LA Tofu Fest!
![](images/bottom_pg.gif)
Thread started by
GarySe7en at 08.6.07 - 4:17 pm
For those who can't make it out to Portland this month, come celebrate the most wonderfully healthy food shipped in rectangles. August 18-19 is the 12th Annual
LA Tofu Festival in Little Tokyo. It's a big event with tons of food vendors and restaurants show casing their tofu and soy related products and recipes, with ticket style dining. Also popular is celebrity chef demonstrations, where famous cooks show off their mad tofu skills.
I highly recommend the event for any veggie folks out there, as well as meat eaters who appreciate the power of soy. Yummy goodness. For the soy haters out there, there is plenty of food of varying kinds at the event that are not soy related as well. Last years entertainment was headlined by underground hip hop duo Blackalicious to much fan fare and tofu love. Highlights scheduled for this year include sumo wrestling of varying weight classes, the traditional tofu eating contest, a cosplay contest, and the event is in close proximity to the Nisei Week Grand Parade on the streets of Little Tokyo. This years parade will include one of the famous illuminated floats from the
Aomori's Nebuta Festival, imported from Japan for your Los Angeles viewing pleasure.
I haven't tried to organize any rides my self yet, but if there is enough interest in the event, maybe we could do a tofu ride to Little Tokyo. I love tofu, and bicycles, perhaps they should combine forces. I also just happen to have lots of drawings of tofu characters I've designed, so perhaps I could under the tutelage of master spoke card maker SkidMarcus, whip up some tofu love you can stick in your wheel.
Hit the link for more information about the festival. General admission is $5 (or $3 if you print an
online coupon), kids under 12 and elders over 60 get in free. To enjoy the food, tickets can be purchased for $1 each and all food will be sold in ticket values. So come enjoy the culture, and stuff your face with delicious tofu.
tofufest.org
reply
Come eat it. Yes. It beckons you when it slides so smoothly out of the package, and does that little cubey jiggle as it forms a puddle of excess water. Do not deny your inner tofu love....
GarySe7en08.6.07 - 5:19 pm
reply
![](/images/forums/small/TofuVendor_1186461080.jpg)
tofu and bike riding go hand in hand!
tofu-rrific!!!!!!!!
fattybombo08.6.07 - 9:31 pm
reply
For those that like to save a buck, there's a free pass in the LA Times sunday paper. It's in the part you always throw away. You know, the food coupon pages.
BTW, this festival used to have nothing but tofu for sale and to try. But a couple years ago they let the vendors offer chicken and beef. My guess is that they had some people clasping from eating all the healthy food. These people were going into shock due to the lack of saturated fats intake. If you ask the festival officials, they'll just tell you the public demanded their beef!
http://www.tofufestival.com/tofuindex/tofufest/entertainment/entertainment_schedule/
User108.6.07 - 10:27 pm
reply
![](/images/forums/small/tofusketches_1186480488.gif)
Here's a few drawings of tofu from my sketch book.
GarySe7en08.7.07 - 2:54 am
reply
Any word on a bike ride to this? Maybe something Sunday? If you need help with anything, hit me up.
User108.15.07 - 3:51 pm
reply
Posted ride for Sunday Morning. Sunday has the most events going on, but both days should be interesting. It's a mostly all day deal for both days, so anyone that is interested shouldn't feel like if that can't make it for the ride that they will be missing out.
GarySe7en08.16.07 - 9:38 am
reply
Nice job on this Gary. Is this going to be the spoke card?
User108.16.07 - 7:47 pm
reply
I love tofu more than any one person really should, but I have to say that the tofu festival sucks. They charge you to get in then charge you a bunch for extremely small portions of food that is not that exciting, really. Last year the headlining act didn't show up. Sure, it is a fund raiser for something or other (what isn't these days?), but you'd be better off cooking with
Food Not Bombs if you want to donate something and eat something at the same time.
bike punk08.18.07 - 2:51 am
reply
What do you mean the headlining act didn't show up last year, I was there watching them. Blackalicious was awesome and well received by the crowd, and I think a pretty big act considering it was part of a less then $5 dollar entry if you use the coupon. Yes it costs money, but it's not as though it's going to a money grubbing corporation, it's hosted by a non-profit organization that helps families, homeless, the disabled and builds community developments in Little Tokyo. If you think it sucks then don't come, but I had a good time last year and thought I would promote the event to see if others might enjoy it too.
GarySe7en08.18.07 - 8:14 am
reply
Yeah, no doubt, props to you for setting up a ride to it; I think a lot of bike advocates need to think about their food choices as well and this is an opportunity. Myself and everyone I went with last year were quit let down by it and I wanted to warn others. A two-ticket dish is far from a 'dish'. It's just important to see the difference between going some where where the goal is to promote a food and where the goal is to separate people from their money. That's all. Have a great time.
bike punk08.18.07 - 10:15 am
reply
Yeah what opening act didn't show up? I was there last year, I don't remember a no show.
Sure they charge for the food but it's not that bad. I seen alot worse than this. They do offer quite a few freebies when you consider the size of the crowd. Anyways if you get the coupon it's only $3.
I rode by there yesterday and it looks like they don't have a stage this year cause of construction. Doesn't look like any big name acts this year. Still it's a great way to try some tofu from people that kick my ass at being able to cook it!
User108.18.07 - 3:41 pm
reply
In case you need to get a hold of me or want to meet up at the event later here's my number.
Contact Info: 310-895-6502 - Gary
GarySe7en08.19.07 - 9:59 am
reply
The Tofu festival was scaled back a bit this year due to construction on their former spot, but still some good fun and tofu. The grand finale float in the Nisei week parade was awesome, and I'll post up pictures soon.
Anyone who went out to the Tofu Festival who I did not meet up with, and if you did not receive a spoke card secretly planted in your parked bike, let me know if you would like a tofu spoke card.
soypaste@gmail.com
GarySe7en08.20.07 - 10:58 am
reply
gary! sorry we left. i thought you were coming with us. thanks for quite possibly the coolest and cutest spoke card.
folks, if you got one planted between your spokes, you're a lucky one!
meandmybluebike08.20.07 - 12:15 pm
reply
Some beautiful pictures and some beautiful women. (no comments please meandmybluebike...;-) )
stevo409.7.07 - 5:10 pm
reply
Ah! nice pictures! The enormous illuminated Aomori Nebuta Festival Float was so super cool!
fonsoy potatoe09.7.07 - 5:18 pm
reply