Brendan Pang, a two-time contestant on the cooking show MasterChef Australia, recently landed a dream collaboration with the supermarket giant Woolworths and he said he can't stop smiling about the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Following his appearances on MasterChef in 2018 and 2020, Brendan went from being a social worker to launching his own restaurant, "Bumplings," and launching an anticipated cookbook.

For the past six months, Brendan, who is popularly known as the "dumpling king", has been working on a collaboration with Woolies to sell three of his most popular offerings – pork and ginger dumplings, chicken and prawn dumplings, and classic juicy pork xiao long bao.

And, as of Thursday, the Perth-based chef's well-loved dumplings will finally be available to Aussies as the items make their way to select Woolies stores nationwide!

Brendan is a happy-go-lucky, young dumpling chef based in Perth, Australia. Credit: News.com.au.​

In an interview with news.com.au, Brendan described the upcoming collaboration as a dream that he never imagined would become a reality.

"It's definitely a very proud feeling and humbling to know I've created something inspired by my family's recipes – just to maintain that part of me," he said, adding, "I love cooking and sharing my knowledge in the kitchen, but what I love most is sharing my food with others to enjoy."

"I've always had questions from people across Australia asking when and how they can try my dumplings, and I'm thrilled to now say this is the answer."

For those who enjoy dumplings, Brendan's pork and ginger dumplings, chicken and prawn dumplings, and traditional juicy pork xiao long bao are now available for purchase. (The pork and ginger dumplings are his personal favourite!)

At the age of nine, his grandmother taught him how to make the wonton-filled parcels. Since then, his many Instagram followers have given him the title "dumpling king."

"I'm most proud about the quality of the products and the attention to detail that goes into crafting these dumplings," Brendan added, claiming that his dumplings also have a distinct shape that isn't found in other brands sold in major supermarkets.

"They come in a traditional boat shape, which allows them to hold more sauce on the sides and be cooked in a variety of ways," he explained. "I find that many other dumplings of different sizes and shapes easily break off."

Brendan Pang's dumplings are now available in select Woolworths stores. Credit: News.com.au.​

If you're interested in making some of these MasterChef-level dumplings but aren't sure where to begin, Brendan offers some advice:

• Do not thaw or defrost the dumplings; instead, cook them directly from the freezer to help keep their shape and ensure that they are as fresh as possible.
• While steaming your dumplings is totally fine, Brenan prefers his dumplings pan-fried. "You get the best of both worlds – crispy on the bottom and soft on the top," he said.
• You should give them a try for breakfast because, in some Asian countries, that's how things are done. It might just outshine your standard eggs on toast and is probably just as quick, if not faster, to prepare.
• Think outside the box! You can add the dumplings to a broth or steam them, and then serve them with a wide variety of condiments for some added flavour and variety.

You can also use the video below as a guide on how to cook store-bought dumplings. Bon Appetit, members!

Credit: Aaron and Claire.​

 

[Ricci]

They are certainly not cheap $9.50 per pack according to the picture. I'll give these a miss at the moment, too many other things that that amount would buy that would last for more meals.

 

[Thecheesequeen]

They are certainly not cheap $9.50 per pack according to the picture. I'll give these a miss at the moment, too many other things that that amount would buy that would last for more meals.

I always make my own dumplings. A packet of wrappers and half a kilo of pork mince plus a few pantry staples for seasoning makes 50 dumplings, at a fraction of the cost of frozen ones.