Whatever you may think of their origin story, sticky rice dumplings remain a staple of the Dragon Boat Festival, and come with a range of fillings.
In Hong Kong, the most common zongzi are Cantonese-style dumplings with traditional fillings such as marinated pork belly, dried scallops and salted egg yolk; a sweet option is filled with red bean and tangerine peel.
Some restaurants depart from tradition by offering different fillings, such as sea urchin and fish maw. One brand has launched a low-carb “rice” dumpling that fits the keto diet.
1. Lung King Heen
Executive Chinese chef Chan Yan-tak and his team at Lung King Heen at the Four Seasons Hong Kong have created two new flavours for the festival this year: glutinous rice dumpling with osmanthus and sweet potato, and glutinous rice dumpling with whitebait, conpoy and termite mushroom.
8 Finance St, Sheung Wan, tel: 3196 8882
2. Yue
At Yue in the Sheraton Hong Kong Tung Chung Hotel, the new flavours dreamed up by executive Chinese chef Chung Chi-keung include abalone rice dumpling, whole conpoy and pork belly rice dumpling, sweetened red bean and aged tangerine peel rice dumpling, and a vegetarian rice dumpling.
2/F, 9 Yi Tung Rd, Tung Chung, tel: 2535 0028
3. Jade Garden
Jade Garden has five savoury and sweet dumplings for the festival, including one that marries the umami taste of sea urchin with the smooth texture of fish maw. Other savoury versions include a scallop and squid dumpling, and a roast goose and pork rice dumpling; sweet options include a coconut-flavoured kaya sweet rice dumpling, and a mandarin peel and bean sweet rice dumpling.
Multiple locations including Lippo House, Lockhart Rd, Causeway Bay, tel: 2573 9339.
For details visit maximsproducts.com.hk/tc/eshop
4. The Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel
The Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel Hong Kong is celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival in style by offering a bag with each food order. Its dumplings include a delicate jade premium glutinous rice dumpling, a healthy red quinoa vegetarian glutinous rice dumpling, and a red bean paste version.
3 Ocean Drive, Aberdeen, tel: 2166 7388
5. Ming Court
Executive Chef Li Yuet-faat and his team at Michelin-star Ming Court have put a twist on classic flavours, serving a glutinous rice dumpling with whole abalone, conpoy, roast duck meat, Jinhua ham, salted egg yolk, and shiitake mushroom (HK$368), and a black glutinous rice dumpling with aged dried tangerine peel, red bean paste, and lotus seed (HK$128). Pair your dumplings with house-made Ming Court XO sauce (HK$298).
Level 6, Cordis, 555 Shanghai St, Mong Kok, tel: 3552 3028
6. Tsui Hang Village
Health-conscious diners will love the vegetarian dumplings at Tsui Hang Village, such as a dumpling filled with assorted mushrooms (including Yunnan-produced morel mushrooms and yellow fungus), yam and bamboo pith rice dumpling with high-fibre quinoa added for extra texture.
The fruity golden kumquat rice dumpling is an original creation by Tsui Hang Village, its red bean filling made with kumquat purée, and is paired with kumquat honey sauce.
Mira Place, Shop 504, L5, FoodLoft, 132 Nathan Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 2376 2882
7. Yat Tung Heen
Michelin-star Cantonese restaurant Yat Tung Heen at the Eaton HK in Jordan has prepared a deluxe whole abalone rice dumpling with conpoy (HK$328/piece) made with salted egg yolk, premium dried scallops, roast goose and aromatic mushroom.
In keeping with Eaton’s commitment to sustainability, it has an OmniPork vegetarian version (HK$298/piece) with mushroom and red kidney beans.
Level B2, Eaton HK, 380 Nathan Rd, Kowloon, tel: 2710 1093
8. Spring Moon
The Peninsula Hong Kong’s Michelin-star Spring Moon restaurant is offering a selection of four house-made rice dumplings and three zesty sauces for the festival.
Created by Chinese cuisine executive chef Lam Yuk-ming and his team, they include a glutinous rice dumpling (HK$698) made with premium ingredients including 30-head Middle Eastern dried abalone, Jinhua ham and conpoy.
For a sweet twist, try its “Golden Twins” glutinous rice dumplings – lotus seed paste dumpling and red date paste and lychee dumpling (HK$348).
1/F, The Peninsula Hong Kong, Salisbury Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 2696 6828
9. The Legacy House
Chef Li Chi Wai at one-Michelin-star The Legacy House has prepared a Dragon Boat Rice Dumplings gift box (HK$598) featuring a set of sweet and savoury rice dumplings made with premium ingredients such as 24-year dried tangerine peel, Jinhua ham and abalone.
5/F, Rosewood Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 3891 8732
10. Ming Pavilion
Newly opened Hokkien restaurant Ming Pavilion is commemorating the festival with two exclusive Hokkien-style rice dumplings that are available until 10 June.
The sticky rice dumpling with abalone, conpoy and organic pork belly is a large one at 500g (HK$448), while the Minnan premium sticky rice dumpling is smaller at 170g (HK$118) and made with pork belly, dried squid, dried mussels, shiitake mushrooms, peanuts, taro, ginger and spring onions. Its dumplings come with a variety of dipping sauces.
8/F, Island Shangri-La, Pacific Place, Supreme Court Road, Admiralty, tel: 2820 8580
Plus: Dashijie
Joining the classic line-up of dumplings (traditional Cantonese dried scallops, grade A Yunnan ham, salted egg yolk, roast duck and pork belly; and the imperial Shanghainese dumpling flavoured with soy sauce) is a new one for 2024.
Labelled as keto diet-friendly and low-carb, the supreme keto dumpling features dried scallop, ham and roast duck wrapped in cauliflower “rice” instead of the traditional glutinous rice.
Order from dashijie.com.hk
