Tofu is an "Asian Cafe" in the center of town that provides reasonably priced food in a casual environment. Wooden tables and wide chairs fill the square hall, which is decorated with a largely orange color scheme and creates a relaxing atmosphere backed by quiet pop music and a friendly waitstaff. The Chinese head chef prepares dishes from his own country and a range of Japanese, Vietnamese and Thai food. In addition, there are a few other international oddities found on the drinks and dessert menus, adding to the mix of styles in the cafe, which opened in the middle of last year.

After drinking the complimentary mulled wine, we went for cocktails rather than the bottled beer or small selection of wine on offer. I opened with a Pisco Long Island Iced Tea (195 rubles), but the Chilean liquor overpowered the gin and other components, so I reverted to normal Long Islands (180 rubles) after that. The spouse stuck to standard strawberry margaritas (180 rubles).

We steered clear of the sushi, having eaten too much of it recently – it’s getting increasingly difficult to avoid it in Moscow, with its restaurants awash in raw fish. Surely there’s a point where the market reaches the saturation point – I mean, the next step is for old ladies to start trading California rolls outside metro stations for strategic differentiation from their product portfolio of pies. We began with a pair of salads, well chosen from the pictorial food menu, an enjoyable eggplant and Chinese lettuce (95 rubles) and a refreshing tofu and tomato dish (135 rubles), which came with sesame sauce and good tofu.

A second starter followed, the wife having two good-quality chicken and shrimp spring rolls (175 rubles), while I chose stuffed eggplants with minced lamb (220 rubles), which were deep-fried in rice batter and came with a tangy dip. Moving to the main course, I went for the Japanese approach of chicken teriyaki (210 rubles), while the spouse had Thai-style chicken breast with vegetables (225 rubles). These were both fine, though, as is so often the case with Asian food in Moscow, Tofu’s dishes are not as spicy as one could wish – a bottle of hot chili sauce on the side doesn’t really make amends.

To seal the meal, my beloved added a few calories with a sponge and caramel Esterhazy cake (140 rubles) topped with chocolate powder and washed down by a mint tea (75 rubles) packed with leaves. I increased my girth through Philadelphia cream cheese spring rolls (165 rubles) and a thick, layered chocolate latte (120 rubles). The rolls were particularly original: crispy batter filled with cream cheese, with a fruit-jam dip supplying tangy contrast.

We left Tofu relatively full and happy. The portions aren’t huge, but the food is fine and inexpensive for the middle of Moscow. It’s the sort of place you can go to for a chat with friends without being drowned out by loud music or constantly ambushed by the exaggerated attentions of waiters. In addition, experimenting with tasty Oriental dishes is always good fun.

Tofu

2-4/2 Mal. Dmitrovka Ul.

Metro: Pushkinskaya

Tel: 299-3073