As the Dragon Boat Festival, or Duan Wu Jie, comes around once again, we take a moment to celebrate tradition – and find an excuse to indulge in one of our favourite festive foods: dumplings. It’s hard to beat the comforting flavour of chewy, tender, glutinous rice scented with bamboo leaves, and wrapped around a multitude of savoury or sweet fillings – here are some of the best dumplings, or zongzi, this year. We’ll update this list as more info comes in, so keep a lookout.
https://www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg/gourmet-travel/rice-dumplings-dragon-boat-festival-duanwu-2021/
dumpling festival 2021
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Joo Chiat Kim Choo
Dumpling royalty Joo Chiat Kim Choo ups the ante again this Dragon Boat Festival with an updated version of their festive gift box. The Emperor’s Heirloom No. 2 Gift Set features a beautiful, hexagonal leatherette carrying case handcrafted by local paper and leather craft specialists Bynd Artisan. Each box contains 6 Emperor’s Dumplings – parcels that contain luxurious, umami-packed ingredients like dried scallops, salted egg yolks, and premium-grade shiitake mushrooms in addition to a complex blend of 22 spices. Five other flavours are also available – we’re fond of the Hakka pork belly with preserved vegetable rice dumplings, which come generously stuffed with flavourful pork braised with salted mustard greens; and the pulut hitam Nonya rice dumpling, which gives a nutty, toothsome black rice twist to a classic.
Purchase online at the Joo Chiat Kim Choo Website.
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Wan Hao
Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel’s Wan Hao presents five flavours of glutinous rice dumplings this year: from the classic pork and salted egg variant, to a luxurious rendering featuring 5-head abalone, Iberico, and Parma ham. There’s also a spicy, Sichuan pepper chicken version, as well as a vegetarian black truffle, 5-grain dumpling for those seeking a healthier option. For dessert, it’s a savoury-sweet combination of honeyed red dates and salted green beans studded with crystalised winter melon.
Available 24 May to 14 June 2021
For pre-orders, please call 6831 4605 or visit their website.
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Man Fu Yuan
In addition to the usual suspects like Cantonese mainstay Man Fu Yuan has two new flavours this year: a richly-flavoured mala-braised beef brisket dumpling with mushrooms and bamboo shoots; as well as something quite contemporary: a smoked Duroc pork char siew with Black Gold garlic rice dumpling. Cut through the richness of the dumplings with either a tea or champagne bundle – the latter comes with a 375ml bottle of Taittinger Brut Reserve Champagne NV. Also perfect for these Covidian times: for the three consecutive Sundays from 30 May to 13 June 2021, executive Chinese Chef Aaron Tan will be conducting 90-minute classes on dumpling wrapping – where each participant will receive four dumplings.
Available for takeaway and delivery from 31 May to 14 June 2021
To order, visit the Intercontinental Singapore website, or call 6825 1008.
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Jade
Fullerton Hotel’s Jade has two new nourishing glutinous rice dumplings this year: a ginseng chicken-inspired rendition given an umami boost with Chinese ham, shiitake mushroom, and salted egg yolk; as well as a comforting Bak kut teh-flavoured version prepared with pork and blend of herbs, spices, and garlic – and coloured an alluring green with spring onions. Riding the rising tide of veganism and flexitarianism, Jade is also offering a healthful dumpling option of organic millet, five-grain, and Omnimeat. Meanwhile, their Traditional Hong Kong-style abalone treasure glutinous rice dumpling is practically a pen cai in a dumpling – coming in with two pieces of ten-head abalone, roasted pork belly, salted egg yolk, shiitake mushroom, mung beans, lotus seeds, and chestnut.
Available 25 May to 14 June 2021
Order from the Fullerton Hotel online shop.
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Xin Cuisine
Spice seems to be the name of the game this year, with Cantonese restaurant Xin Cuisine offering a boldly-flavoured mala chicken and dried scallop glutinous rice dumpling. The hefty (380g), ingredient-packed parcel also comes stuffed with mung beans, making it a filling meal in itself. For dessert, there’s a red lotus seed paste,chestnut, and ginkgo nut kee zhang, which also comes with an aromatic osmanthus syrup to literally sweeten the deal.
Available from now until 12 June 2021.
Order online from the Xin Cuisine eShop.
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Jiang Nan Chun
One Michelin-starred restaurant Jiang Nan Chun has a concise selection of classic flavours this year – beginning with the Abundance rice dumpling, filled with abalone, mushrooms, lotus seeds, chestnut, conpoy, and roasted pork belly. Meanwhile, their vegetarian option, the Eight Treasure dumpling, comes with a selection of nourishing ingredients including cordycep flowers, lotus seeds, and various legumes. Their classic variant comes with a flavour-packed XO sauce.
Available from June 1 to 14, 2021
Order online from the Four Seasons Hotel Singapore eStore.
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Li Bai
Sheraton Towers Singapore’s Cantonese restaurant Li Bai has a concise collection of three dumplings this yea. For those splurging a little, there’s an abalone and pumpkin version, additionally stuffed with other treats like pork belly, conpoy, and salted egg. Meanwhile, something new is their vegetarian multi-grain rice dumpling, which is stuffed with nuggets of meat substitute, assorted mushrooms, and various grains and nuts. Meanwhile, their take on the traditional version – which includes pork belly and roasted duck – weighs in at a hefty one kilogram.
Available for from 24 May to 14 June 2021
Order online at the Sheraton Towers eStore.
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Resorts World Sentosa
Taste not one, but eight different chefs’ creations with Resorts World Sentosa’s (RWS) collection for Dragon Boat Festival this year. Hailing from restaurants Feng Shui Inn, Osia Steak and Seafood Grill, Syun, and RWS itself, the chefs have presented a wide range of options including a Japanese take with pearl rice, aburi sea bream, and red miso Tajima wagyu; as well an amped-up spin on the traditional Nonya dumpling thanks to the addition of tiger prawns and XO sauce. Other inventive dumplings include one inspired by a Thai sticky rice dessert – glutinous rice with fresh coconut milk, palm sugar, lotus seeds, and taro filling, all wrapped in banana leaves before being slow-roasted until fragrant.
Available from now until 11 June 2021
Order online from the RWS website.
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Shang Palace
In a first for us, Shang Palace is offering an extra-decadent applewood-smoked dumpling that is filled with four-head abalone, foie gras, matsutake mushrooms, and smoked chicken. Weighing 750g, the dumpling is accompanied by a specially-created Sichuan chilli sauce. For those that want variety, their Heritage of Asia gift set has 6 different flavours both savoury and sweet. There’s a Thai-inspired pad kra pow moo (holy basil stir-fried pork) dumpling and a Western-leaning combo of foie gras, parma ham, roasted chicken, and X.O sauce. In the sweet category – a sweetened purple glutinous rice and custard creation, as well as a lye dumpling with white lotus seed paste and truffle honey.
Available from now until 14 June 2021
Order online from the Shangri-la Hotel Singapore eStore.
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Yi by Jereme Leung
Raffles Hotel’s Chinese restaurant’s concise selection of classics each come with a splash of luxury: spiced pork belly comes with Japanese dried scallops and sakura shrimp, while their abalone and jinhua ham dumpling also has conpoy, roast duck, and pork belly. For the pure traditionalists – the lye dumpling comes with a serving of the hotel’s well-loved signature kaya.
Available from 1 to 14 June 2021
Order now at Raffles Hotel’s eStore.
Related:
Plant-based meats: 6 meat substitutes to try in Singapore
