Rodic's Tapa (Vegan Filipino Recipe)

This is a vegan Filipino Rodic’s tapa made using extra firm tofu – yes extra firm tofu, that’s air fried until crisp before being marinated and cooked in a sweet-savoury sauce and served with garlic rice, tofu scramble, and of course some vinegar. This is a very hearty Filipino meal you can have for breakfast or any time of the day.

FILIPINO TAPA

Filipino Tapa is traditionally made by curing beef with salt and letting it dry and cooking it until crisp.

It’s usually paired with seasoned vinegar and a side of fried garlic rice and a fried egg for what we like to call Tapsilog.

Tapsilog is a very famous Filipino dish. Tapa (‘tap’), usually cured meat, is served with sinangag (‘si’) or garlic rice and an egg (‘itlog’ = log).

WHAT IS RODIC’S TAPA?

Rodic’s Tapa is known for its sweet and savoury beef pieces that they shred into smaller pieces. It’s served with garlic rice or sinangag and a fried egg, which when put together makes Tapsilog – tapa (Filipino cured beef), sinangang (fried garlic rice), and an egg or itlog. Tap-si-log from the words (tap)a, (si)nangag, and it(log).

This vegan Rodic’s-style tapa is made using extra firm tofu that’s shredded then baked or air-fried it to draw out excess water to create an almost dried-meat texture.

Rodic’s Diner is an iconic eatery that first opened its doors in 1949 in the University of the Philippines, Diliman which is why it’s almost always associated with UP— which also happens to be my alma matter. Their most iconic and popular dish is beef tapa, which is a Filipino style cured meat.

I’ve seen Rodic’s first in the Shopping Center by Area 2 before it found its new home by Balagtas St beside the Alumni Center on campus. Aside from that, they now have multiple branches across Metro Manila.

WHAT KIND OF TOFU IS BEST TO USE FOR THIS RECIPE?

Using extra firm tofu or tokwa is key for this recipe. Firm might work too but can easily crumble. Silken or soft tofu will most definitely not work since it won’t be able to hold up when shredded.

SHREDDED TOFU FOR THIS RODIC’S TAPA

Shredding tofu and baking or air-frying it to draw out excess moisture creates a unique texture that almost resembles ground meat.

I first stumbled upon this shredded tofu technique on Tiktok and don’t recall exactly whose video i saw but was really intrigued and decided to give it a try. I love how the tofu comes out almost like minced meat, texture-wise, since baking or air frying it really draws out extra moisture from the tofu.

I cooked mine until golden brown and crisp on the edges while some pieces are still white and soft so when you add everything together, you get a really nice mix of textures.

INGREDIENTS FOR THIS TAPA RECIPE

You can find the full printable recipe in the recipe card below!

TOFU

17.5 oz extra firm tofu or tokwa

MARINADE/SAUCE

VINEGAR, FOR SERVING

1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/2 small red onion diced
1-2 tsp sugar adjust to taste
1 red chili sliced (optional)

Tofu Scramble

1 tbsp neutral oil
9 oz extra firm tofu tokwa pressed and drained
1 1/2 tsp nutritional yeast optional
1/2 tsp black salt or sub for regular adjust to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Ground black pepper
Sprinkle of liquid aminos or soy sauce, to taste

FOR COOKING

TO SERVE

PREPARATION AND COOKING

SHREDDED TOFU

Remove the tofu from the water or packaging and drain from any excess water. Pat dry with a towel.
Using a cheese grater, carefully grate the tofu into shreds.
Meanwhile, preheat your air-fryer or oven to 350F/180C.
On a lined baking tray or air fryer basket (I used parchment paper to line mine), place the shredded tofu and try to spread it out as thin as possible.
For air-frying, air-fry for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown – do not overcook since it can easily burn and become bitter. You can flip the tofu halfway through cooking to get even browning. It’s also okay not to get even browning and even have the tofu still white, since this can add to the different textures of the overall dish.
If baking, you may need to bake the tofu for 25-30 minutes or longer.

MARINADE

While the tofu is cooking, prepare the marinade by mixing everything together. Feel free to adjust to your taste.

TOFU SCRAMBLE & GARLIC RICE

You can cook the garlic rice and tofu scramble the same pan as the tapa. I like to cook the garlic rice, then the tofu scramble, before the tapa.
Heat a large wok or pan over medium. Once hot, add in tofu and crumble using a fork. Mix in the spices and coat the tofu. Season with some liquid aminos or soy sauce. Sauté for 3-5 minutes until cooked. Set aside so you can use the same pan for the tapa.

TAPA

Heat the wok or pan over medium high heat, add in the oil. Once hot, add in the marinated tofu shreds. Sauté over medium heat for 2-3 minutes and allow the marinade to reduce until the sugars start to caramelise and coat the tofu shreds.
Once cooked through and the sauce has reduced, turn off the heat.

SERVE AND ENJOY

You can serve this with the garlic rice, tofu scramble, vinegar, and sliced tomatoes. Enjoy while hot.

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