According to Chinese folklore, bak chang, or glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves, are a symbol of tribute during the Duan Wu Festival – we know this colloquially as the Dragon Boat Festival. Legend has it that these dumplings were thrown into a river where a famous Chinese poet drowned himself, to prevent the fishes from eating his body. Morbid origins aside, (and fortunately for us), bak chang is now a seasonal Chinese delicacy that’s traditionally enjoyed around this time of year, often stuffed with ingredients such as stewed meat, chestnuts, lap cheong (Chinese sausage), mushrooms, and salted egg yolk.
But this time, we decide to toy with tradition and present five Chinese restaurants that are shaking up the bak chang recipe with their own twists. Get hungry for these unique bak chang in Singapore.
Resorts World Sentosa
Just like a spinning roulette you’ll find in the casin… we mean, integrated resort, participating restos within the Sentosa-based resort offer a hodgepodge of possibilities when it comes to their bak chang creations. Forest by Celebrity Chef Sam Leong dishes out a dumpling with sea whelk, dried oysters and unagi, while the Australian Osia Steak and Seafood Grill whips up one with five spiced Berkshire pork. These all come in a bundle priced at $78, which also includes a dumpling with organic barley and quinoa (Tangerine), Australian wild abalone (Feng Shui Inn), and sweet ohagi (Syun).
Collection at Feng Shui Inn, Lvl G2 Crockfords Tower, 8 Sentosa Gateway, Singapore 098269, p. 6577 6688. Available ’til 9 June.
Golden Peony
This Chinese restaurant at Conrad Centennial Singapore gives these rice dumplings a local spin with its Singapore chilli crab rice dumpling with sweet, creamy, homemade chilli crab sauce ($28). There’s also a traditional ‘Hong Kong-style’ rendition with abalone, mung beans, roast pork, ‘dong bo’ pork, chicken and dried scallop ($28); and, for more adventurous palates, black truffle, morel mushroom and chicken meat rice dumplings ($12).
Golden Peony (Lvl 3) and The Terrace (Lobby Level), Conrad Centennial Singapore, 2 Temasek Boulevard, Singapore 038982, p. 6334 8888. Available ’til 9 June.
Mitzo
No surprise to find one of the most exciting Cantonese restos in Singapore sprucing up this ancient recipe. Mitzo goes for all-out shock factor with heady flavours and unusual textures – the truffle kurobuta pork rice dumpling ($18++) is a bold medley of rich tastes, while the red yeast foie gras and duck rice dumpling ($20++) is a decadent package of fine dining fare. Sweet tooths, y’all can choose to indulge in the osmanthus rice dumpling with brown sugar and osmanthus honey ($15++ per pair) for a dessert worth your post-meal stomach rubs.
Mitzo, Lvl 4 Grand Park Orchard, 270 Orchard Road, Singapore 238857, p. 6603 8855. Available ’til 9 June.
Yan Ting
Even this luxurious Chinese restaurant is joining the bak chang buzz. Make sure you savour every bite of the Hong Kong-style dumpling with abalone and golden dried scallop ($33++). Lower budget? For half that price at $16++, you can still relish the rice dumpling packed with pork belly and salted egg yolk. And vegetarians aren’t left out too with the mixed-grain black rice dumpling ($13++).
Yan Ting, Lvl 1 The St. Regis Singapore, 29 Tanglin Road, Singapore 247911, p. 6506 6887. Available ’til 15 June
Min Jiang
Diners galore are well aware of Goodwood Park Hotel’s obsession with durians, but that’s not the only seasonal delicacy they’re known for! In this festive season, its Chinese restaurant, Min Jiang, dishes out fusion-infused creations with ingredients unheard of in a traditional rice dumpling, How so? Try the wagyu beef cheek rendang dumpling ($11.80) for a play on Japanese and Indonesian flavours, or the hae bee hiam (dried shrimp sambal) dumpling ($7.20) if you feel like Chinese New Year couldn’t come any sooner.
Min Jiang, Goodwood Park Hotel, 22 Scotts Road, Singapore 228221, p. 6730 1704. Available ’til 9 June.