Welcome to 100 Dishes to Eat Now, the tasty countdown leading up to our “Best of 2012” issue. Tune in each day (weekends too!) for a new dish from the Fork in the Road team.
[See More 100 Dishes: Sai Krok E-San at Chao Thai Too, Dish #50 | Pannelle Special from Ferdinando’s Focacceria, Dish #51]
Freshly scooped tofu from EN Japanese Brasserie, $11, Dish #49
Tofu can reveal the beauty of fresh soy milk and its capacity for texture and flavor. Really! Over the years, chef Abe Hiroko has converted many a hater with this extraordinarily simple dish.
Every hour or so, EN makes a small batch of fresh soy milk, heats it up, then mixes it with nigari, the magnesium chloride extracted from sea water that nudges the milk, encouraging it to transform into a rich, creamy custard. The fresh curd is served warm and wobbly under a layer of milk.
It arrives with a side of warijoyu — a mellow mix of soy sauce, dashi (the wonderfully fishy broth of seaweed and dried tuna) and sweet mirin. Season with warijoyu as you scoop, but be gentle: The delicate tofu can barely hold itself together.
EN Japanese Brasserie
435 Hudson Street
212-647-9196