The exclusive specialty here is tofu, prepared in more ways than you can imagine—boiled, steamed, stir-fried with minced crabmeat, served in a custard, wrapped in thin layers around a delicate whitefish paste. Tofu is touted as the perfect high-protein, low-calorie health food; at Ume no Hana it is raised to the elegance of haute cuisine. Enter this restaurant from a flagstone walk lined with traditional stone lanterns, and remove your shoes when you step up to the main room. Latticed wood screens separate the tables. Private dining rooms have tatami seating with recesses under the tables so you can stretch your legs. Prix-fixe meals include a complimentary aperitif.
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