Atsuage Tartar (Grilled Fried Tofu with Japanese Egg Tartar)
Atsuage tartar nose (厚揚げタルタルのせ): a slab of thick fried tofu grilled until the edges char, then topped with a creamy, yolk-rich Japanese tartar sauce made with Kewpie, chopped egg, and pickled onion. It's finished with aonori and crispy fried onion, with napa pickles on the side.
Crackly charred fried tofu under a rich blanket of Japanese egg tartar. An Ueno izakaya favorite.
Yield
2 portions (as a shared plate)
Time
30 minutes
Equipment
- Grill, broiler, or cast-iron skillet
- Small pot (for eggs)
- Mixing bowl + fork
- Paper towels
- Pastry brush
- Kitchen torch (optional)
- Rectangular serving plate
Ingredients
- Tofu
- 1 block atsuage (thick fried tofu), about 300 g
- 5 g shoyu, for brushing
- Japanese egg tartar
- 2 large eggs, boiled 9 minutes (jammy-firm), peeled
- 1 extra egg yolk, soft-boiled 6 minutes (optional, for the glossy yellow look)
- 60 g Kewpie mayonnaise
- 20 g onion, finely minced, soaked in cold water 5 minutes, and squeezed dry
- 15 g rakkyo (pickled shallot) or cornichons, finely minced
- 5 g lemon juice or rice vinegar
- 2 g sugar
- Salt and white pepper
- Optional: 1 tsp chopped parsley
- Garnish
- Aonori (green seaweed flakes)
- Crispy fried onions or shallots
- On the side
- Hakusai asazuke (lightly salted napa cabbage pickles)
Instructions
- Make the tartar: finely chop the boiled eggs (or mash them with a fork for a smoother, more yellow sauce). Mix with the Kewpie, soaked onion, rakkyo, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and white pepper. For the glossy yellow top like at the izakaya, fold in a soft-boiled yolk. Chill until needed.
- Prep the tofu: pour boiling water over the atsuage to rinse off excess frying oil, then pat very dry.
- Grill: over high heat (or under the broiler, or in a dry cast-iron pan), cook 3–4 minutes per side until crisp with charred edges. Brush lightly with shoyu in the last minute.
- Cut the tofu into 4–6 pieces, keeping the block shape, and set it on the plate.
- Spoon a generous layer of tartar over the hot tofu and let it slump down the sides. If you like, give the top a quick pass with a kitchen torch or 30 seconds under the broiler to warm and lightly blister it.
- Shower with aonori and crispy fried onions. Serve with napa pickles on the side.
Why It Works
Atsuage is already fried, so grilling it re-crisps the skin and adds char while the inside stays soft and custardy. Japanese tartar is richer and sweeter than Western versions because it's built on Kewpie, which is made with egg yolks and rice vinegar, plus a pinch of sugar. Mashing some of the egg makes it creamy and yellow, and soaking the onion takes away its harsh bite. The cool, tangy tartar against the hot, smoky tofu is the whole point, and a quick torch just barely warms the top so it melts into the crust. Aonori adds a toasty sea note, crispy onions add crunch, and the napa pickles cut the richness between bites.
Pairings
- Ice-cold Japanese lager or a lemon sour (remon sawa)
- Dry junmai sake
- Other plates from the same board: karikari cheese, shio-dare kyuri, paripari piman
Tasting Journal
Where I had it: Motsuyaki Sakaba Tonbou (もつ焼き酒場 豚坊), a lively, affordable motsuyaki izakaya near Ameyoko in Ueno, Tokyo, during the September 2026 Japan trip. It was listed on the handwritten specials board as 厚揚げタルタルのせ (¥500). The same board had the karikari cheese, crispy peppers (パリパリピーマン), and salt-dare cucumber (塩だれきゅうり).