Kungfood Garlic Pork & Prawn Dumplings product reviews

As a family of dumpling lovers, we are quite capable of eating an entire packet each at one sitting - so I took care to put a limit of one on each person! There were six of us there for dinner so I removed six pieces from the packet and returned the rest to the freezer so I could take them home later. Mr 11 was somewhat disappointed when he heard he was going to get only one - he is a fussy eater who could cheerfully survive on dumplings alone! - but it was explained to him that the dumplings would be an entree and there would be a main course to follow.

Having them as an entree was ideal as we all got to taste one and comment at the same time. The size was the biggest surprise. We steamed them and served them with just a little dipping vinegar, and everyone commented on how much they had plumped up. They were a lot bigger than other dumplings we have had in the past, including the filling, which was generous. We tried a bite each without the dipping sauce and then again with it. The consensus was that they were delicious either way; the sauce was nice, but not necessary as the dumplings had enough flavour on their own.

I took the remainder of the pack home to use next day. It thawed slightly on the journey, so rather than refreeze it I left it in the fridge overnight and cooked it when it was fully thawed. The instructions had specified that the dumplings had to be cooked from frozen, but because they were packed in individual sections, they had not stuck together. I fried them gently in a little oil and they held their shape throughout. I was glad that this worked out, but was careful to cook them thoroughly as they contain shellfish. I would not have risked leaving them longer than a day after thawing, even if they had been refrigerated.

The result was just as tasty as it had been the day before. We had five each as part of a main meal and thought this amount was about right, although being greedy dumpling lovers we could probably have eaten more. The pan frying did not alter the flavour but did give an extra crispness to the outside. Because of the size and shape of the dumplings, the crisping was uneven - with a flatter dumpling we would have got more pan contact - but this was unimportant in the greater scheme.

I was impressed by both the price (relatively low for quality dumplings when compared to other brands) and the cover graphic, which manages to convey the fusion element. Maori inspired clouds, a volcano, and a stylised island set amidst ocean waves border the main logo which mirrors an Asian sunrise. Altogether this is a product which has been well planned and put into effect.