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About This Page: This is a discussion on Food and Beer Reviews within the LetsGoKings.com forums, at Los Angeles Kings Hockey Fan Forum. OK, fair warning, LA Tofu Festival is this weekend. Like last year's it's timed to match up with Nisei Week activities, so they'll be other Japanese-themed stuff too (sumo, taiko,
OK, fair warning, LA Tofu Festival is this weekend. Like last year's it's timed to match up with Nisei Week activities, so they'll be other Japanese-themed stuff too (sumo, taiko, etc.). Free public parking at City Hall, then a short walk to the fest, or you can pay to park a little closer.
Tofu dishes/drinks/desserts of all kinds, merchandise booths, contests, entertainment, and (for adgy) lots of asian women with not much clothing on...
Usually a good time. I'm gonna guess this year will be HOT. Recommend sneaking in your own beverages to help save costs and remain hydrated.
Yeah, too many things already going on this weekend.
Oh well...
__________________ "Just as you don't go up against a Sicilian when death is on the line, you don't go up against an Asian when math is involved." ~Chartrand
That's the key right there. It absorbs flavor. On it's own, it blows, and unless it's good on it's own, it's no good.
That's what I don't really get about tofu. It doesn't really taste like anything. If it's used with a sauce, it absorbs some of the flavor, but I can never have a tofu dish without thinking "this would taste so much better with some damn meat in it instead."
I went to the Tofu Festival this afternoon. It was a little bigger than I expected, but there were a lot of people there, despite it being 90+ degrees out. Most things were about $3 each for small street food sizes. I tried some sweet and sour BBQ tofu, just because the BBQ tofu thing sounded interesting. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't something I'd go out of my way to try again. There was also a BBQ satay tofu, which in retrospect I probably would have enjoyed a little more.
I also tried the lobster balls (tasty), the lemon grass chicken (disappointing), a raw tuna/tofu salad (the best thing I had there), and the biggest line was for the "Japanese pizza," as was advertised on their banner. Almost like a thick omelet with tofu, green onion, corn, soy bean, carrot and couple other vegetables. The "pizza" was topped with a teriyaki-type sauce and then you drizzle a little mayo on it. This was pretty good too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AngryKing
Can someone buy me a "I (heart) Tofu" shirt from the festival?
This year's fest was easily half the size of last year's (in area), but with about the same amount of people (a lot). In previous years you would walk down a street lined with booths, and then go into a huge parking lot full of vendors selling all kinds of food. This year, the parking lot is a big dirt hole (new condo going up, thanks Uncle Phil!), so the fest is ONLY along one street. VERY crowded, with nowhere to really stop, sit, and eat.
It was freakin' hot. Watching people with not much clothing on = fun. Watching people (and bumping into people) sweating profusely - no matter how attractive they are = not fun.
Also, there were hardly any weird tofu dishes this year - WTF? Lots and lots of Pad Thai... It was like they were trying to make the tofu more accessible. Big mistake, IMO.
No Japanese beer in the beer garden!
Finally, one of my greatest memories of past festivals was when the tofutti vendors would just give away pints of ice "cream" because they didn't want to carry them home. So you'd see like a million kids lining up and eating this stuff. This year.... NO TOFUTTI AT ALL!!!!! It's 100 degrees and no ice cream at the festival? Only crappy mainland-style shave ice (also without ice cream).
Sooooooo disappointing!
I hope Ben Harper can salvage the day!
Last edited by notmike; August 18th, 2007 at 08:29 PM.
As a semi-positive footnote to this thread, went back to Little Tokyo today for the closing ceremonies to Nisei Week (Taiko, dancing) and compared to the Tofu Fest, it was:
- much cooler (it also rained a bit, which wasn't all that unpleasant)
- much less crowded, so not as many lines
- more organized, with many more choices for food- even tofu ice cream! Actual Japanese beer! Meat! Maybe about half as many merchandise vendors, but they were all interesting and different from the Tofu Fest. Even though it was much smaller than the Tofu Fest, somehow I felt like this was a better bang-for-my-buck (which isn't saying much as both events are free).
2007 LA Tofu Festival 
ketel&tonic
Thanks, dude! I'll kick you down with some cash on Wednesday! 
