Not Another Food Blog

Gourmet travels: Agedashi tofu, Tokyo

I’ve neglected my little baby blog for far too long, my last entry was just before I left on my mini travel adventure in early October. Over those six weeks I visited Tokyo, Nepal, Paris, Madrid, and Bangkok. It feels only natural that I should  tell you about all the beautiful food I had along the way. First in the series of my gourmet travels entries is Agedashi tofu, Tokyo, Japan.

Eating Agedashi tofu makes me think of my nanna’s big hugs, getting my cold feet into warm woolen socks, and cashmere sweaters.  It’s like some kind of Japanese velvet, dressed in crispy jackets lying patiently in a broth with its snow peaks barely out pulling you into a sweet dream. Poetic!

Agedashi tofu, often shortened to ‘age tofu’, is made from silken firm tofu that’s been cut into cubes, lightly  dusted with potato starch or cornstarch and deep fried until crispy and golden. It’s served in a hot tentsuyu broth and topped with finely chopped spring onion or grated daikon.

I had this particular Agedashi tofu in a chain restaurant called Doma Doma in Tokyo. It’s a very common dish and can be easily found in every Japanese eatery in Australia. What makes a good Agedashi? For me it has to be super fresh, brought to the table straight from the frier. There is nothing worse than a soggy Agedashi tofu. Also, the broth should be flavoursome but mild at the same time so it doesn’t overpower the subtle taste of tofu itself. I prefer smaller cubes of tofu so there is more of that yummy crispy skin, which is exactly how it was served at Doma Doma.