Crispy Tofu — The Spring Roll Board That Brought Everyone to the Table

Mother's Day week. Took Mai out for breakfast at a small Vietnamese place on Bellaire — a hole-in-the-wall that serves bánh cuốn (steamed rice rolls with ground pork and wood ear mushrooms) on Sunday mornings, the way you can only get them in Vietnam or in places like this. Mai ate slow. She approves of bánh cuốn here. The owner came out to pour her tea personally because he knows who she is — knows because Mai cooked for his mother's funeral fifteen years ago, and the owner has not forgotten and never will. Vietnamese networks are long and silent and they hold.

I gave Mai a bouquet of yellow chrysanthemums — her flower, the one she puts on the family altar — and a card I wrote in my terrible handwriting that said: "Thank you for the boat. Thank you for the kitchen. I love you." Three sentences. Mai read it twice. She put it on the kitchen table next to the salt shaker. She didn't cry, because Mai doesn't cry in front of me, but she touched my forearm and said, "Bao, you are a good son." She used my Vietnamese name. She only does that for things that matter.

Made spring rolls (gỏi cuốn — the fresh ones, not the fried) for dinner Saturday with Emma and Ava. Ava is two months from her second birthday and developing strong opinions. She wanted to roll her own, which means I rolled hers and pretended she did it. The shrimp inside, the rice noodles, the lettuce, the herbs — basil, mint, cilantro — all on a board on the table. Daniel dipped his in nuoc cham. Ava dipped hers in ranch dressing because Ava has discovered ranch dressing and it has become an issue. I let her. The rule of toddlers is don't fight the dipping sauce battle, fight the eating-vegetables battle, and the spring roll has lettuce inside, so the dipping sauce is irrelevant to the win.

Lily called late Saturday from the restaurant. James had cut his hand prepping — not bad, three stitches at urgent care, back to work in the morning. Lily said, "I was scared." I said, "You'll be scared a lot. Get used to it." She said, "Thanks, Dad, very reassuring." I said, "I'm honest, not reassuring." She laughed. Honesty is the family currency.

The spring roll board on Saturday — the rice paper, the herbs, the shrimp, all of it spread out so Ava could pretend she was rolling her own — reminded me that the best meals are the ones where everyone’s hands are in it. Whenever I set that board up now, I add a plate of crispy tofu alongside the shrimp, because it tucks into the rice paper just as well and gives Emma something to reach for first. Mai would approve: nothing on the table goes to waste, and crispy tofu disappears faster than you’d think, even when the two-year-old is busy negotiating ranch dressing rights.

Crispy Tofu

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 block (14 oz) extra-firm tofu
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil (avocado or vegetable), for the pan
• Sesame seeds and sliced scallions, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Press the tofu. Drain the tofu and wrap it in a clean kitchen towel or several layers of paper towels. Set a heavy skillet or cutting board on top and press for at least 15 minutes to remove as much moisture as possible. The drier the tofu, the crispier it gets.
2. Cut and marinate. Cut the pressed tofu into 3/4-inch cubes. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic powder, and ginger. Add the tofu and toss gently to coat. Let it marinate for 10 minutes, turning once halfway through.
3. Coat with cornstarch. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the marinated tofu and toss until each piece is evenly coated. This is the key step — don’t skip it.
4. Pan-fry until golden. Heat the neutral oil in a large non-stick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu in a single layer, leaving space between pieces. Cook undisturbed for 4–5 minutes until the bottom is deep golden and releases easily from the pan. Flip and cook another 4–5 minutes on the second side. Work in batches if needed — crowding the pan steams instead of crisps.
5. Finish and serve. Transfer the crispy tofu to a plate. Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions if using. Serve immediately alongside a spring roll board with rice paper, fresh herbs, rice noodles, and nuoc cham — or with steamed rice and sautéed greens as a simple weeknight meal.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 185 | Protein: 12g | Fat: 11g | Carbs: 9g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 480mg