Instead of health benefits, the Tofu Festival should hoist the versatility of tofu. Tofu is one of the most adaptable ingredients. With its various tastes and textures, tofu can be smoked, baked, fried, and it will take on the flavors of whatever food it accompanies. The festival could change the tokwa’t baboy image prevalent of tofu. And promoting health won’t and didn’t do East Café’s Chef Him Uy de Baron’s prolific culinary nature much justice either.

The festival features a good Japanese-inspired burger. The Tofu Burger, which has a crispy seasoned patty made from Japanese tofu bathed in teriyaki sauce, and served in toasted sesame seed buns, is a hundred percent vegan. And the burger’s rather squashy patty provides good texture and contrast to the toasted buns.

One of the highlights in the festival’s menu is the Gado Gado Salad with Tofu Satay. In the dish, grilled skewers of tofu are served atop chopped vegetables such as asparagus, lettuce, and tomatoes dressed in an Indonesian peanut sauce. But the tofu skewers are tofu skewers, and do not have much of a distinction in its taste. And the peanut sauce seems a mite too mild.

Good choices in the menu would include the Salmon in Banana Leaf. A salmon fillet is marinated in soy, chili, ginger, and scallions, and topped with silken tofu, wrapped in a banana leaf and given more flavor with a chili sauce. Enjoyable for dessert is the Tofu Tiramisu; this dessert has sweet tofu layers in between, and covered with shredded coconuts that do well for both texture and taste. But the tiramisu could be very subjective and an acquired taste, others will find the prevalent taste of the coconut to their liking, and others could find it a jumble.

Dishes in the Tofu Festival, though not without quibbles, can be more than satisfactory. Add Chef Him’s regular menu of creative Asian cuisine, such as Shime Saba Sashimi, Vegetarian Dumplings, Black Sesame Crusted Tuna Steak, and Asian –style Osso Bucco with Ginger-Lemon Gremolata, and you’ve got more than enough flavors. It’s more than enough to promote gourmet than health.

There’s nothing wrong with clean living, in fact a hale and hearty life is the appropriate way to go. Tofu is high in protein, low in fat, and is proven to help prevent cancer and heart attacks. But when asked how the food was, wouldn’t it be better to answer good or bad than healthy. People shouldn’t lose touch with what dining is all about. It’s about pleasure, but with moderation. Take it from master gastronomes Brillat-Savarin who said that "Those who give themselves indigestion or get drunk, do not know how to eat or drink."