With the Dragon Boat Festival approaching soon, restaurants and hotels have come up with rice dumplings boasting newfangled flavours that’ll appeal to those in search of novelty. But if you’re a purist whose tastes lean towards more traditional flavours, here are some of the best places to place your order.
Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant’s Signature Pork & Salted Egg dumpling has long been a crowd favourite thanks to a generous filling of succulent premium pork that’s been marinated with house-made five-spiced powder and Chinese wine overnight. There’s also salted egg yolk, mushrooms, black beans and chestnuts encased within the soft glutinous rice.
There are also other creations with a twist, but still nod to traditional dishes, like the premium Abalone with Karasumi & Conpoy dumpling ($28) that includes mullet roe soaked overnight in salt and Chinese wine as well as abalone and conpoy, and the Chinese Rice Wine Salt Baked Chicken dumpling ($20).
Visit Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza’s website to order.
Synonymous with rice dumplings is Kim Choo Kueh Chang, located in a shophouse along East Coast Road. The family business’ iconic Nyonya-style dumplings are made with the same recipe passed down from founder Madam Lee Kim Choo since 1945.
Options range from the classic Nyonya changs (from $5) with a choice of pork, chicken or vegetarian fillings, to Traditional Salty Changs (from $5) and Kee Chang ($2).
In fact, they’re so popular that online orders have closed, and you can only get your hands on its yummy packages via walk-in at its physical stores now.
Online orders and deliveries have sold out. Visit its stores at 60 Joo Chiat Place or 111 East Coast Road to purchase.
Cantonese restaurant Golden Peony’s traditional ‘Hong Kong’ Style Rice Dumpling is back this year, a hefty package that stars luxurious 20-head abalone. True, it does look a little pale, but don’t let that fool you, it’s crammed with a flavoursome mix of Chinese mushroom, ‘Dong Po’ pork, roast pork, chestnuts, lotus seeds, and mung beans.
Visit Conrad Centennial Singapore’s website to order.
As its name suggests, this dumpling uses an age-old recipe passed down from a Hainanese grandmother. Each rice dumpling features generous chunks of pork belly that’s been braised for hours over low heat, chestnuts, peanuts, mushrooms, and salted egg yolks. Then there’s the glutinous rice, which has been stir-fried with black pepper, dark soy sauce and five-spice powder for a robust flavour.
And for a savoury crunch, there’s the addition of cuttlefish lightly fried with dried shrimps and shallots. Spice it up with the accompanying sambal chilli,
With each set, you’ll get four 330g rice dumplings as well as a bottle of sambal chilli.
Visit The Hainan Story’s website to order.
Cantonese restaurant Shang Palace’s traditional Nyonya rice dumpling makes a celebrated return this year. Inside each light blue-tipped pyramid of glutinous rice, you’ll find a mix of minced pork, salted egg yolk, chestnut, and diced black mushroom.
For a more luxurious treat, the Shang Palace Signature Barbecued Pork Rice Dumpling with Yunnan Ham and Conpoy ($29.80) is another all-time favourite.
Visit Shangri-La Singapore’s website to order.
For a communal feast, Man Fu Yuan at Intercontinental Singapore has rolled out a hefty 1kg beast of a rice dumpling that’ll feed four to five people. Inside, you can look forward to ginger chicken, sausages, dried shrimps, salted egg yolk, and spring onions.
For lovers of Nyonya dumplings, try its version, kicked up a notch with homemade XO sauce (now $14.88).
Visit Intercontinental Singapore’s website to order.
Joo Chiat Kim Choo has a myriad of classic options but one that stands out is the Hakka Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables Rice Dumpling, which borrows from the classic Hakka dish.
Other traditional dumplings include the Hokkien Rice Dumpling with Salted Egg Yolk ($7.30) with braised pork belly, salted egg yolk, chestnut and mushrooms, as well as the Nyonya Rice Dumpling ($7), and the luxurious Emperor’s Rice Dumpling ($16.80).
Visit Joo Chiat Kim Choo’s website to order.
Breadtalk and traditional pastry specialist Thye Moh Chan have joined hands again this year to launch traditional Teochew rice dumplings in two scrumptious options – signature Teochew Double Delight Bak Chang and Teochew Salted Egg Bak Chang, both at $6.80 each.
The former houses a combination of braised pork belly, shiitake mushrooms and chestnuts contrasted with house-made sweet tau sar filling for a sweet-savoury flavour. Otherwise, dig into the Teochew Salted Egg Bak Chang which has fried dried shrimp and salted egg yolk.
Available for sale at all Thye Moh Chan, BreadTalk and Toast Box stores (except Toast Box at Tan Tock Seng Hospital). Visit Thye Moh Chan’s website for a list of outlets or visit Breaktalk’s website to order a bundle set.
If you enjoy digging into the classic Nyonya chang, the Blue Pea Nyonya Rice Dumpling with a moreish filling of minced pork and candied winter melon gets our thumbs up.
It’s exclusively available as part of a Golden Treasures Hamper ($138 nett), which includes six dumplings in three flavours. The other two flavours include a Gourmet Bak Kwa with Yolk Rice Dumpling, as well as a Hae Bee Hiam with Winter Melon Dumpling.
For an indulgent treat, get your hands on the Traditional Hong Kong-style Abalone Treasure Rice Dumpling ($48) that envelopes a lavish mix of two South African Ten-head abalone, roasted duck, roasted pork belly, dried scallop, lotus seed, salted egg yolk, black mushroom, mung bean, dried shrimp, fresh pork fat and chestnut.
Visit The Fullerton Hotel’s website to order.
Helmed by a mother-daughter duo, Kueh Ho Jiak doles out handcrafted kueh, and during the Dragon Boat Festival, homemade rice dumplings.
Its Teochew Chicken Dumpling is a crowd-favourite, with the black sauce dumpling stuffed generously with chicken cooked with spices, mushrooms and chestnuts. For a vegan option, there’s also the Vegan Mock Meat Dumpling ($5).
Visit Kueh Ho Jiak’s website to order.
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