Decided to try the frozen tofu-method, it didn’t come out quite as chewy as I expected, but still very much an improvement so i’ll definitely keep doing tofu this way. The sauce is just a pre-made Oishi brand teriyaki sauce, with chopped garlic + ginger and some mirin.
Edit: also, before frying the tofu pieces I used soy sauce on them and covered with corn starch to get nice browning going on
The freezer technique never turned out well for us. I’ve just stuck to using the super firm, and focusing more on the other parts of the bowl ie making my own sauce, throwing in some cabbage, topping with sesame etc