How many ways can I declare my love for tofu? Tenderly and melt in the mouth soft tofu in miso soup, with a reduced sweet marinade in a salad, or with a hint of sweetness in a dessert served in black sesame sauce.
This is a ma and pa operation, but not as you know it. Set in a corner shop with a zen like approach to minimal decoration, it is pleasing to the eyes and ears alike. The simple matcha green chairs and bamboo prints are pleasing on the eye and given an understated feel, though for more action, pull up a stool by the slick wenge counter. You won't be intimidated if you don't dress like a model to come here, though the locals have the knack of being comfortable and fashionable at the same time. It is in the tasting that this ma and pa team's love of true and trusted recipes combined with labour of love intensive techniques shine.
The expatriate crowd have caught in on the act as well, and expect some English conversation in the background as you wait for your meal. On this particular Sunday a group of English and Canadian ladies are in sight. Having lived here for over 10 years, they highly recommended this spot for their weekly fix. "Go for the soft shell fried crab", the English lady chimed, but I was distracted by the Miyazaki niwatori, the free range chicken acclaimed as the best white meat in the world.
The sashimi raw fish and salad set is a stand out, though my companion insisted on having the spring roll and salad set. It is not exactly home cooking, but much better, definitely worth leaving your home for a special treat.
For dessert they also have matcha green tea ice cream, though if you are wanting a more traditional Japanese option, the tofu is a must, with the nuttiness and creaminess of the best cream cheese with a hint of sweetness served in black sesame sauce.
Yashiro is set on a street corner in a modest brick apartment building off Tamatsukuri-suji, though if you blink you would probably miss it. It is also diagonally opposite the Osaka International Church, and the Osaka Jogakuin Girls Junior High School. The students and teachers must have a hard time walking past here with an empty stomach.
