7 best places to get glutinous rice dumplings ahead of Dragon Boat Festival
With the Dragon Boat Festival or Tuen Ng approaching this weekend, now is the time to share glutinous rice dumplings—or zongzi (粽子). Legend has it that Chinese poet Qu Yuan threw himself in the water to protest against government corruption and to save him villagers raced in boats, beating drums and throwing glutinous rice dumplings into the water to keep fish away from his body. Since then, it has become quite a tradition in this part of the world to enjoy these bamboo-wrapped dumplings in sweet or savoury form. Of course, restaurants and F&B businesses leave no stones unturned to curate the most indulgent—and sometimes unique—versions to customers. Here are the seven best places to find glutinous rice dumplings ahead of the Dragon Boat Festival.
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Jiangsu Club
Enjoy the sweet and savoury delights of glutinous rice dumplings at Jiangsu Club
Made from the finest ingredients, Jiangsu Club’s sticky rice dumplings are an artful tribute to both Jiangnan-style and Jia Hu-style dumplings. While the former is an aromatic variant with a spongy texture, the latter is known for its moreishness that comes from marinating the rice in light and dark soy sauce. Jiangsu Club’s dumplings are also packed with premium ingredients such as 12-head abalone from South Africa and three-layered pork belly, making each bite an indulgence.
Jiangsu ClubAddress: 2/F, Alliance Building, 130-136 Connaught Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
The Legacy House
Indulge in unique glutinous rice dumplings from The Legacy House
Located inside Rosewood Hong Kong with one Michelin star, The Legacy House is celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival with handcrafted glutinous rice dumplings by Executive Chef Li Chi-Wai. Chef Li has prepared two versions: the savoury one is packed with abalone, Jinhua ham, dried scallop, salted egg yolk and salted chicken sauce, while the sweet rendition comes with 24-year aged dried tangerine peel, and sweetened red bean paste.
The Legacy HouseAddress: Level Five, Rosewood Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Ming Pavilion
Both vegetarians and non-vegetarians have something to choose from at Ming Pavilion
If you like Fujian-style glutinous rice dumplings, Island Shangri-La’s Ming Pavilion has got you covered with its mini gourmet sticky rice dumpling gift set, including Fujian-style dumpling with pork belly and rice dumpling with 25-year preserved radish and organic pork belly. Alongside these classic zongzi, Ming Pavilion is also serving up healthy and vegetarian ones. Its mini sticky rice dumpling with black glutinous rice and vegetarian meat features a blend of plant-based meat wrapped in a sweet black glutinous rice wrapper.
Ming PavilionAddress: Level 8, Pacific Place, Supreme Court Road, Admiralty, Hong Kong
The Peninsula Boutique
The Peninsula Boutique’s glutinous rice dumplings have a spicy kick
Enjoy classic glutinous rice dumplings with a spicy twist, as The Peninsula Boutique is delivering classic flavours with a hit of its The Peninsula XO chilli sauce. These dumplings, stuffed with pork belly and topped off with a hint of chilli sauce, are perfect for diners looking to satisfy tradition and a love of spice simultaneously. Also don’t miss out on the Tuen Ng salted egg yolk cookie and palmier gift box which features buttery cookies infused with—you guessed it—salted egg yolk. Yummy!
The Peninsula BoutiqueAddress: The Peninsula Boutique & Café, The Peninsula Arcade, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Grand Hyatt Hong Kong
The five grains, tangerine peel and red bean dumpling from Grand Hyatt is sweet but not overtly so
Grand Hyatt Hong Kong is offering both sweet and savoury dumplings with vibrant traditional flavours. Its sweet glutinous rice dumpling is stuffed with delicious red bean, green bean, millet and wheat grain, alongside osmanthus and fragrant dried tangerine peel.
Grand Hyatt Hong KongAddress: M/F, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road, Hong Kong
Yat Tung Heen
Gather with friends and family to enjoy glutinous rice dumplings from Yat Tung Heen this weekend
The internationally renowned Yat Tung Heen is delving into nostalgia with its dumplings this Dragon Boat Festival, as its take on hearty classic abalone dumplings enjoyed during the festival aims to honour quintessential Cantonese ingredients with a touch of modern flair.
Yat Tung HeenAddress: Level B2, Eaton HK, 380 Nathan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong
The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong
The Ritz-Carlton’s sticky rice dumpling gift boxes are sure to impress your loved ones
The Ritz-Carlton brings back its much-loved deluxe glutinous rice dumplings in qipao-inspired gift boxes with soothing lotus motifs. The savoury dumplings in the box are brimming with premium ingredients such as abalone, fragrant conpoy and succulent pork, while those with a sweet tooth might lean towards the glutinous rice dumpling with rich lotus seed paste, red bean paste and mandarin peel.
The Ritz-Carlton, Hong KongAddress: Hong Kong International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road, West Kowloon, Hong Kong
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