Wantons in Chinese Peanut Sauce Was going around Kallang Wave Mall and got to learn about a fairly new food stall named Yang’s Dumpling 杨记生煎 that had recently opened within the MyKampung food court there. Yang’s Dumpling 杨记生煎 takes over the former premises of the previous Mini Wok stall that is located at the back of the entire food court. Whilst the stall name on the signboard still reflects Mini Wok, there are plenty of neon signages that mention the stall’s namesake as well as 生煎包 in Chinese characters that one would notice as they stand right in front of the stall. The namesake of Yang’s Dumpling can be a little confusing considering this is also the name of the notable Yang’s Dumplings 小杨生煎 that is situated in mainland China — the most obvious difference here would be the Chinese characters of the namesake that allows one to immediately distinguish the two apart. Yang’s Dumpling at Kallang Wave Mall does seem to replicate the way that other notable dumpling establishments around the island presents their dumplings at the counter; the dumplings are displayed without being cooked right within a display case with description cards labelling the different flavours of dumplings. One thing to note about Yang’s Dumpling is how their food offerings are all halal-certified; this is in accordance with how MyKampung is a food court that houses only halal-certified food stalls. Other dishes that Yang’s Dumpling does serve up apart from dumplings and Sheng Jian Bao will include a line-up of snacks, fried rice, noodles and mini wok items — which is probably the same reason why the namesake of the store on the signboard was not being switched out in the first place.
We were initially drawn to give Yang’s Dumpling a try for their Pan-Fried Dumplings, but we found ourselves leaving the establishment being more satisfied with the Wantons in Chinese Peanut Sauce. This item somewhat replicates that of what Yuen Kee Dumplings 袁記雲餃 has to offer — the Wantons in Chinese Peanut Sauce features wantons that are being boiled and served with a doused of vinegar, soy sauce and Chinese peanut sauce; a little similar to the wantons / dumplings paired with Viral Mixed Sauce with Chili Oil at Yuen Kee Dumplings, though not exactly the same since it comes sans the chili oil. One thing to note about the wantons at Yang’s Dumpling is how the wantons that are served up at Yang’s Dumpling for the Wantons in Chinese Peanut Sauce are the Big Chicken Wantons; that being said, these folks do carry a Small Chicken Wanton that is sized just about the same as a typical Wanton elsewhere. We felt that the Wanton wrapper felt a little more stiff and less silky than what we had imagined to be — a little bit on the thicker side, though the Wantons was filled with a chicken meat filling that seems to have been marinated for a savoury note. The highlight does seem to be the “Chinese Peanut Sauce”; seemingly a mix of soy sauce(?), vinegar and Chinese-style peanut sauce that provides a savoury and tangy note whilst being creamy and nutty in a way that is similar to peanut butter and gives the sauce a bit of richness and depth of flavours.
Given how we were drawn to giving Yang’s Dumpling a go due to their Pan-Fried Bun offerings, we definitely have to give their Pan-fried Bun Platter a go — this features their Prawn pan-fried buns and Signature Pan-Fried Crispy Chicken Soup Buns on the same plate; the platter consisting of a total of four (4) buns with two (2) buns per type of filling being served together. These do look like the typical Pan-Fried Buns that are being served by usual, non-halal certified stalls serving up Mainland-style Chinese cuisine — very much the same as how it should have been. That being said, there is a slight difference in consistency between the two; we did find the Signature Pan-Fried Crispy Chicken Soup Buns to be the better-executed ones considering how they do come with crusty underside from being griddled on the pan with oil — all that whilst the top of the bun remains soft and a little fluffy being easy to chew through. The chicken meat filling is the same one that came with the Big Chicken Wantons in our order of the Wantons in Chinese Peanut Sauce, the flavours when combined with the bun of what one would typically find in a Big Meat Pau, with the meat fillings being almost packed to the brim — this also means that there is a lack of soup that made it feel a little more dry than it should, though the soup itself does carry a savoury note as well. The Prawn pan-fried buns do feel a little less well-made; the browned undersides lacked the same crustinesss that came with the Signature Pan-Fried Crispy Chicken Soup Buns, though it does come with a piece of prawn that adds a sweetness to the pan-fried buns not found in the Signature Pan-Fried Crispy Chicken Soup Buns. The major qualm that we have here is the shredded ginger that comes on the side; usually these do come soaked in light soy sauce, rice vinegar, water etc. and comes de-skinned — was a bit appalled they came sliced as-is with the skin-on and plated with the pan-fried buns which was rather strange.
Apart from its cheesy name that attempts to be a bit of a copy to a more famous brand that is non-existential in the local F&B scene at this current juncture, Yang’s Dumpling does seem to be the first establishment that we have come across serving up Chinese Pan-Fried Buns and Wantons in a similar style to that of Yuen Kee Dumplings with a halal-certification; though there is definitely a difference between using pork and chicken for such dishes, Yang’s Dumpling definitely gives the Muslim community here a taste of mainland Chinese-style Pan-Fried Buns and Wantons that seems to be pretty close to and replicates the original pretty well. Prices of the Wantons in Chinese Peanut Sauce and Pan-fried Bun Platter are also pretty comparable to the same that is being served up at non-halal certified establishments; the Wantons in Chinese Peanut Sauce being priced at $6.90 for a eight (8) piece portion, while the Pan-fried Bun Platter is priced at $7.90. Something fresh for the Muslim community here to perhaps give a go and see if this does fit to their preferences!
