±õ³Ù¡¯²õ ²µ²â¨­³ú²¹¡¯²õ time. In the past, these tasty little pan-fried (or steamed, or deep-fried) dumplings were relegated to a subsidiary role. They were what you ordered as a snack to accompany your first, thirst-quenching flagon of beer while you decided what you wanted for the rest of your meal.

These days things are different. Whether steamed (²õ³Ü¾±-²µ²â¨­³ú²¹), pan-fried (²â²¹°ì¾±-²µ²â¨­³ú²¹) or deep-fried (²¹²µ±ð-²µ²â¨­³ú²¹), they are now topping the bill, sometimes even morphing into new, hybrid styles far from their roots in Chinese cuisine.

Here are five of Tokyo¡¯s current favorite gy¨­za spots, some old-school, others newer and pushing the envelope of creativity. What unites them is their quality, flavor and uncompromising celebration of this humble classic.