Milk Served Warm -Vegetable Tempura -Steamed Rice with Sweet Potato & Ginko Nut -Persimmon & Azuki Beans Everything was so delicious. It's one place that I would like to go to each time I visit Japan. The lunch is about $150 per person, which is better than dinner which can run at least $250 per person.

I never thought I could love tofu so much! Tokyo Shiba Tofu-ya ukai is a true authentic Japanese dining experience! It's best to go with a local for translation purposes. The service is impeccable, the dishes served here was amongst the finest Japanese food that I have ever had. The outside garden was beautiful as well as the Japanese architecture. It felt like I traveled back in time to the early Edo period, with the giant Tokyo tower in the back ground to bring me back to the present. You have to try the Tofu build in a hot pot of season soy milk and the deep fried tofu coated with miso. My strongest suggestion is to just go with what your host or server suggests for you. No matter what you have here it will be good and you will leave here with memories that will last for your whole life.

Located near the Tokyo Tower, tofuya ukai transports you to an older era of Japan. You make your way through their gardens and to the front door where the staff greets you. They'll take you on a tour of their grounds, possibly stopping by an outside kitchen area where you see one of the workers fry up some tofu. If you have a camera, the staff will help snap some pictures. You then enter a private dining area. The staff knows some english so that helps with the communication. We went for lunch and the whole experience is great. You get to have some traditional Japanese food in a very nice and relaxing setting. Going for lunch does save you a lot of money so keep that in mind if you want to visit. All the dishes were great and beautifully presented! I believe there are two sets for lunch and they're about 5800 and 6900Y. It was a great lunch, but not one that you would go on if you are in a hurry. It does take about 90 minutes to 2 hours to eat.

Absolutely, a fantastic place in the middle of Tokyo. It is a beautiful place. You never imagine such a place exit next to Tokyo Tower. The evening gives a great light up to the garden and the Tokyo Tower. The food is very good. They give you a variety of Tofu-based dishes. some of you may say, it is tofu. But, I can guarantee that you will enjoy the food. It may not be the best of the best but it is above average (four out of five). I absolutely use this to bring guests from foreign countries.

Ok, so this is one of those places that you are going to spend a pretty penny. My husband made a reservation and it's a set menu. The entire dining experience was probably about 2 hours, so just make sure you set enough time for this place. Out of all the dishes we had, the things that stood out the most were the deep fried tofu, fried eggplant & wild duck, and the charcoal-grilled beef. Everything else was delicious as well, but if I had to choose those were the winners. The first dish was an appetizer with a few bite size pieces. The corn tempura was really good, crunchy, flaky, and not too oily at all. The deep friend tofu had an excellent texture, perfect amount of miso flavor spread over the tofu for each bite. I honestly normally do not care for eggplant, but there eggplant was prepared so well. I believe it must have been grilled. The outside of the eggplant was covered with sauce but there were varying textures of it, crispier on the outside and soft in the inside. It was sweet. I wish there was more duck, but the duck was tender. However, I think the real winner that night was the charcoal-grilled beef. It was perfectly cooked and seared to a medium rare. With just the right amount of seasoning to just melt right in your mouth. Overall it was a great experience, you do have to take off your shoes when you are in dining area, so if you are a bit conscious about that, just make sure you clean your feet before you go. :)

We were advised that reservations were needed so we made them before we left for Tokyo. (When I called I was pleased that they spoke English and they had no trouble understanding the type of room we desired) Perhaps because it was a weekday lunch we probably would have been seated without a reservation anyway. So if you want to chance it, going for lunch might be your best bet in getting a table. We were very glad we were able to experience a meal there. The women were elegantly dressed in kimono something I remember in the tea houses or Canlis that were on Oahu many years ago. There are 55 private rooms, each with a view of a Japanese garden. There were three types of rooms that we were able to choose from, Western, traditional (the one where you sit on the floor) and the one we chose - a recessed floor for your legs. We had read other views and thought the two hour period to eat lunch was an exaggeration, it wasn't. We ordered a Take and two Matsu. The difference between the two is slight. The grade of sashimi was a bit better in the Matsu and the Matsu comes with an additional course of trout. The group had to decide what type of tofu soup we wanted because we all had to have the same course, either tofu in soy milk or tofu in seaweed soup. We chose the latter. While my son thought the dishes that featured tofu were exceptional, as I guess it should be when tofu is in part of your name. The first course was my favorite, the one I ate slowly and savored every bite. It was described as sesame tofu with dashing and wasabi. It looked like a light brown tofu but it tasted like sesame mochi. I love mochi and because of its similarity to it, I loved this dish. Everything was wonderful but nine courses were too much (and I didn't eat a few dishes - sashimi, chilled soup,part of the trout and the hijiki rice) and I was stuffed. Yes, it was a bit pricey but for the quality and perhaps the quantity, the amount of time we spent it was well worth it and we would do it again.

another memorable dining experience in tokyo, one that we will never forget! my friend had recommended that we go to tofuya ukai, so i immediately made a resv for the restaurant as soon as the resv opened up. located at the base of the tokyo tower, tofuya ukai is a beautiful secret zen garden tucked away in the hustle bustle of tokyo that creates the perfect setting for lunch. you'll feel like you've traveled back in time to the edo period with kimono wearing staff and long hallways of tatami floored rooms. we were greeted at the entrance of the restaurant, given a tour of the restaurant, then eventually guided to our private dining room upstairs, overlooking the central garden where the fried tofu "hut" was. our lunch consisted of 8-courses ranging in a variety of appetizers, sashimi, soup, and rice. each with delicate flavors, beautiful presentation, and perfect portions. service was impeccable. each dish was timed perfectly. we didn't feel like we were rushed, or waiting for our next dish. we had some time to breathe before moving on to our next dish. after your meal you're free to roam around the restaurant grounds and soak in the views the restaurant has to offer. price point is absolutely reasonable considering the number of courses, quality of food, service, and obviously location. would totally come back again!

Very famous Kaiseki place in Tokyo. The house architecture is beautiful with nice ponzai and traditional Japanese decoration. Beautiful! The food courses are very yummy. We picked the 13500 yen option. The green pea soup is amazing. The tofu courses are also great. The sashimi is very fresh. The cooked fish is a bit mediocre.

A beautiful venue in the middle of a garden from a long bygone era of Japan. It may have not been the best value for ¥16000, but its a great place to take guests and is certainly one of the more unique restaurants in Japan, with a kaiseki centered around soy products. We got beautiful private room overlooking the garden, and all in all it was, as a whole, a vastly satisfying experience. They were very accommodating, allowing us to do different set menus for different guests in the same sitting. There is nothing particularly special about the quality of their sushi, though their tofu products highlighted soy in ways I've never experienced before. Some were more gimmicky than others, for example, the tosui tofu which featured a slightly savoury soy milk poured over some high quality tofu. I couldn't help but imagine that a broth made out of fish products would have better enhanced the dish. Still, this is a special occasion type of venue, not somewhere you drop by for a lunch when you're hungry, and thinking of it in that context it really was a five star experience. Service was excellent from when we were greeted to when we left. As a special touch, when there was some incongruity in the courses served, they included complementary dishes so that a few party members wouldn't be left out of a particular round. Very thoughtful and impressive. This might not be the best food in Tokyo, but its hard for me to think of a better place to take a group of guests.

Love this place, a great dining experience in Tokyo, the garden is beautiful, food are amazing, hope will come back again.

Situated right by the foot of Tokyo Tower is Ukai Tofu, a culinary and cultural experience. The restaurant is located in a green and lush traditional Japanese garden. Once you enter you're greeted by a waitress dressed in traditional Japanese Kimono who calmly ushers you to your private sitting room... Talk about fancy! This restaurant is famous for their tofu kaiseki meal, but I think that they have quite a few non-tofu offerings in their set as well. Dish after dish is beatifiully presented by the lovely Kimono wearing women - (I'm always amazed that they can appear so graceful and nimble while wearing the Kimono and Geta shoes!!). The lunch starts from 5,500yen, but I highly recommend this restaurant if you have out of town guests and want to show them a taste of traditional "Japan". Just make sure you have a good 2 hours or more to spend eating and walking around the gardens.

This had to have been one of the most unique dining experiences I have had. We came here based on reviews and it's location to the tower which we wanted to visit and it did not disappoint! The service is impeccable and the entire staff (from the ones that greet you outside, to the front desk, to the waiters) are so friendly and helpful! If you are looking for a traditional japanese experience, this is where you need to come! We had spent the rest of our meals in Tokyo in little shacks and upscale malls so this was a great change of pace. The staff wears traditional clothing and shoes. They greet you outside and walk you thru the garden which is beautiful. Full of dragonflies and has a koi pond. Very peaceful. We didn't have a reservation but they had no issues getting us a table at 1:30pm on a Friday afternoon. They presented us with the set menu options. We weren't starving so we chose the smallest menu. They walked us through a couple areas, a tea room, a room where they show you how sake is made and then up a flight of stairs to our private dining room. You have to take your shoes off outside. Then they tell you, if you need to use the bathroom, to use their traditional japanese slippers. So fun. The view from our room was of another garden and koi pond. It was absolutely beautiful. Our menu consisted of 9 courses. I loved all of them, except the octopus... Ekkk... although I'm sure people who have the taste for this would really like. My hubby didn't think it was bad.... he also didn't think it was good though. haha. I was a little disappointed in the tofu though!!! I read reviews saying it was amazing and I just thought it was good. I love tofu so I was expecting something "knock your socks off" delicious. It was pretty bland. The soy and seaweed help, not it wasn't my favorite. They whole meal lasted about 2 hrs and costed about $100USD for both of us. What a deal for such a unique dining experience!!! If you are in the area and have the time, I would suggest this place in a heartbeat!!! I found it reasonably priced (however I understand it's cheaper during lunch and on a weekday so plan accordingly. I saw their other menus were double if not almost triple!!!) Also, we got lucky with a time slot so I would highly recommend a reservation. We got the last private room! Lastly, we got the smallest course and were STUFFED we didn't even touch the rice and hand trouble finishing a couple courses.

I guess Tofu-based dining doesn't get much better than this. Fantastic authentic environment with private dining rooms. We were there for lunch so the menu was probably a bit smaller than for dinner. I do think tofu works best for lunch though. The dishes came in a somewhat rapid pace but it wasn't stressful. The soy milk soup with a super large chunk of tofu wasn't that good but the rest were excellent. I had the completely vegetarian menu so some dishes differ from the menu in the picture.

Woah! A vegetarian tasting menu with fresh, house made tofu. The building/gardens are incredible and the service is classic Japanese. Brilliant.

Suddenly appear Japanese garden in the middle of Tokyo. The location is TOFU KAISEKI(豆腐懐石) restaurant "Ukai". Typical Japanese house in the Japanese garden. We can see the garden from each private room. TOFU KAISEKI looks like simple dishes. But I think that there is a great effort. Everything very delicious and very beautiful. This is a beautiful Japanese "WASHOKU". 東京のど真ん中、 東京タワー下にある豆腐懐石の「うかい」。 各個室からは中庭も見渡せる造りになっていて お庭に囲まれた佇まいが 都会の喧騒を忘れさせてくれます。 豆腐懐石はシンプルに見えますが どれも手間暇のかかった丁寧なお皿が並びます。 美味しいのはもちろん、見た目にも美しく、 その優味は日々酷使する内蔵に沁み渡るようです。 お料理だけでなくスタッフの方々にも 表面的ではない「おもてなし」を感じられて とても充実したお食事と空間を堪能できる 貴重な１軒だと思います。

Pretty good food at high prices. It one of the most beautiful restaurants in Tokyo. Worth going just to see the buildings and gardens. I often take out-of-town visitors. One would never expect to see such a huge restaurant (including the gardens) at the foot of Tokyo Tower or anywhere in central Tokyo

This is a beautiful traditional Japanese restaurant which gives you such a calm and gracious feeling from the moment you walk into the gardens which lead into the building. There is a set menu for lunch & dinner served by traditionally dressed waitresses (who speak quite good English) and it is such an experience it is worth the expense for when you visit Tokyo!

One of THE best places to bring friends from overseas or to come on a special occasion. Old Japan in the middle of Tokyo. Every seat is in a private room. Seats four up to 20 or 30. Weekday lunches start at a reasonable ¥6000 pp. More on weekends and nights. Must book in advance because it is very popular.

If you only experience a kaiseki style meal once in your lifetime, Tokyo Tofuya Kai is the place to do it. Kaiseki (懐石) or kaiseki-ryōri (懐石料理) is a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner. It demonstrates a collection of skills and techniques that allow the preparation of such meals. You are graciously served each course by a server dressed in traditional Japanese attire, in your very own private dining room overlooking the bonsai and zen gardens. Simply breathtaking and delicious! It is nestled under the Tokyo Tower, and as you enter the stunning, immaculately manicured grounds you feel as if you have been whisked away into a real life, carefully preserved secret garden. The best meals in my lifetime have not only delivered beyond exceptional food, but have left a lasting impression on me visually and emotionally. Tofuya is in my top three of international meals that will forever resonate in my mind. I was intrigued to find this sophisticated cuisine masterfully prepared by a chef out in the middle of the garden, in his private glass walled kitchen. Truly a delight hidden around every corner, make a reservation here if you are ever able to explore the Tokyo area!

This was my favorite meal of entire trip to Japan. You have to make a reservation even if the place isn't full. So keep that in mind. It is right near Tokyo Tower. The menu gives you options to do seafood style tofu meal or fish. I chose fish and my wife chose the seafood style. Each dish that they served was delicious. It made me want more of each. Service was excellent. I highly recommend eating here, you will enjoy it very much.

This is single handedly the best restaurant experience I've ever had! We were invited to dinner by some of my family's business connections but we had no idea where they would take us. We were picked up at our hotel by a driver who took us there. The minute I stepped outside of the car there was a lovely lady dressed in a kimono who escorted me with an umbrella. We went through a beautiful and tranquil Japanese garden before we came to the actual restaurant. Once inside we were given a tour of the venue (that resembled a mansion more than a restaurant). We where then escorted to our own private room overlooking the beautiful japanese garden and Tokyo Tower. The food itself was amazing! They specialized in tofu, so we got many tofu based dishes. I remember getting grilled tofu glazed in honey, absolutely beautiful! We were served sake and the staff and service was impeccable. This is the best Japanese food I've ever had! It's so much more than fine dining, it's an experience! An experience I will never forget. If you're in Tokyo I can't recommend this place enough! Just go!

Fabulous dinner tonight under Tokyo tower. A very special night with very special people. Thank you Minobe San.

Loved the dining experience here at this tranquil restaurant located at the base of Tokyo Tower. Service was lovely and impeccable. The food was fresh, filling, and beautifully prepared. The view is stunning and full of greenery. We lucked out with the weather the day we went so that just made the whole experience even more enjoyable. If you're looking for a fine dining experience doesn't feel like a total scene, this place is worth checking out.

A must try. Outstanding food and services. Location could be a tad bit further away from centre of tokyo but the scenery of their garden is to die for.

Beautiful garden, dining room and dishes for a kaiseki experience close to the tower. Go if you are looking for refined cuisine in a tranquil setting. The hospitality of the staff and especially our individual server is wonderful matching the presentation of each exquisite bite.

Hidden in a garden near the base of Tokyo Tower, this restaurant transports you back in time: from the tranquil garden, the architecture, to the traditional kimono of your servers. Went in for lunch and was escorted to a private dining area. Series of dishes were brought out, so many I lost count. My favorite definitely was the deep fried tofu. It was awesome!! Recommend even if you're not a fan of tofu!!

Came here on a whim because the place we wanted to go was closed. Less busy on a weekday and ended up very excited and satisfied with both the meal and the venue. Great value for the price

Nice place. Quiet and exquisite. Environment so good. Dishes come a little slow though.

Found it way overrated, cheesy even. You must get the set menu, which is pricey, and everything was one note. The only good things were the 2 tofu dishes and the 1 beef dish (all very tiny) on the 9 or 10 course menu. Took too long, too formal, and didn't seem like the real Tokyo. We wished we had gotten ramen in the train station instead. I'm sad to review it this way, since everyone is always so nice, but I had to warn fellow travelers!

Outstanding 9 course lunch with sake. Food excellent and service impeccable. A wonderful experience!