9 restaurants for mantou madness in KL and Selangor

Mantou maniacs may have seen their beloved buns steaming up the scene across the Klang Valley with contemporary flair and classic fluffiness. Here are a handful of playful purveyors that were at the forefront this year for the next best thing since sliced bread.

1. Powerplant at Pearl Shopping Gallery

Powerplant’s high-voltage Korean fusion temptations include these gluttony-generating mantous, served both steamed and fried, fully charged with a flavoursome mix of luscious pork, crisp pickles, crunchy carrots and kitchen-made kimchi mayonnaise.

Address: Lot G-03&04, Pearl Shopping Gallery, Menara Pearl Point 2, No. 2A, Jalan Sepadu , Off Jalan Klang Lama, 58000 Kuala Lumpur.
Read review for Powerplant.

2. Manja at Jalan Raja Chulan

Our favourite among Manja’s starters is the Negombo Stir-Fried Crab with Mantou, moderately spicy and marvellously deep in savoury flavour, with a bowlful of handpicked crab meat (fully fleshy and shell-free, ideal for anyone who loves crabs but finds them tedious to tear apart) cooked with fermented bean paste, bird’s eye chillies, fresh tomato puree and pickled onions – a triumphant testament to Manja’s effort of making much of its food in its own kitchen, from the sauces and stocks to the bread.

Address: Old Malaya, 66, Jalan Raja Chulan, 50200 Kuala Lumpur.
Read review for Manja.

3. Mantra at Bangsar Village

Mantra’s warm, golden mantou sliders are packed with Indonesian-inflected pulled beef, richly succulent and subtly spiced to evoke dendeng belado, with caramelised chillies and kaffir lime – a sumptuous snack that goes down real easy.

Address: Bangsar Village II, Jalan Telawi Satu, , Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur.
Read review for Mantra Rooftop Bar.

4. Thirdwave at Bangsar South

This one may be an acquired taste, but nangka devotees should adore it – Jackie’s Bao is a steamed mantou-type charcoal bun, bulging with a luscious mix of marinated chicken thigh, grilled jackfruit, jackfruit tempura, pickled chillies, crushed peanut soil, fried shallots and kitchen-made chilli sauce, a combination that’s full-bodied in its sweet-savoury flavours.

Address: Unit 1-11, Level 1, Nexus, 59200 Bangsar South, Kuala Lumpur.
Read review for Thirdwave.

5. Tiki Taka at Medan Damansara

Tiki Taka’s kitchen puts pleasurable twists on mainly petite samplings, such as Singapore-style chilli prawns in a sweet-spicy, dunk-worthy sauce with fried mantous.

Address: 138, Jalan Kasah, Medan Damansara, 50490, Kuala Lumpur.
Read review for Tiki Taka.

6. Cerdito at Puchong

Cerdito’s Iberico Pulled Pork ‘Sandwich’ is heartily enjoyable – mantau layered with lots of tender meat, enhanced with ebiko in an unconventional coupling.

Address: G-11, Kompleks Kenari, Jalan Kenari 19A Puchong, 47100 Selangor
Read review for Cerdito.

7. Antara at Jalan Raja Chulan

As far as deluxe mantau goes, it doesn’t get more luxurious on this list than luscious foie gras with mango chutney, served in the sort of traditional bao steamer basket that dim sum devotees will be more than familiar with.

Address: Lot 2, 66-68 Lorong Raja Chulan, 50250, Kuala Lumpur.
Read review for Antara.

8. The Locker and Loft at Damansara Kim

Beef rendang mantous with pickled vegetables ranked among The Locker and Loft’s most tantalising prospects on its opening menu early this year – while it missed the mark initially for a satisfying protein-to-carbs ratio, we’re optimistic that the recipe has since been fine-tuned.

Address: 40A, Jalan SS 20/10, , Damansara Kim, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Read review for The Locker and Loft.

9. Ground Eatery at Puchong

When you have braised pork belly in mantou on your menu, it’ll sound pretty much irresistible for many customers – mercifully, Ground Eatery does a decent job at ensuring these turn out lip-smacking enough.

Address: Tower 4 & 5 PFCC, Jalan Puteri 1/2, , Puchong New Village, 47100 Puchong, Selangor.
Read review for Ground Eatery.