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When it comes to bak zhang, nothing beats grandma’s recipe. But even if you don’t have access to freshly steamed, homemade rice dumplings, there are plenty of spots in Singapore that sell this traditional Chinese delicacy. As Duan Wu Jie, or Dragon Boat Festival, approaches on June 19, restaurants and heritage brands across the island are gearing up for the annual wave of bak zhang orders. These pyramid-shaped snacks see sticky glutinous rice wrapped in fragrant bamboo leaves, and are packed with ingredients like salted egg yolk – the classic Hokkien or Cantonese way – or premium fillings like seafood and meat in modern renditions. We picked out six spots this year selling rice dumplings for every budget and occasion, whether you plan on gifting a bundle or enjoying them at home.
RECOMMENDED: Guide to Dragon Boat Festival in Singapore and The best Chinese restaurants in Singapore
1. Di Tanjong Katong
Di Tanjong Katong is a small, family-run heritage brand which started in Tanjong Katong, known for its handcrafted snacks and recipes that have been passed down for generations. Its claim to fame is its Iberico pork bak kwa – which sells out every Chinese New Year – grilled fresh on the day of delivery. For the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival, you can enjoy its signature, smoky bak kwa, folded into a bak zhang ($9.80) together with dried shrimp. Instead of large chunks of pork, you get a dispersed mix of melty, caramelised bits that go well with the accompanying homemade crispy sakura ebi hae bee hiam chilli ($18). The Iberico pork Nyonya rice dumpling ($8.90) is equally delightful, with blue pea glutinous rice, winter melon and a blend of traditional spices.
2. Kim Choo Kueh Chang
Ask any self-professed bak zhang fan, and they’ll likely direct you to Kim Choo Kueh Chang. Kim Choo has been in the business for the last 80 years, making its Nyonya rice dumplings and kuehs fresh on-site daily. It currently has two locations – its original store in Joo Chiat and another outlet along East Coast Road. The famed Nyonya zhang ($6) comes in flavours like pork, chicken and vegetarian, with mini sizes available. If you like your bak zhang more savoury, there are options like the traditional salty zhang with black truffle ($9.50), salted egg ($7.50), XO sauce ($9.50) or plain with the regular ingredients of mushrooms, pork and chestnuts. But our eyes are on the kee zhang ($25 for 10 pieces) – sweet packets of alkaline glutinous rice enjoyed with sugar or palm sugar syrup.
3. Hoo Kee
This traditional Hokkien bak zhang specialist has been around since the 1940s and even earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand from 2016 through 2019, and once more in 2022. Till today, rice dumplings are freshly made and steamed each morning at its Bukit Merah Central store, with only one way to identify them: the good old raffia string method. Red strings for the chestnut and pork combo ($4), yellow for chestnut, pork and salted egg yolk ($5), green for chestnut, pork and mushroom ($5), and finally, blue strings for the deluxe, all-in combination with chestnut, pork, salted egg yolk and mushrooms ($6). Walk-ins are possible, but the rice dumplings do tend to sell out unless you arrive early, so your best bet is to place an online order for a bundle of 10 chestnut-pork or the deluxe, all-in bak zhang.
4. Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant
If you don’t mind splurging a little, Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant in Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel has rolled out a luxurious lineup of Cantonese-style rice dumplings. New this year: a honey-glazed pork char siew bak zhang ($18), folded into a four-sided pyramid and packed with two-day-marinated char siew, spring onion-infused glutinous rice and Hong Kong liver sausage. Our pick, though, is the white pepper crab with scallop and Brazilian mushroom bak zhang ($25). It’s decadent but balanced at the same time, with a nice peppery kick from the white pepper sauce and sweet-savoury flavours from the seafood elements. Back by popular demand is the South African abalone with karasumi (dried mullet roe) and Iberico pork rice dumpling ($28), which remains a yearly bestseller.
5. Joo Chiat Kim Choo
Joo Chiat Kim Choo started as a humble stall at 34 Joo Chiat Place, and has since become one of Singapore’s most recognisable bak zhang brands. This year, it’s rolling out eight festive gift sets, which you can order online or pick up at over 30 pop-ups across the island. The Five Royal Stars set ($42) brings together the signature styles of rice dumplings from Singapore’s four main Chinese dialect groups – Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese and Hakka – alongside a traditional Nyonya zhang. There’s also the Sweet Petite Treasures set with five kee zhang and homemade kaya; the Signature Nyonya Bundle for those partial to Nyonya zhangs; and the grand Emperor’s Heirloom gift set with six rice dumplings packed with lup cheong, dried scallops, ginkgo nuts, braised pork belly and more.
6. Jade
Jade at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore returns this Dragon Boat Festival with its Jade Classics rice dumpling collection, spotlighting a special creation that pays tribute to Singapore’s hawker culture. The chicken satay rice dumpling ($22) reimagines the beloved local dish with tender chicken thigh, king oyster mushrooms and peanuts wrapped in glutinous rice, paired with a house-made satay sauce for that unmistakable smoky-sweet flavour. Returning crowd favourites include the blue pea Nyonya zhang ($18) filled with minced pork, mushrooms and candied winter melon, alongside the Hokkien salted egg yolk bak zhang ($18). Meanwhile, vegetarian diners can opt for the truffle and trio mushroom five-grain rice dumpling ($20).
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