Enjoy the Dragon Boat festivities with these rice dumpling menus

Four Seasons Hotel

In Hong Kong, no Dragon Boat Festival celebration is complete without rice dumplings. To embrace the culinary tradition, three-Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant Lung King Heen at Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong is celebrating the festival with two rice dumpling gift sets this year that feature not only the perennial favourite but also two new flavours – an effort reflecting the restaurant’s continued dedication to elevating the humble delicacies with the finest ingredients.

This year, the Hotel’s Executive Chinese Chef Chan Yan Tak and his talented culinary team behind Lung King Heen have developed two new rice dumpling flavours to delight its discerning guests. Inspired by the traditional pelted wheat and peanut sweet soup, the Glutinous Rice Dumpling with Pelted Wheat, Peanuts, Lotus Seed Paste and Osmanthus is a sweet dumpling where the lotus seed paste is deliberately cooked to achieve a molten state. Pelted wheat and peanuts are steamed for two hours before mixing into the glutinous rice to impart a unique mouthfeel. When sampling, guests are invited to take advantage of the osmanthus honey that comes with the dumpling and enjoy an elevated depth of flavour. 

In addition to the sweet dumpling, Glutinous Rice Dumpling with Conch, Conpoy and Spicy Termite Mushroom is another new creation that is savoury in taste. In this recipe, the premium ingredient conch is steamed and diced into fine cubes to add texture to the glutinous rice. Aromatic termite mushroom lends a spicy kick to the dumpling and offers a delightful fragrance with every bite. 

Guests can sample the two new rice dumpling creations, each weighing approximately 225 grams, by ordering the gift set priced at HKD 438 that also comes with an offering of snowflake honey orchid phoenix tea leaves.

Widely loved by Lung King Heen’s patrons in previous years, Organic Glutinous Grain Rice Dumpling with Abalone and Conpoy will return this year due to popular demand. This luxury dumpling is prepared with two pieces of South African abalone and roast goose, in addition to the staple of pork, Chinese mushroom and salted egg yolk to promise an abundance of Cantonese delight. Organic ten-grain rice adds more fibre and nourishment to this treat. This mega-sized dumpling is good to share with up to four people.

Guests can sample this rice dumpling that weighs approximately 750 grams by ordering the gift set priced at HKD 498 which also includes an offering of snowflake honey orchid phoenix tea leaves. All rice dumplings from Lung King Heen are boiled for at least four hours and simmered in hot water for 10 hours to achieve that sticky and chewy texture from mung beans and glutinous rice.

Yat Tung Heen

One Michelin-starred Yat Tung Heen at Eaton HK will serve up a cooling menu of authentic Cantonese dishes this summer. Eight new dishes celebrate the season’s most treasured ingredients like cooling melon in the form of Braised Hairy Gourd stuffed with Scallops in Crab Roe Sauce (HK$288), Simmered Sabah Garoupa with Hairy Gourd in Supreme Soup (HK$628) and Braised Sliced Hair Gourd with Dried Seafood (HK$248). Chef Tam Tung also serves up a signage melon dish – Double-boiled Winter Melon Soup with Assorted Seafood, Chicken, Yellow Fungus and Lotus Seed (HK$538), with cooling properties offering respite from Hong Kong’s infamous heat. 

Each ingredient has been carefully selected by Chef Tam resulting in a collection of stunning Cantonese plates which are sure to be the talk of the town this summer. The Chef’s Summer Recommendations are available a la carte from May 2, 2022. Celebrate the elemental interconnectedness of art and nature this Dragon Boat Festival with Yat Tung Heen’s Rice Dumplings, which include the Deluxe Whole Abalone Rice Dumpling (HK$288) and OmniPork Vegetarian Rice Dumpling (HK$258), both masterfully crafted by Chef Tam.

This year, Michelin-starred Yat Tung Heen’s environmentally friendly packaging for its Rice Dumplings takes inspiration from bamboo leaves, which are traditionally used for rice dumplings, fused with the poetry of traditional Chinese shan shui paintings to create an elegant, abstract rendering of natural landscapes – mountains, rivers and waterfalls. The wooden clutch on top of the packaging makes it easy to carry and reuse for other purposes. The gift set design connects food, tradition, art and sustainability, making it a great gift for the season.

The exquisite, classic Deluxe Whole Abalone Rice Dumpling (HK$288) will be a customer favourite every year.  Prepared by Chef Tam, this rice dumpling is handmade with whole abalone, salted egg yolk, premium dried scallops, Jinhua ham and mushrooms, all evenly proportioned. The smooth and nutty fragrances of mung bean and bamboo leaves emerge from every bite of the chewy glutinous rice. Inspired by Eaton HK’s sustainability-forward mission, Yat Tung Heen created a one-of-a-kind OmniPork Vegetarian Rice Dumpling (HK$258). The plant-based rice dumpling features OmniPork, Japanese mushrooms, red kidney beans, chestnuts, peanuts, lotus seeds and other premium ingredients used in Eight Treasures foods that are rich in nutritional value, making it a great healthy option for dumpling lovers.

Chilli Fagara

The Michelin-recommended Sichuan mainstay, Chilli Fagara, pays tribute to one of Hong Kong’s most iconic festivals, the Dragon Boat Race, with a spice-infused Dragon Boat Zhongzi (HK$88). Available for pre-order from today until 20 May, the exclusive glutinous rice dumplings with a Ma La Tang twist can be purchased for takeaway or delivery from 25 May to 3 June.

Specially curated to celebrate the comeback of the much-loved event, Chef Chan takes inspiration from her home – the Chinese province of Chong Qing – to transform the classic sticky rice dumplings into elaborate Sichuan-style marvels befitting contemporary tastes of today. The indulgent, spice-infused delicacy features true-to-tradition glutinous rice stuffed with a salted egg yolk and decadent Sichuan cured meat, perfected with flavourful Iberico pork and mixed beans, all wrapped in a bamboo leaf which imparts its much-loved slightly sweet taste with notes of green tea to the rice.

Levelling up the rice dumpling ritual, customers receive a complimentary handmade Mandarin Tang-erine Sauce upon a purchase of four Zhongzi or above, which makes for a sophisticated Sichuan dining experience with family and friends in the comfort of home. The tangy, tangerine peel-infused sauce is made with sun-dried chenpi aged for 10 years and blended with fresh Sichuan red chillies for a kick of spice. 

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Golden Leaf

In celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival, Golden Leaf Executive Chef Tony Wan curates two varieties of glutinous rice dumplings to heighten the festive spirit!

Pamper your taste buds and savour the exquisite rice dumplings infused with supreme ingredients. Made from tender pork belly, roasted duck, conpoy, egg yolk and mushroom, the savoury Deluxe Assorted Meat Rice Dumpling delivers the essence of the true classic Cantonese flavours and promises your palate complex texture in every bite. The sweet counterpart features Mini Sweet Rice Dumpling with Mashed Lotus Seed Paste – an ideal choice for those in possession of a sweet tooth.

From 1 May 2022, both traditional delicacies will be available to pre-order at Cake Shop: Deluxe Assorted Meat Rice Dumpling – HK$288 and Mini Sweet Rice Dumpling with Mashed Lotus Seed Paste (3 pieces) – HK$208. The collection period starts from 12 May to 2 June 2022. 

Rosewood Hong Kong 

Rosewood Hong Kong’s flagship MICHELIN-recommended Cantonese restaurant, The Legacy House celebrates the centuries-old Dragon Boat Festival (Tuen Ng Festival) with the launch of traditional rice dumplings crafted by Chinese Executive Chef Li Chi-Wai. Known today as zongzi, the unique pyramid-shaped dumplings play a symbolic role during the annual boat-racing festival due to legends tied to this delicious traditional delicacy, which Chef Li honours through his painstaking preparation process. 

Prepared fresh daily, the special Dragon Boat Festival sweet and savoury glutinous rice dumplings are available for pre-order now at The Legacy House restaurant and Rosewood Hong Kong’s online shop from 28 April – 1^st June 2022. Each environmentally friendly gift basket contains two limited edition premium glutinous rice dumplings, which are priced at HKD598 per set and 3 days advance order (cut off at 7pm.) is required. The rice dumplings are available for collection at The Legacy House between 27 May and 4  June 2022. 

The first step of the meticulous dumpling-making process is to soak and soften the glutinous rice in alkaline water. For the Steamed Sweet Rice Dumpling with Chestnut, the rice is stuffed with whole chestnut and lotus seed. The second variety, the savoury Steamed Rice Dumpling with Abalone, Pork & Mushroom, is filled with the auspicious “eight treasures” ingredients including six-headed South African abalone, pork belly, chestnut, lotus seed, conpoy, chanterelle, porcini, and shiitake, which have been seasoned with Shao Hsing Hua Diao wine, soy sauce, sugar and five-spice.  Both dumplings are then wrapped with dried bamboo leaves to form the traditional pyramid shape and then slow-boiled for seven hours.

Man Ho Chinese Restaurant

The Dragon Boat Festival, which has roots stretching more than 2,000 years, is one of the important festivals in Chinese culture that carries on centuries-old traditions. To celebrate this traditional festival, JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong’s one-Michelin-starred Man Ho Chinese Restaurant is excited to introduce glutinous rice dumplings for the first time, available in two different flavours.

Man Ho Dried Abalone Glutinous Rice Dumpling is crafted with an emphasis on retaining the traditional style of this classic festive treat, yet elevated in tastes and textures with the best choice of ingredients. Executive Chinese Chef Jayson Tang handpicks each and every ingredient used to make this flavour-packed dumpling, including luxurious South African dried abalone, top-notch conpoy and Shiitake mushroom from Japan, the best cut of pork belly, Korean organic chicken thigh meat, quality lotus seeds from Hunan, salted egg yolk, green beans, as well as glutinous rice that absorbs the essence, all wrapped in aromatic bamboo leaves. Chef Jayson also makes a thoughtful choice on seasoning by using the addictive-free Yuan’s soy sauce which is produced locally with decade-old natural fermentation techniques, adding a rich, smooth and mellow savoury flavour to the dumpling.    

On the other hand, Man Ho Red Bean Glutinous Rice Dumplings will never disappoint dumpling lovers as well. Chef Jayson lets the natural flavours of ingredients shine through, without adding any alkaline water during the making process, enabling guests to indulge in the chewy, creamy and moderately sweet Japanese red beans, buttery and rich umami flavour of the salted egg yolk, as well as the well-seasoned pork belly cut using Yuan’s soy sauce.