Dumplings 粽子 time: Pork free 粽子 @ West Lake Garden Chinese Restaurant, Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa

More pork free dumplings 粽子"zongzi" galore awaits one at West Lake Garden Chinese Restaurant, Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa. Its a clever play of ingredients and the art of cooking that ensures that pork free 粽子 taste just as smooth and flavourful as the pork ones.

Aptly named "Bundled Treasures", Chef Chan Choo Kean and his team roll out 5 awesome bundled treasures. This promotion starts 25th May till 6th June 2011.

Sharing is caring. And one certainly can't go wrong when one orders a 3kg Superior Giant Glutinous Rice Dumpling with Assorted Meat and Chef’s Special Savoury Sauce. Priced at RM188++ each, the 3kg rectangular dumpling looks like a block of rice wrapped in bamboo. It does look sort of the huge meal you'll need to feed an army:P

However what is actually in stored isn't just a block of bamboo and flavoured rice. Therein contains specially chosen ingredients for its flavour and texture including dried scallop, dried oyster, barbecued chicken, lotus seed, chestnut, salted egg yolk, mushroom, dried shrimp and yellow peas. To add to the whole awesome experience is a specially concocted savoury sauce.

I half expected that when it is steamed and sliced to be served, the ingredients will not evenly spread out. In the art of laying out the ingredients, the chefs have painstakingly ensured that every bit of ingredient is laid out evenly throughout each 3kg roll or block of dumpling. To put the chefs to the test, we actually dug out the 2 slices that we were served to check out the ingredients. Bravo, both slices of dumplings from the 3kg roll were evenly spread out. And yes if the 3kg which averagely feeds 10 very hungry people seems really too big for you, you can opt to order the sliced ones at RM28 each.

And may I add...the chinese pickled chili actually goes real well with the dumplings. Give it a try, you may well like it like I did. This condiment on the table looked really good with the very warm and traditional chinese decors of the West Lake Garden Chinese Restaurant. Bring your older loved ones such as your grandparents to score brownie points from them this chinese festival. Or better still take advantage of the above mentioned 3kg Superior Giant Glutinous Rice Dumpling with Assorted Meat and Chef’s Special Savoury Sauce and have a family reunion!

How many of us have actually heard of lamb being used in dumplings? Here at West Lake Garden Chinese Restaurant, they have introduced Steamed Glutinous Rice Dumpling with Yam and Lamb. Priced at RM23 each, this 粽子 is bursting with the flavours of the seasoned lamb meat coupled with the specially chosen ingredients of yam, dried shrimp, mushroom and chestnut. The taste is just amazing. The lamb was not strong neither was it subtle. It just tasted right. Neither did it leave the dumpling oily.

As it turned out, the lamb is carefully seasoned and cooked with precision to achieve such texture and flavour before it is being used as one the ingredients in this flavourful Glutinous Rice Dumpling with Yam and Lamb.

Hong Kong Style Steamed Glutinous Rice Dumpling priced at RM28 is a must try if you want something closer to the original old fashion dumplings. A bite into this all time favourite will reveal an assortment of hidden treasures including dried scallop, barbecued chicken, salted egg yolk, black mushroom, chestnut, dried shrimp and yellow pea all wrapped by a bed of fluffy glutinous rice which is lightly "tea-like" flavour because the lotus leaf is used to wrap this bundle of treasure.

Vegetarians fret not. Tantalise your tastebuds with the Steamed Vegetarian Glutinous Rice Dumpling priced at RM18 each. In every dumpling lays an array of mushrooms including enoki mushroom, abalone mushroom and black mushroom. And what makes this vegetarian dumpling different from many others out there is the usage of wild rice grains. These awesome power packed wild rice is not just nutritious but it has a slightly nutty taste which I admit compliments the chosen mushrooms well.

The fifth bundled treasure awaits us in the form of Steamed Glutinous Rice Dumpling with Sweet Red Bean priced at RM12 each. Frankly I was a bit disappointed with the idea of red bean. I felt it was normal. However, a bite into this Alkaline Dumplings "kee chang" filled with the red bean paste, I got hooked. The red bean paste was creamy and smooth. Nothing like the usual rather roughed ones that I had eaten most times. And when one adds a little of the honey on the side into the dumpling, it becomes even more flavourful. This I will have to admit, it is because I have always loved honey of any sort.

With all this glutinous rice, its best that one opts to wash it down with some Chinese tea to promote better digestion of the glutinous rice. Speak to your waitress or waiter on the wide assortment of exquisite chinese tea.

The dumplings 粽子 are served daily ala carte for lunch and dinner till 6th June 2011 and are also available

for take-away. Three days advance request is highly recommended for orders beyond 15 pieces per dine-in or take-away order. So hurry down to:

West Lake Garden Chinese Restaurant,

Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa

Opening hours:

• 12.00 noon to 2.30 pm for lunch (Mondays to Saturdays)

• 10.00 am to 2.30 pm (Sundays and PublicHolidays)

• 6.30pm to 10.30 pm for dinner (Mondays to Sundays).

For reservations, call West Lake Garden Chinese Restaurant at +603 7495 1888.