HK’s Famed Doll Brand Launches Frozen Dim Sum & Instant Noodles In S’pore Supermarkets

Ever had a bowl of piping hot gong zai meen, or Hong Kong-style instant noodles, in a bustling cha chaan teng? Chances are, it was cooked with Doll Brand’s instant noodles. The popular household name (called ‘gong zai’ in Cantonese’) is so ingrained in the city’s foodie culture that locals refer to instant noodles as gong zai meen.

It's only recently that you can get Doll Brand’s authentically HK range of instant foods – like noodles and frozen dim sum – in Singapore. The items are now stocked exclusively at NTUC FairPrice supermarkets, so you can conveniently pick up the goodies for an

Seafood Dumplings (Shao Mai)

The siew mai comes in a pack of 10. We give it a quick steam and they turn out juicy and flavourful, with chunks of prawn, threadfin bream, flounder and roe sprinkles that give the siew mai a rich burst of umami flavour. Great with a dash of chilli sauce as a quick breakfast or afternoon snack.

Mini Glutinous Rice Dumplings

These little lotus leaf-wrapped parcels, about the size of our palm, are adorable. Each petite parcel is well-portioned as a compact snack (good for when you’re feeling just a tad hungry and have no one to share a huge lor mai gai with). It’s stuffed with tasty sticky rice and fragrant dried shrimps and mushrooms. Ho sek.

Shrimp Wonton

Interestingly, these wontons (sold in a pack of 12) come with their own seafood soup base and sesame oil condiment, so you can enjoy a soupy bowl of dumplings. Each wonton is generously stuffed with a shrimp filling and is satisfying enough, but we recommend adding them to a pack of Doll Brand instant noodles for a bowl of homemade wonton mee to zhng up your meal. Or shake things up and whip up a scrumptious side dish by draining the cooked wontons and tossing them in a mala sauce or vinegar-and-chilli oil mix for an addictively spicy kick.

Shrimp Rice Roll

What’s yum cha time without some good ol’ cheong fun? There’s a vegetarian option for folks who don’t consume meat, but we prefer the shrimp cheong fun for its substantial filling of springy prawns wrapped in a smooth, silky rice sheet. The cheong fun comes with its own sweet-savoury soy sauce dip – add your own chopped scallions and fried shallots to enhance the dish.

Doll Brand Instant Noodles

Fun fact: While instant noodles are commonly known as “gong zai meen” in Hong Kong, “gong zai” refers to Doll Brand’s Cantonese name. Its popularity led it to become synonymous with instant noodles in Hong Kong regardless of brand – kinda like Maggi mee here.

There are six flavours to choose from here, and they are all intriguing – think Sesame Oil, Thai-style Spicy Lobster and a dry Spicy Beef. Aside from the shrimp wanton flavour above, our picks of the lot are the sesame oil and dry spicy beef flavours.

Sesame Oil Instant Noodles

The first thing we notice is how madly fragrant the soup base is, spiked with soy sauce, sesame oil and sesame seeds. The broth is light yet moreish – we like how it goes well with the al-dente noodles, which have a chewy texture. Add your own sunny side up egg and sliced luncheon meat to create a quintessential cha chaan teng dish.

Dry Spicy Beef Instant Noodles

This is possibly more shiok than the classic Indomie mee goreng; the springy noodles are jazzed up with a spicy black pepper and beef seasoning. While it doesn’t come with actual beef, you can toss in some tender sliced beef or a fried egg to make a hearty meal.
 

Doll Brand’s instant noodles and frozen dim sum are available at all major NTUC FairPrice outlets.