When you hear “omakase,” you probably envision a series of premium sushi bites carefully prepared by an experienced chef. Japanese restaurant Miraha Tofuten, the newest brainchild of award-winning chef Gaggan Anand and his peers, offers an omakase-style service, but with a twist—the discreet eatery is Thailand’s, and probably the world’s, first tofu omakase diner.
As the story goes, Gaggan fell in love with the tofu from this 57-year-old bean curd eatery in Fukuoka called Mihara. He was so into it that he convinced food blogger Tan Raitiemtarn, and restaurateurs Varesara “Big” Smitasir of Khua Kling Pak Sod and Takeshi Fukuyama of La Maison de La Nature Goh—to bring this tofu experience to Bangkok, with plans to elevate it with his signature visionary style.
Set in a converted townhouse, the Mihara Tofuten in Bangkok is discreetly hidden in a small alley away from the bustle of the main Narathiwat drag. The entrance leads you through a compactsized zen-like garden and into a minimalist dining room.
The menu revolves around 16-course dishes (B4,900). The set arouses the appetite with the creamy tofu milk that’s served with a teaspoon of yuzu jam. This is followed by a three-course bento meal featuring Mihara’s signature yuki tofu, which is so soft, hence the name (yuki means “snow” in Japanese), but still full-flavored. The rest of the meal is, in true omakase-style “up to the chef,” who will take you on a heavenly tofu journey with creative dishes like zaru tofu (bamboo basket-aged tofu) topped with ikura (salmon roe) and chopped roselle; momen tofu, a slightly rough-textured tofu; and A5 Hokkaido wagyu in aromatic French onion soup inspired by sukiyaki broth (or Hokkaido king crab shabu in tofu broth). You even get tofu dessert such as tofu ice cream with peach jam; tofu blancmange, a Japanese-style pudding with ginger jam and an espresso shot; and tofu chocolate.
Mihara Tofuten is out to prove that tofu is so versatile that it can be turned into many delectable dishes. To guarantee freshness and authenticity, the tofu is delivered daily from the Mihara factory in Fukuoka, which also partly explains why a meal at the restaurant is quite pricey.
The place has just started serving lunch, which is more affordable starting at B1,750 from five courses.