Dough Magic might be one brand that some might find especially familiar — the brand is perhaps best known for their operations as a takeaway kiosk, offering patrons with a wide variety of mainland Chinese-style buns; their location at People’s Park Complex perhaps being the most prominent one of their various locations around since they are situated in one of those outdoor kiosks that are just right outside Chinatown MRT Station. Perhaps best known for their adorable buns that are shaped just like animals, Dough Magic actually does retail dumplings as well. With that being said, their newest location is a slight departure from what we know them as for all these while; while the kiosk at People’s Park Complex still remains, Dough Magic had opened a new dine-in concept that is situated in the ground floor of People’s Park Complex itself — they had taken over the former premises of 二师兄猪脚饭+肥肠想你, which had since moved into a new food court within People’s Park Complex which is named Mong Kok Food Court. Much of the furniture and fittings left behind by the previous tenant remains; even the layout of the space does seem pretty much the same as per what it had been before. Since this is the very first time Dough Magic has ventured into being a full-service, dine-in concept, it seems that they had also ventured into serving up oteher dishes apart from their bun and dumpling offerings — patrons can also find a variety of Chinese noodles such as the Signature Beef Brisket Noodles and Lanzhou Beef Noodles available as well. They also do serve up starters like the Spicy Sichuan Chicken, as well as Lady Fingers with Spic Sauce that can be shared around the table. Desserts like the Oriental Lotus Seeds Soup can also be found at this location of Dough Magic, while beverages available here include a variety of hot brewed teas, as well as bottled / canned drinks.

There were a few items that have caught our interest when we first went by this location of Dough Magic by chance whilst going around People’s Park Complex — these also ended up being the dishes that we eventually went for; while the selection of the noodles seem particularly attractive since they were main courses and pretty much newly-introduced, we were admittedly more drawn to their bun offerings that comprises of items like the Pan Fried Pork Buns and the Black Gold Salted Egg Yolk Buns that we had also ordered. Amongst the three dishes that we had decided to go for, it was surprising that the Banana Bao with Banana Mousse filling was that item that left the strongest impression. One cannot deny that the aesthetic of the Banana Bao with Banana Mousse filling is actually pretty joyful; brightly coloured yellow that no doubt captures one’s attention — but we really liked how they had paid some attention to detail with the addition of the brown “marks” that replicates that of bruised bananas somehow. Giving it a go, this wasn’t the best Bao we had ever had even when it comes to the flavour, though it could be said as one of the more inventive ones that we had seen — the bun comes with a banana mousse-filling within. The Bao itself was actually worth commending; probably one of then lightest and fluffiest we have had, though the banana mousse that largely seems to comprise of a weak note of banana essence actually meant that the flavours are rather bland — could definitely do with a bit more sweetness even though they seem to be controlling it a fair bit here perhaps to strike a balance for those whom are not too much into sweet stuff.

The other dishes like the Pan Fried Pork Buns and the Black Gold Salted Egg Yolk Buns weren’t much to comment on; no doubt they are comparatively bigger-sized than most other similar offerings elsewhere, though they are also a little pricey as well — one would also have to commit to a serving size of three pieces per order as though in a dim sum restaurant. Both the Pan Fried Pork Buns and the Black Gold Salted Egg Yolk Buns were a little dry; the former lacking a steaming hot broth for flavour, while the latter is missing out on the molten lava action and gets a little jelat too quickly. Not sure if the other Pao items are worth checking out, but I guess we are still likely to give their noodle dishes a go some other time if we really do get curious about those that they have to offer. Wouldn’t really recommend this to a dim sum connoisseur per se, though those stylised Bao offerings are certainly items that would capture the attention of children and hipsters alike; and item which also inevitably sparks some joy for its patrons and brighten their day while at it.