Vancouver 2014 Golden Dumpling Cook Off poster detail

Back by popular demand, Vancouver’s Second Annual Dumpling Cook Off joins forces with the TD Vancouver Chinatown Festival on August 10 for the second annual celebration of one of the world’s greatest comfort foods. Serving the savoury morsels street-side, traditional Chinese restaurants will cook up the classics while the city’s hippest hotspots will plate fresh takes on the filling-and-wrapper format.

An expert panel of judges will taste their way through entries from 20 restaurants battling to fill, wrap, steam, and fry their way to the top. The victorious challenger will win full bragging rights and claim the Golden Dumpling trophy.

Second Annual Golden Dumpling Cook Off

Over 2,700 dumplings were served at last year’s Chinatown-based Cook Off, in an intense competition between some of Vancouver’s top restaurants: Cibo, Chambar, Harvest Community Foods, La Mezcaleria, Pidgin, Wild Rice, Wildebeest, Sea Monstr Sushi, and The Parker. Chefs took inspiration from global cuisines, resulting in uncommon twists on the familiar dumpling, such as Mexican morsels with carnitas and topped with arbol chile salsa; a local take with turnip and chanterelles; and an Italian scallop and prosciutto agnoli.

Serving a plump duck confit and truffle dumpling, Pidgin walked away with the Golden Dumpling trophy; the restaurant returns next month to defend its title.

Your Golden Dumpling Passport ticket will give you entry, plus a taste of each entry in the cook off.

Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie will open its night market patio for drinks to compliment the fabulous eats. Festival-goers won’t want to miss the Dumpling Derby, with prizes awarded to hungry competitors who duke it out for dumpling domination in an eating contest. During separate men’s and women’s heats of two suspenseful minutes each, eight men and eight women will gulp down dozens of dumplings.

The winner of each category will be declared Chinatown Dumpling Eating Champion and will each take home a coveted prize.

Second Golden Dumpling Cook Off

Date: August 10, noon to 5 pm
Venue: Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie, 100 Keefer Street, Vancouver
Tickets: $30 (plus fee); available in advance online via Eventbrite

Note that the TD Vancouver Chinatown Festival runs both Saturday and Sunday, August 10 and 11, however the Golden Dumpling Cook Off will be held on August 10 only.

The Golden Dumpling Cook Off proudly supports The Chinese Elders Community Kitchen, a program of the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre.

No Comments

No comments yet.

RSS feed for comments on this post.

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.