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Food & Drink

A Guide To Asian Night-Market Eats

Stinky Tofu

This dish, which gets its trademark pong from a months-long fermentation process, is a signature sight (and smell) at Asian night markets – imagine blue cheese times 10. Its most popular preparation: deep-fried in chunks and served with pickled cabbage.

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Tornado Potato

They’re fairly common sights at North American carnivals, but this swirly starch originated in the street markets of Seoul. Whole potatoes are sliced into paper-thin spirals and deep-fried on sticks. Bonus points if you get one with a hot dog in the middle.

Grilled Quail Eggs

Boiled quail eggs threaded onto a skewer and grilled are often spied at Japanese yakitori spots, but the Thai style on offer at night markets makes use of a specially made grill pan with round divots. They might get skewered, fried together with a whole shrimp or sprinkled with toppings.

Oyster Omelette

A beloved Taiwanese hawker dish, it’s exactly what it sounds like: oysters flash-cooked with herbs, garlic and green onions, all swathed in still-runny eggs thickened with starch and seasoned with soy or fish sauce and white pepper.

Thai Iced Tea

Tea leaves are boiled with anise and cloves for a spicy kick and liberally dosed with milk and sugar. The drink might come in a plastic bag – stick in a straw and away you go.

Pig Trotters

Often found braised in Chinese and Taiwanese markets, pig’s feet finished on the grill are served at Toronto-area street markets. 

Grilled Shellfish

Oysters, conch, lobster – they’re tossed right onto the grill, shell and all.

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Grilled Everything on a Stick

The usual suspects (lamb, chicken, beef) are common, but you can also try tripe, beef tongue and whole squid.

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