Just One Food - Bak Chang.....Take 2!

I know I've blogged about one of my favourite festivals favourite things to eat during my favourite Chinese Festival...which is the "Chung" or Rice Dumpling Festival....and that's bak chang, of course.  With the Dumpling Festival just round the corner (oh, that's tomorrow), it's a no-brainer that I'd be preoccupied with "Chung (not Georgia) on my mind"! ;D

My previous blog post mentioned that I get my usual loot from either the Pandan Indah (not sure if the lady is still selling as I've not seen her for quite a while already) or Pandan Perdana markets.  But that was before I discovered an equally good glutinous rice meat dumpling in Paramount Garden...which is now my current favourite.

So, I felt the need to share with you...once again....about this splendid bak chang (just in case you missed my other blog post as well).  The only 'unsavoury news' is that the rice dumpling has gone up in price (yet again) from RM5.50 (last year) to RM6 for one now :'(

The chap who runs this dumpling stall (inside O & S Restaurant) is very friendly and he sells a few types of chung (including nyonya chung).  There's also a road side stall, just in front of O & S, selling bak chang too. I've tried that one but the taste pales in comparison to the one inside the restaurant.

My ultimate favourite is the "kong fu chung" (Cantonese bak chang) for its lighter colour (visually) and cleaner taste.

It's filled with all the prerequisites a bak chang should have and that is....tender pork belly, "luk tau" (mung or green beans), "foong lut" (chestnut), dried Chinese mushroom and salted egg yolk.

The pork belly had both lean and fatty parts (to satisfy all preferences) and it was absolutely tender, the luk tau soft and mashed...and I actually found two chestnuts in one of the dumplings (bonus!) when most bak chang these days don't even have foong lut.

The usual chung would be the one that is in a darker shade of brown (from the glutinous rice being fried with dark soy) which is just as delicious too.  I like how they always get the consistency just right in their bak chang....soft, flavourful, not too oily, not too salty....ah, perfect! ;)

My family prefers a bak chang that doesn't have any type of beans.....and if you prefer those, they have that too but I certainly like mine with luk tau (not "mei tau" or black eyed peas).

So, which or where is your favourite bak chang?  Pray tell.  Happy Dumpling Festival everyone!