Celebrate Dragon Boat Festival with a bite of the best rice dumplings in Singapore. They’re a total treat!
Glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves and stuffed with ingredients like pork, chestnuts, mushrooms, and salted egg yolk are a sticky, chewy treat you can eat anytime in Singapore. But when Dragon Boat Festival comes around (it falls on 31 May 2025), Chinese restaurants put their spin on this delicacy. According to Chinese folklore, these dumplings (also known as bak chang or zong zi) are a symbol of tribute. Legend has it that they were tossed into a river where a famous Chinese poet drowned himself – to prevent the fishes from eating his body.
Hungry for a hearty feast? These restaurants are shaking up the scene with traditional and modern renditions of rice dumplings in Singapore.
1. Feng Shui Inn at Resorts World Sentosa
Indulge in rice dumplings the luxurious way with goodies from Cantonese restaurant Feng Shui Inn, featuring pearl glutinous rice and a variety of sweet and savoury dumplings. Try the dried seafood steam dumplings made indulgent with abalone, dried scallops, golden shrimp, salted egg yolk, pork belly, and shiitake mushrooms. Or go for the Yunnan wild mushroom and fish maw dumplings paired with seafood like abalone and scallops. Tip: to elevate the flavours, pair each bite with your complimentary bottle of the restaurant’s signature XO sauce.
If you love sweet dumplings, the trio date version combines three types of Chinese dates: southern jujube, honey dates, and red dates. It’s crafted with red bean paste and best complemented by the sweet tangerine sauce. Each Dragon Boat Festival bundle ($128) includes six dumplings (two of each flavour) and the sauces in a reusable carrier. P.S. add on the premium Chinese tea set ($88) to enjoy pu-er and jasmine tea with your dumplings.
Where to buy: Order online via Resorts World Sentosa or at Feng Shui Inn until 31 May
2. Joo Chiat Kim Choo
Dragon Boat Festival is when this OG heritage brand shines brightest, producing its rice dumplings made with an 80-year-old traditional recipe passed down from generations. If you’re in the market for an elegant gift, choose from its eight unique sets.
To impress, the Emperor’s Heirloom Gift Set ($228) in deep purple shades features six premium dumplings and gold forks in a red velvet drawstring pouch. The reusable box is designed with removable dividers for your storage needs or even to use as coasters.
For something a little more affordable, get the Five Royal Stars Gift Set ($56) to enjoy a varied selection of Nyonya rice dumplings, Hokkien rice dumplings with salted egg yolk, Teochew rice dumplings, Cantonese bean rice dumplings, and Hakka pork belly rice dumplings. Sugary treats are also available with the Sweet Petite Treasures ($29.30) of five kee zhang with homemade kaya.
Where to buy: Joo Chiat Kim Choo’s headquarters at 30B Quality Road (till 31 May) or the flagship store at 77 Circuit Road and more than 20 pop-up stores islandwide (till 1 June)
3. Four Seasons Hotel Singapore
Look to this hotel for its signature steamed glutinous rice dumpling ($38 each) packed with stunners like 6-head abalone, Iberico pork belly, salted egg yolk, dried scallop, flower mushroom, jin hua ham, roasted duck, and XO sauce.
If you’re up to try something new, grab the three fresh creations for Dragon Boat Festival 2025. The matsutake mushrooms and mixed grains version ($28 each) comes with green bean, yellow bean, oak rice, and shiitake mushrooms. Other options include preserved cabbage with Iberico pork and salted egg yolk ($28 each), and purple rice with white lotus paste and sweet corn paste ($18 each). P.S. any purchase of rice dumplings includes a complimentary thermal bag.
Where to buy: Order online via Four Seasons Hotel Singapore
4. Crystal Jade
The seasonal rice dumplings at Crystal Jade are made with premium ingredients and lovingly slow-cooked. This year’s collection comprises four flavours, including the new pork belly creation ($8.80 each) with dried shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, chestnuts, and a spicy preserved radish (cai po) sauce with scallion oil. Mini sweet red bean dumplings ($7.80 for three) made with mung beans and purple rice also make their debut on the menu.
Plus, get your hands on returning favourites like the jumbo-sized HK-style jin hua ham and conpoy rice dumpling ($24.80 each) stuffed with BBQ roasted duck and pork belly, as well as the classic five-spice marinated pork rice dumpling ($9.80 each).
Where to buy: Order on Crystal Jade’s online store until 28 May or from participating outlets until 1 June (while stocks last)
5. Li Bai Cantonese Restaurant
Traditionalists will know Li Bai for its classic rice dumpling ($58 each) packed with pork belly, roast duck, Chinese mushroom, chestnut, salted egg, conpoy and dried shrimp. Another fave is the abalone and pumpkin rice dumpling ($58 each) filled with whole abalone, pork, mung bean, and other goodies.
Want to try something new? Grab the Teochew beef rice dumpling ($48 each), kung pao chicken with morel mushroom dumpling ($38 each), or lotus paste kansui rice dumpling ($38 for two).
Where to buy: Order on Sheraton Towers Singapore’s online store until 31 May
6. Soup Restaurant
The popular Chinese restaurant debuts a trio of handmade rice dumplings for the first time to celebrate Dragon Boat Festival in Singapore. If you love things done the traditional way, you’ll enjoy the Hokkien dumpling with braised pork belly, salted egg yolk, chestnuts and mushrooms ($11.90 each). For something striking, try the Nonya braised pork blue pea version ($10.90 each). End with the alkaline kee chang ($2.90 each) to savour mochi-like bites that you can slather with kaya or a dusting of sugar.
Perk alert: enjoy 10% off with a minimum spend of $20, plus you’ll receive a free gift basket with a purchase of five savoury rice dumplings.
Where to buy: Available at all Soup Restaurant outlets or online for delivery
7. Paradise Group
We’ve got our eye on Paradise Group’s two new flavours for the season. Sink your teeth into the roasted Iberico pork with XO sauce creation to savour bites of fatty pork belly, dried shrimp, and conpoy, or try the braised pork with conpoy and mushroom version. Both are available exclusively in the gift set ($72.80), which is designed with interlaced threads and a butterfly charm.
Other rice dumpling options include abalone with salted pork belly and brown rice ($17.80 each), black truffle honey BBQ Iberico pork ($14.80 each), and osmanthus gula melaka red bean ($7.80 each).
Where to buy: Available in Paradise Group stores for takeaway until 30 May
8. Thye Moh Chan
It’s all about the classics at heritage brand Thye Moh Chan. The bestselling Teochew double delight bak chang ($7.50 each) is stuffed with pork belly, shiitake mushrooms, roasted chestnuts, and sweet tau sar made from mung beans.
Meanwhile, the crowd favourite Teochew salted egg bak chang ($7.50 each) elevates the flavour with a whole salted egg yolk at its core. For meat-free diners, try the Teochew mushroom version ($7.50 each) that substitutes pork with mock meat. P.S. if you get a bundle of six or ten, you’ll receive a limited edition gift bag.
Where to buy: Available at selected BreadTalk, Toast Box and Thye Moh Chan stores, as well as platforms like GrabFood, Foodpanda and Deliveroo until 31 May
Find your favourite rice dumplings in Singapore and stick to ’em!
