Cut 8 slices of thin five-spice dried tofu on the diagonal into triangles. The bigger cut face lets far more braise soak in.

Roll-cut 2 king oyster mushrooms into chunky blocks — not too small, since they shrink a lot. A third one never hurts; they go first.

Boil 500 cc water with 80 cc soy sauce, 3 star anise, 2 pieces cassia bark, 2 bay leaves, a splash of sesame oil and a scatter of black pepper. Let it boil 1–2 minutes so the whole spices release their aroma before the tofu goes in.

Add the tofu and mushrooms, lid on, lowest simmer, 1 hour. Lift the lid every ~15 minutes and turn the pieces so they colour evenly. Taste the broth — not the tofu — if you want to check seasoning.

Turn off the heat and leave the pot covered about 2 hours. This off-heat soak is what drives the sauce through the tofu's honeycomb interior.

Cool, then refrigerate the tofu and mushrooms in their braise. Serve chilled as a side, at room temperature as a bento filler, or warmed over rice. Keeps 4–5 days submerged in the braise.