Big or small, here are our favourite dumplings for Dragon Boat fest

Fat chance if you can grab the Michelin-endorsed glutinous rice dumpling at one hawker centre near Chinatown this weekend.

The popular stall would have stopped taking orders for their zong zi a few weeks before the Dragon Boat Festival (aka dumpling festival), which falls on Tuesday (May 30).

The good news is you can still lay your hands on their dumplings after the season.

But if you really need to give chomp-worthy dumplings to the elders these few days or buy some for your own enjoyment, you can still get them at Chinese restaurant chains like Crystal Jade and Tung Lok, as well as restaurants at top hotels.

Here are our picks of dumplings wrapped in bamboo and lotus leaves, which continue the tradition of remembering ancient Chinese poet Qu Yuan during the Dragon Boat Festival.

EXCITING NEW FLAVOURS

Beef Brisket and Tendon: If you love Hong Kong-style braised beef and glutinous rice, this is a smashing combo. Aromatically spiced and yieldingly soft, the pieces of brisket and tendons come with a delectable sauce that is swimmingly good with the rice. This hefty dumpling costs $22 at Summer Palace in The Regent Hotel.

Classic Pork Dumpling with Preserved Vegetables: Who could resist Mei Cai Ko Rou? Here, the popular Chinese dish is used ingeniously as the stuffing in this longish-shaped dumpling. Packed with meaty flavours, it's priced at $16.80 at Hai Tien Lo in The Pan Pacific Hotel.

Sambal Chicken Quinoa and Glutinous Rice Dumpling: Inspired by Nonya cuisine, this pyramid-shaped curiosity which reminds one of yellow kunyit rice, is speckled with quinoa grains. The fusion-spice flavours are intriguing, bite after bite. Small but chunky, it is priced at $10.80 at Jade restaurant in The Fullerton Hotel.

TRADITIONAL BIGGIES

Signature Regent Abalone: Just when you think you've had enough of abalones during the Chinese New Year, this biggie tempts you with a splendidly braised shellfish in a succulent sauce. An epitome of the Hong Kong-style pillow dumplings, it's studded with quality shitake mushrooms, chestnuts, dried scallops, roast duck, salted egg yolk and melt-in-the-mouth green beans. It tastes so perfect that you don't need the accompanying soy sauce. $38 from Summer Palace in The Regent Hotel.

Traditional Cantonese Jumbo Rice Dumpling: A top favourite at Hai Tien Lo restaurant, this hefty creation is packed with premium dried oysters, dried scallops, Japanese shitake mushrooms, salted egg yolk and fatty pork belly that melts in the mouth. Excellent blend of flavours reflect the chef's dumpling-making skills. $30.80 at Hai Tien Lo in The Pan Pacific Singapore hotel.

Hong Kong Style Rice Dumpling with Roasted Meat, Dried Scallops and Beans: Another very well-made Hong Kong-style pillow dumpling, it's packed with the signature roast duck and roast pork belly of Hua Ting restaurant, alongside dried scallops, mushrooms, salted egg yolk, chestnuts and dried lotus seeds. The ingredients flavour the sticky rice so well that you don't need the sauce. Good value at $24.80, from Hua Ting in Orchard Hotel.

A VEGETARIAN OPTION

Vegetarian Five-grain and Cordycep Fungus Glutinous Rice Dumpling: A healthy twist that tastes and smell good with the inclusion of aromatic cordycep fungus, this small but filling dumpling is also embedded with shiitake mushrooms, vegetarian mocked ham, Job's tear grains, black-eye beans, oats, brown rice and barley. Wrapped in bamboo leaves, this it costs $9.80 at Jade restaurant in The Fullerton Hotel.

chenj@sph.com.sg