1. Marinade: Place ginger, garlic, lemongrass paste, sugar, red pepper flakes and pinch of salt in a mortar and use a pestle to smash into a fine paste. (or smash/stir together in a small bowl) Place half of the mixture in a jar and set aside. To the remaining mixture add the soy sauce and two tablespoons of water, whisking to combine. This is your tofu marinade.
2. Dressing: To the mixture in the jar add the lime juice, fish sauce, two tablespoons of water and the avocado oil. Shake vigorously to combine. This is the dressing for the finished noodle bowls.
3. Tofu: Place tofu in a tofu press to squeeze out as much moisture as possible for 10 minutes, up to an hour. Alternatively, you can wrap the tofu in a paper towel and place something heavy on top, like a large pot or textbook. Slice the tofu into six planks, then slice each plank in half so you have small rectangles. Cut each rectangle diagonally to get the small triangle pieces pictured in this recipe. Place pieces in a shallow dish and pour on the tofu marinade, tossing to get all of the pieces evenly coated. Set aside to marinate at least 15 minutes but longer (up to 24 hours) if you have the time!
4. In a large nonstick skillet add a swish of avocado oil (about 1 ½ tablespoons or enough to lightly coat the bottom of the pan) over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the tofu pieces in a single layer, shaking off the excess marinade, but don’t discard the marinade! You may need to work in batches so you don’t crowd the pan. Leave the tofu untouched for 2-3 minutes to develop a nice sear and caramelization. Flip the tofu and cook another 3 minutes until the sides are golden brown and crispy. Take care that your heat is not too high, you don’t want to burn the lemongrass and garlic in the marinade. When the tofu is crisped to your liking, reduce the heat to the lowest setting. If there is a lot of excess oil, use a paper towel to blot it up. Add the remaining marinade to the pan, tossing the tofu so it gets coated in all that saucy goodness. Cook for another minute and remove from the heat.
5. Bowls: Soak or cook noodles according to package instructions. For most vermicelli rice noodles, soak in very hot/boiling water for 2-3 minutes until softened. Drain. To the noodles add cabbage, carrots and cucumbers. Drizzle with about one third of the dressing, tossing to combine.
6. Add noodle/veggie mixture to a bowl. Top with the lemongrass tofu, tons of fresh herbs, fried onions, peanuts and another big drizzle of dressing.

Enjoy that noodle bowl. I’m so jealous.