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1
Wrap the pressed momen tofu in two layers of clean cloth or paper towel. Set a weighted board on top and leave for at least 30 minutes. The tofu is ready when the cloth shows no further moisture transfer and the block holds its edges firmly without yielding under light finger pressure.
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2
Cut the tofu into eight equal rectangular slices of uniform thickness. Thread each slice lengthwise on a flat wooden skewer, pushing the skewer through the centre so the tofu sits stable and will not rotate. The skewer should emerge at both ends with enough grip to hold the slice rigid.
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3
Combine the white miso and egg yolks in a small bowl. Work them together until the paste is smooth, cohesive, and holds a slow ribbon when lifted. Score the face of each tofu slice designated for the miso in a light crosshatch pattern. Apply the paste to that one face only — thick enough that the crosshatch is filled but the tofu beneath is not visible through the paste. The opposite face is left bare. This contrast of caramelized brown against white tofu is the designed visual of the dish; obscuring both faces is an error.
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4
This is where the dish lives or dies. Grill the skewers over charcoal — not under an oven broiler — with the miso face directed toward the heat first. Hold the skewers at a distance that allows the miso paste to caramelize slowly rather than scorch. The paste must pass through a matte-dull phase, then tighten, then develop a glossy, aromatic, deeply browned surface without blackening. The charcoal's contribution — a low, pervasive smokiness that an oven cannot replicate — must register in the smell before the skewers are moved. When the miso face is fully caramelized and glossy, hold each skewer briefly over a direct charcoal flame for approximately 15 seconds to imprint a final smokiness. The bare tofu face is then turned briefly toward the heat to warm through without colouring.
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5
Transfer the finished skewers immediately to a thin wooden board (ita). The miso face should present a glossy, aromatic, caramelized surface of deep amber-brown; the reverse face should remain visibly white. Serve without delay — the caramelized crust softens as it cools.