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1
Wrap the tofu block in a clean kitchen cloth and set it on a draining rack. Place a flat plate on top and weight it with 500 g. Press for 15 to 30 minutes. The cloth will be visibly damp and the tofu block will have shed its interior moisture — it must feel firm and dry to the touch before starch is applied.
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2
While the tofu presses, combine the dashi, mirin, and light soy sauce in a 6 : 1 : 1 ratio in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over moderate heat and hold hot. The sauce should be piping hot at the moment of service — not merely warm.
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3
Cut the pressed tofu into four equal portions. Dust each piece lightly and evenly with potato starch, then pat off all excess. The coating should be a thin, barely-visible film — not a thick crust. This step decides the dish: too much starch produces a gummy, stodgy shell; too little and the shell will not form. Every excess gram of starch must be removed.
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4
Heat the frying oil to 180°C (175°C for kinugoshi). Lower the starch-coated tofu pieces in carefully. Fry until the exterior shell is crisp and almost translucent, with a pale golden tone — approximately 3 to 4 minutes. The shell should be audibly crisp when tapped with a skewer and visually distinct from the white tofu within.
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5
Lift each piece from the oil and drain briefly. Place immediately into warmed serving bowls. Ladle the piping-hot tentsuyu sauce as a small, shallow puddle beneath the tofu — not a deep bath. The sauce line should not rise more than one-third of the way up the tofu.
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6
Place a small mound of freshly grated daikon oroshi directly on top of each tofu piece, add finely cut green onion and grated ginger, then finish with katsuobushi flakes. At proper service temperature, the residual heat of the sauce will cause the katsuobushi to visibly move — this dancing is the sensory confirmation that the sauce is hot enough and the dish is ready.