Pork Chives Pan Fried Dumplings with Wing Passed by the K88 Kopitiam which is located at Blk 5 Banda Street just a stone’s throw away from Maxwell MRT Station / Buddha Tooth Relic Temple whilst on the way to have lunch at Chinatown Complex Food Centre and noticed a new stall named Good Luck Dumplings 好旺饺 that had just opened at the coffeeshop. Taking over the stall that formerly housed the now-defunct Happy Claypot (some may also remember this stall being occupied by the now-defunct GAO Korean Food by the folks behind Gao Ji Food), Good Luck Dumplings had yet to install any signages on the light box that is located right beside their stall — the signage above the stall does grab some attention with passers-by however, considering how lightbulbs border around the name of the stall. Having taken a look at their menu, it seems that Good Luck Dumplings has offerings that are largely similar to that of Chinese noodle shops that can be found in coffeeshops all around the island — the stall actually serves up a variety of Chinese noodles including that of Sichuan Noodles with Peppery Sauce as well as two variants of the Handmade BiangBiang Noodles (one with pork, and the other being a vegetarian variant). That being said, Good Luck Dumplings does seem to place a lot more emphasis on their dumpling offerings — there are three different sections in the menu dedicated to the dumplings that are being served up here; they are split into the categories of Dumplings, Hot & Sour Dumplings Soup, and Pan Fried Dumplings with Wings.
We have always thought that Chinese pot stickers (i.e. Guo Tie 锅贴) should always come with that crispy crust on the underside — we got really intrigued with the Pan Fried Dumplings with Wing from Good Luck Dumplings after noticing how they have described their rendition of the pan fried dumplings to come with the “wing”. We were actually pretty spoilt for choices considering how Good Luck Dumplings has eight different flavours of dumplings available — upon asking the staff behind the counter (he was also the only one who is manning the stall) for recommendations, he had advised that we try one of the first seven flavours that are being mentioned in the Pan Fried Dumplings with Wing section of the menu; not particularly useful information for us. We eventually decided to go for the safest option; the Pork Chives Pan Fried Dumplings with Wing. The Pan Fried Dumplings with Wing does require some waiting time as they prepare them only upon order — electronic buzzers would be passed to patrons on payment and patrons will be paged to collect their order when they are ready for collection. On first look, we were pretty impressed with the look of the Pork Chives Pan Fried Dumplings with Wing; it comes with a crispy bottom as mentioned, though not as webbed as how some pot stickers from other establishments would be — there was, however, quite a bit of oil puddling on the plate. Picking up just one dumpling using the chopstick, the thin and crisp batter breaks apart easily; the Pork Chives Dumpling does somewhat stick to the plate though it wasn’t too difficult to lift it up without breaking the delicate skin. Taking a bite, the dumpling was juicy; there was sufficient meat filling whilst there was an evident hint of flavours from the chives as well — an element that balances the meatiness of the filling. Pairing it up with the sliced ginger and the vinegar provided on the side further elevated the experience — provided a tang that further added a contrast of flavours that made it really refreshing. We did like how the wing also did not carry any nasty hint of overused oil as well; a pretty decent random eat that surpassed our expectations.
Having only tried one single item from the menu of Good Luck Dumplings, we cannot exactly give an accurate opinion on whether their offerings are worth making a special trip down to Chinatown just to give it a go. That being said, Good Luck Dumplings does have some interesting dumplings on the menu such as that of the Chives & Eggs Dumplings — they do also have one that features premium ingredients; that would be their Fish Roe & Prawn Dumplings that would command a slightly higher price than their other offerings. Still, we thought that their Pork Chives Pan Fried Dumplings with Wing was a good attempt in serving up authentic pot stickers with the crispy crust on the underside — a rather rare offering considering how most pot stickers served up at stalls in coffeeshops or hawker centres are missing of the wing. Apart from the Pork Chives Pan Fried Dumplings with Wing being a little bit too greasy for our liking, we did enjoy the crisp and light batter as well as the freshness of the fillings within — definitely a good eat on its own that exceeded what we had expected when we first ordered the item at the counter. Prices of the noodles at Good Luck Dumplings range between $4.50 and $5.50, while their various dumpling offerings across the Hot & Sour Dumplings Soup, and Pan Fried Dumplings with Wings sections of the menu are priced between $4 to $9 for 10 to 12 pieces depending on which type of dumplings one is ordering; the prices are actually pretty wallet-friendly and definitely fit within the demographics of those whom visit hawker centres and coffeeshops for meals. We would probably find ourselves revisiting Good Luck Dumplings again some other day to give their Fish Roe & Prawn Dumplings and noodle offerings a go; our experience with their Pork Chives Pan Fried Dumplings with Wing does seem pretty promising thus far.