succor

Economic crisis is an emotional thing. People behave very differently and suddenly needs become very primal. It's not just the cooling fall weather this year: suddenly food becomes very important indeed. The news reports say that the stock of Campbell's soup rising, and that people are buying more inexpensive comfort foods, such as soup and mashed potatoes. We've been eating meatloaf, and when I spoke to my father the other day he was busy preparing a Hungarian Goulash.

I, too crave succor, though it takes it's incarnation a bit unusually in the form of TOFU.

Not just any tofu, though mind you. Not the horrid tofu casseroles of my childhood- made for health without any real culinary consideration.
No.
The tofu I crave is at En Brasserie on Hudson st in the village, NYC.
This is not the tofu of the 70's. En is a vast but inviting place, dark, with softly spot-lit wood tables. Whomever designed it clearly took "In Praise of Shadows"' advice to heart. It feels cocooning and snug, while being able to accommodate a surprising number of diners at the tables, sushi bar and front bar. While not technically an inexpensive joint- the sake prices are steep indeed- the dishes I like best are relatively cheap- the tofu clocks in at $8.- for a two-person sized bowl, not a bad deal at all.

It comes "served warm or chilled with wari-joyu , made regularly at 6:00, 7:30, 9:00, & 10:30", announces the menu proudly. And, indeed, it bears no resemblance to those industrial white bricks sheathed in plastic one gets at the super market. A bit like fresh Buffalla mozzarella, the tofu is rounded and soft , with a more solid part and an accompanying liquid cream part.
It is CUSTARDY!
One friend, L, described it as being :"Like creme brulee!" . She is right. Creamy, warm and fresh, it comes to your table in a lovely square wood lacquer bowl with a delicate wooden serving ladle. the eating bowls are of uneven, mottled pottery and come with dark wood soup spoons.
I like it warm, with cool sake to drink.
Sitting there, and my warmly spotlit table in the womb of the restaurant, I can momentarily escape the events of the day and the events yet-to-come.
Obviously, one needs to face the light of day and deal with things in a clear-headed way, but there are moments when a time out is needed...

visit them at : http://www.enjb.com/

212 647 9196

EN Japanese Brasserie
435 Hudson Street
(at Leroy)
New York NY 10014