I cannot remember when they first started serving braised pork belly with mantao (steamed buns)…
…as one of the dishes in our full-course sit-down Chinese banquet or when we got some restaurant to cater for a lavish buffet spread for our home dinners/parties but I vaguely remember enjoying it so much in the late 60’s or early 70’s.
I am pretty sure it is still available these days at some restaurant in town or they may serve it with stewed pork leg like this…
*Grand Wonderful Restaurant photo from their Facebook page*
I loved the dong po pork belly with mantao here but sadly, the restaurant has since called it a day. Otherwise, you can try going to this food court and order from one of the stalls there – I have not been there for a very long time though so I am not sure if it is still around or not.
The mantao/buns…
…are easily available at many shops and stalls all over town. You can drop by one of the wet markets – they should be selling them there but the problem is you will have to cook the stewed pork belly…
…yourself.
Well, it so happened that the other day, I spotted a packet of 6 at one of the shops in the next lane from my house. I did not take note of the price – I just grabbed it and paid for everything that I bought from them that day. They do sell them on a regular basis but they do not seem to have a lot so most of the time, they are all sold out.
My missus will steam them and eat them with butter and jam and whatever but the other day, she went and cooked that awesome bowl of stewed pork belly in the above photograph.
Of course, we were a lot more generous with the meat…
…when we pried the mantao open to stack up the meat inside. We also sprinkled a bit of the sauce on the stewed pork belly to enhance the taste, making sure not to add too much as it might make the mantao wet and soggy and it would not be so nice anymore that way.
Once done, we covered it and feasted on it…
It tasted absolutely great and we sure enjoyed our lunch that day to the max. Rest assured that I shall grab another pack or two the next time I see any available at our neighbourhood shop again.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
Yes, I love those mantao served with braised pork leg and I have come across one that is pretty good at a restaurant/eatery in BDC. My son used to order that whenever we dine out. I think with stewed pork belly is equally nice and your pork belly is quite lean much to my liking… 😊
There’s a good one in Kuching? We had a good one once – will give mantao with stewed pork belly but strangely, not with their mui choy pork belly, dunno why. Then there was a restaurant serving their extra special stewed pork belly with mantao – so so so nice but both closed down now. So sad.
Your missus’ stewed pork belly looked so good. I like to enjoy the mantao with those braised pork in Chinese restaurants. Long time didn’t have that.
Yes, not so easily available anymore these days, have to cook one’s own usually. So popular in the late 60’s and early 70’s – a must have at every dinner gathering!
Ooh..la..la..the stewed pork belly! I am fasting today and this sure tested my will power. LOL!
Oh? Why are you fasting? You’re following that intermittent fasting programme that a lot of people are talking about?
Anything pork on steamed bun has my tick of approval, its just the combination of flavours and textures
Great with our kompia too, the Foochow bread baked in a traditional stone oven like the Indian tandoori. Some people call it our Foochow bagel but no, I think they are nicer. LOL!!!