Is Yuen Kee Dumpling Actually Worth Braving The Long Queues?

Yuen Kee Dumpling has famous wonton at Fortune Centre

If you’ve seen the snaking queues outside Yuen Kee Dumpling, you may be surprised to find out that this popular Chinese chain, with nearly 5,000 outlets worldwide, is actually pretty polarising. The Fortune Centre branch has a Google Maps rating of just 3.5 stars, with a considerable number of one-star reviews.

Upon closer inspection, most of these one-star reviews seem predicated on one issue: the extremely long wait. First, they’ll mention needing to wait in the queue for up to an hour. Then, they’ll say the food is fairly “normal” and falls short of the expectations that’ve been simmering for the length of the queue.

The long wait surely takes a psychological toll on diners, to the point where it can be hard to make a proper judgment on the food itself. To avoid that, we visited during off-peak hours—3pm on a weekday, to be exact—so we could get our food as quickly as possible.

Food at Yuen Kee Dumpling

Yuen Kee offers a large selection of dumplings and wonton, all freshly made by hand—this is likely one of the reasons the wait here can be so long.

For our dumpling, we decided on the Shrimp and Vegetables Pork Dumpling, one of Yuen Kee’s specialities. With a minimum of 10 pieces to order, we paired these treats with the Viral Mixed Sauce with Chilli Oil La Mian, with the whole bowl costing us $11.80+.

Let’s start with the dumplings. While each piece looks pretty chunky from the outside, the filling is actually pretty compact, so those looking for incredibly meaty dumplings might be disappointed. Nevertheless, each dumpling had a satisfying bite, with a wrapping that wasn’t overly thick. The pork filling, enriched with sweet shrimp, fragrant chives, and earthy black fungus, was layered and flavourful.

Each dumpling was further elevated by copious amounts of sauce, a chilli oil and peanut sauce mix. This added an addictive, spicy kick to the dumpling, as well as a sweet, nutty goodness.

The flavours carried over to the la mian as well, which were thick and chewy. The sheer amount of dumplings, coupled with the generous serving of noodles, made this a truly hearty meal.

Up next was the most popular wonton noodle dish on the menu: the Shrimp and Crab Roe Pork Wanton Dry Noodles ($8.80+). For the sauce, we went for the HK Style Fragrant Scallion Dry Mix option.

Throughout the eatery, you’ll see pictures of dumplings featuring these plump shrimps. What we got instead was a tiny fella in each wonton—practically the same size as the one found in the Shrimp and Vegetables Pork Dumpling. So yes, we did feel a little cheated.

That aside, this was still a decent wonton. With its thin yet silky wrapping, biting into each parcel yielded a nice porky flavour and the umami of shrimp. Just don’t expect the really sizeable, har gow-esque dumplings you’d find in top-tier Hong Kong wonton mee.

The scallion oil was, understandably, nowhere near as flavourful as the previous dish’s sauce mix, but it still gave the noodles a fragrant, savoury edge. The egg noodles had a good texture as well—chewy and springy, exactly how you’d want them.

We wanted to try a side dish, and settled on the Savory Pork Trotters ($6.80+).

This was easily the biggest disappointment of the meal. The diluted braise was the first hint that it wouldn’t hit the mark, and without much flavour to back it up, we could detect a porky stench in the meat itself. That said, the meat was fairly tender, with some pleasant gelatinous parts.

Ambience at Yuen Kee Dumpling

Yuen Kee occupies a small and narrow eatery within Fortune Centre, with some outdoor seats to make the most of the available space. This likely contributes to the long, unpleasant waits that many diners have complained about. That said, if you visit during off-peak hours on a weekday, the issue is somewhat mitigated—though of course, not everyone can make it at those times.

Fortune Centre is a five-minute walk from Bencoolen MRT Station.

Yuen Kee Dumpling – Eatbook Review

Yuen Kee is a tricky one to review. The food is solid, with a good variety of dumplings, but the long waits will be a dealbreaker for many. Ultimately, your experience depends on when you visit and the state of the queue. If luck is on your side, though, you’re in for some tasty dumplings and noodles.

For another popular eatery to check out in Fortune Centre, read our New Station Rice Bar coverage. For Xinjiang-style dumplings, read our Restaurant Aisyah review.

Address: 190 Middle Road, #01-10, Fortune Centre, Singapore 188979
Opening hours: Mon 9am to 8:30pm, Tue-Sun 9am to 9pm
Tel: 8931 9588
Website
Yuen Kee Dumpling is not a halal-certified eatery.

Photos taken by Jordan Ong.
This was an independent visit by Eatbook.sg.