Gyoza from Sakawaya Japanese Bistro (867 Danforth Avenue). These flat pillow-like pan fried critters are filled with a juicy meat filling.

A recommended healthy lifestyle consists of exercise and frequent small meals. Not one to argue with the growing influence of health gurus, the latter tip brings smiles to the faces of munchers like myself. I love to snack - actually that is an understatement in itself. Let me correct myself. I love to snack A LOT, and although I do enjoy the variety provided by the typical North American big box grocery store, I find greater satisfaction in the fresh East Asian snacks provided by independent vendors in our fair city. This two part series showcases some of the highlights of what could be found while strolling the Toronto Night Market, or Asian food courts and plazas that dot Richmond Hill, Markham and Scarborough. Part tummy satisfier, part visual spectacle, there is never a dull moment when one is on the search for great eats. Follow your nose, look for the long line ups, and peek at the displayed samples at each stall for a taste surprise. See what all the hype is about and join in the on the fun.

Takoyaki, or octopus balls, is a popular Japanese snack that consists of a piece of octopus surrounded by a doughy exterior. This sphere of batter is dotted with diced green onions and miscellaneous scraps. These round griddle dumplings are topped with a generous ladle of sweet-savoury-viscous okonomiyaki sauce, a generous ripple of Japanese mayonnaise, more sliced green onions, and a final dusting of seaweed and bonito flakes. Watch as the thin fish shavings dance in response to the rising steam of the hot treats below. Sometimes served as a side treat at casual Japanese restaurants, including Kenzo Ramen (6180 Yonge Street), I find the best takoyaki (besides those from its native Osaka) are those that are freshly plucked from their moulds at some random market stall.

Fresh grilled skewered animal bits and pieces are found on many menus and are frequently offered at the Night Market. As the Asian version of souvlaki, kushiyaki can range from conservative chunks of light or dark poultry (best known as yakitori), beef cubes, and bacon wrapped asparagus to scrumptious chicken hearts and gizzards, beef tongue, chicken skin (!!), and octopus tentacles. Each enticing small bite bursts with flavour, and there’s really nothing like the pleasing crunch that emanates from a string of grilled chicken knuckles while perusing market stall finds.

Tsukune (chicken meat ball), sunagimo (gizzard), sweet potato and negima (chicken & green onion brushed with sauce) from Sakawaya Japanese Bistro.

Indeed, excitement can be found on sticks and for cheap. Just ask the crowds that line up for stewed and braised curry fish balls, tripe and tendons at Chun Gi Mei Snacks House (unit A01, Pacific Mall, 4300 Steeles Avenue East, Markham). Those of us who would rather take a proper seat at a table can savour these skewered treats at Sakawaya Japanese Bistro. I can think of no better way to while away those late evening hours than with a Japanese beer, good company and platters of kushiyaki.

Western fried bites may include doughnuts and French fries, but those who take afternoon tea time break at Hong Kong-style cafes may enjoy perfectly crisp fried chicken wings. Often seasoned with salt and pepper, these addictive meaty treats are served piping hot, and bursting with moistness (there’s something about meat from Cantonese cooks being surprisingly moist and tender). Try ordering them from a food court with a mug of yuen yang (a milk coffee and tea beverage) or the delightfully strong Hong Kong style Ceylon milk tea. You’ll never look at afternoon snacking in the same light again.

Fat is never a health concern when snacking late at night; one can worry about that inconvenient issue in the morning. Liu’s 1 Restaurant (Unit 29, 3255 Highway 7 East, Markham) serves a great version of squid/octopus tentacles. The light batter coating the tender “feelers” provides a gratifying crunch, unchallenged by any version of buttermilk soaked and lightly dredged calamari found in our city’s fine dining establishments. There’s something sinful yet heavenly about these grease laden babies. Just make sure to order a tall glass of Five Flower Tea to wash it all down and keep the “heatiness” at bay.

Pot stickers, or steam fried dumplings, come wrapped in a thin skin and explode with an assortment of fillings. From simple cabbage and vermicelli noodles, to Izakaya’s (69 Front Street East) version filled with duck, these dainty pockets may be purchased frozen from the freezer section of the local market or flash frozen from Mother’s Dumplings (76 Huron Street) for those who wish to create a little magic in the comforts of their own home.

Sushiman (20 Richmond Street East) serves up a decent version of the bundles that are both tender and moist. With a perfectly crisp bottom crust, the gyoza, as pictured above, are great accompaniments to a nice cup of hot tea.

The fried mandoo from New Seoul House (3220 Dufferin Street) are another golden brown treat; its juicy meat stuffing revealed as one bites into its pleasurable crust.

My vice is fresh baked goods, specifically toasty sweet little egg waffles. A cross between crepes and pizzelle, these bubbles, when properly prepared, possess a thin shell that shatters with each bite. The toothsome sweet crumb is slightly chewy, and not at all doughy, airy or heavy. I like my egg waffles to be a little more toasted, but I’ve also had equally agreeable pale cousins. Toronto only has one purveyor of these tasty treats that I am aware of, Tung Tung Dan Quen King (unit 105, Pacific Mall, 4300 Steeles Avenue East, Markham) makes a passable version of these addictive nuggets; however I would stick to Tung Tung’s super crisp, freshly made egg roll cookies or obanyaki (Japanese styled red bean filled waffle cakes).

Custard filled hodo kwaja from Canaan (11 Spring Garden Avenue, North York). Photo courtesy of Jen Chan.

Other bite sized waffle treats are hodo kwaja, aka Korean walnut cakes. Specializing in these gussied up Timbits, Hodo Kwaja (656 Bloor Street West) sells them filled with red bean, almond and potato. Topped with a small piece of walnut, these walnut shaped cakes are satisfying, cheap, and if blessed with leftovers, fantastic when re-toasted in the toaster oven. Visit the store to observe the assembly line machine that steam cooks these cakes to a toasty crisp.

Taiyaki, found at Cafe Green Tea (J-TOWN, 3160 Steeles Avenue East, Markham) and their Korean cousins, bungeoppang, just outside Galleria Supermarket (7171 Yonge Street), are fish-shaped waffles that are commonly filled with sweetened azuki bean paste. I’ve found savoury versions at the Night Market that use a similar pancake batter but hiding a mixed vegetable filling (mimicking a non-fried spring roll). Delicious either way, this is guaranteed to make a fish lover out of anyone.

Karinto are a traditional Japanese snack food much akin to sweet pretzels, only that they are deep-fried and made of flour, yeast, and sugar. Freshly made, these sweet and savory treats are addictive and may be sold by a specialized vendor like that found at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre Annual Bazaar. Asian supermarkets may carry packaged varieties that range in flavours such as white sugar, green tea, sesame seeds, miso or peanuts.

Speaking of fresh made sweets, the ultra curious may find Dragon Beard Candy as much fun to eat as they are to watch in production. The sugar and maltose concoction is pulled until they resemble coarse cotton threads which are wrapped around a spoonful of sugar, crushed peanuts and sesame seeds. Sweet and fibrous, the bundles dissolve into a sweet mess inside the mouth where it exposes its crunchy, nutty interior.

Stay tuned for part 2 of this series for an exposé on Chinese dessert soups, that thing known as bubble tea, and other treats that sweetly end a perfect day of exploration.

Renée Suen is a graduate student at the University of Toronto, specializing in cardiovascular sciences. She has an insatiable appetite and can often be found searching for something tasty to eat with her camera. Many of these culinary discoveries can be found on her Flickr site.