These are mantaos…
…technically the skin of our steamed paos, so cushiony soft. They can be eaten just like that, best steaming hot from the steamer, with melting butter and whatever else in between.
At some restaurants, they deep-fry them and serve with whatever filling they may have at hand like the fried chicken here…
…or the stewed pork here…
Each of them has a slit…
…that you can peel open to stuff the filling. They may be a bit flattened when you buy them packed in a plastic bag but no worries! You can steam them and they will rise to the occasion once again.
That day, my sister gave us some of these mantaos and the stewed pork belly…
…to eat them with and of course, we enjoyed them…
…to the max.
Actually, I was planning to go back here for the mantao stuffed with either plain stewed pork or pork with mui choy but I kept putting it off one day after another and then came Covid-19 and the partial lockdown so I guess these will have to do till this whole thing is over. Hopefully, the stall will still be around by then – these are hard times for these small businesses.
Now I look at all your photos and I want to eat mantao, steamed ones, not deep fried ones because deep fried ones can be very oily. So yummy!
Wouldn’t be if the oil is hot enough and you let them sit on kitchen towels for a while…but of course, these can be eaten just like that, steamed – very nice even without any filling.
Mantou with pork belly are my favourite at chinese dinners. Yes, hard times for the hawkers during tis period unless they are opened for deliverys and takeaways.
Those small-timers, stalls in a coffee shop or a hawker centre, roadside stalls. I bet they do not take orders online and deliver. They are doomed if this drags on and on like it’s never gonna end.
Here in KL, the small stalls in coffee shops are on grab and foodpanda so can order from them too.
I prefer steamed mantao to deep fried as I think deep fried it will soak up a lot of oil. I love mantao with pork provided the pork belly are not too fatty. I like the pork belly in the picture, my type, very lean.
See my reply to zmun2 above. That’s the reason why your fritters are at times so oily and at other times, ok. Deep frying gives it an added fragrance and a lovely crusty top. Same as plain bread VS toast VS French toast. Of course, everyone had his or her preference for their own reasons, up to them!
Oh? You have not seen what’s underneath!!! You still think fat is unhealthy or you just do not like to eat it – go google and read up on the top 10 healthiest foods in the world. My missus also thinks that way but then she goes and buy pork belly – says the texture of the meat is nicer…and she peels off all the fat and throw away. What a waste! That day I bought lean meat, no pork belly at the shop, and she grumbled day in and day out, said the meat not nice, the texture siap siap bla…bla…bla… Women!!!
Oh, those mantau reminds me! I still have a packet in the fridge… yes, steam them and sapu butter, best!
Yes, melting away while it is still hot. I love that!
I love mantao! Especially the fried ones. I can just eat the mantao by itself.
Yes, they’re so good you can eat it on its own!
Oh my I am left wanting that pui bakkk
Slurpsssss!!! Drool! Drool! Muahahahahaha!!!!
They’re so versatile. I especially like them with chilli crab.
That would be nice. Had baquette with chili crab in Singapore a long time ago. Haven’t been for ages, too expensive for our miserable ringgit.