Dumpling Party Food Ideas

A dumpling themed party to celebrate a special occasion complete with food and decor ideas.

We had a "My Little Dumpling" party to celebrate our baby. I had so much fun planning this party with all the nostalgic food and drinks. It was like reliving my childhood!

We kept the decor simple with a balloon backdrop. I bought the dumpling balloon from Pop Fest Co Shop and cut out three hearts.

Snacks

For the snacks, I picked some of my childhood favorites.

I also wanted them to be in individual portions to make it easy to enjoy during the party, and for guests to take them home as favors.

These snacks can be found in Asian grocery stores.

Yan Yan

I included chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry versions. Yan Yan is a Japanese snack with biscuit sticks on one side and frosting on the other.

Hello Panda

Hello Panda are Japanese biscuits with panda images on them and filled with chocolate. I have seen Hello Panda sold at Costco.

Choco Pie

Choco Pie is a Korean snack cake with marshmallow filling that is dipped in chocolate.

Coconut Jelly

I loved eating these jellies frozen and slightly tawed as a kid. This assortment included lychee, mango, peach, and grape flavors.

Macarons

There was one point in my life where I was obsessed with making and sold French macarons. If you've made them before, then you know they are very finicky and time consuming.

Costco is now my go to anytime I want macarons.

Dumpling Cupcakes

I saw these super cute cupcakes on Pinterest and had to make them!

I used a funfetti box cake mix, buttercream frosting, and a meringue cookie topper from Trader Joe's.

For the faces, I used edible markers to give each of them personalities.

I placed them on a stand and bamboo steamer baskets to mimic the dim sum experience.

Main Dishes

I did a mix of cold and hot dishes so guests could munch on the cold dishes while the hot ones were cooking.

Asian Cucumber Salad

I made a cucumber salad with soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic, and sesame seeds. A simple and refreshing side dish.

Vietnamese Summer Rolls

These summer rolls were stuffed with shrimp, lettuce, Thai basil, cilantro, rice noodles and served with peanut sauce. I wrapped them individually with plastic wrap to prevent the rice paper from drying out.

Japchae

Japchae is a Korean glass noodle stir fry made with sweet potato starch noodles. I made a vegetarian version with carrots, spinach, and bell peppers.

Japchae is a combination of two Korean syllables, “jap”, meaning mixed, and “chae,” meaning vegetables.

The chewy and bouncy noodles are coated in a savory and slightly sweet sauce.

I love that this dish can be served cold, room temperature, or warm. I also love that it can be made ahead of time, which is especially helpful when preparing for a party.

Pan Fried Pork Bao

To go with the dumpling theme, I made Shanghai pan fried pork buns. The juicy meat was seasoned with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, white pepper, scallions, and sesame oil.

I love that the golden crispy bottoms contrasts with the soft bun and adds a toasty flavor.

I stared cooking these when guests started to arrive because I wanted to make sure they were served fresh.

Pan Fried Pork Dumplings

Using the same meat filling as the pork buns, I made traditional dumplings with store bought wrappers.

Drinks

I kept the drinks minimal with water, peach tea, soda, and Japanese marble soda. During my childhood, I remember getting the marble soda every once in a while, and thoroughly enjoyed pushing the marble down into the bottle. It's the little things ya know?

Activities

We set out yard games, bubble wands, and markers for the kids to draw on paper fans.