Try ‘sambal petai’ with freshly steamed ‘mantou’ buns at Man Tou Pu in JB

JOHOR BARU, July 2 — Taman Sentosa is located in the old part of Johor Baru, not too far from the Causeway. It is a neighbourhood that bears returning to whenever we visit the southern city for we always seem to find a new place to eat.

And so it is with Man Tou Pu Restaurant near the end of the busy Jalan Sutera. While not exactly a new eatery, it is new to us so that is what counts, no?

While the restaurant is also known for its Hainanese specialities, its main draw and claim to fame are mantou or freshly-made buns that are either steamed or deep-fried.

Most customers order the Classic Bun with Barbecued Pork or Signature Braised Pork. The latter makes sense given that Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice (lu rou fan) is one of the rice-based crowd favourites; the kitchen is able to serve two dishes with the same ingredient.

A tweak to this would be the Classic Bun with Braised Pork with Vegetable Chutney, which is what we would have gone for till we spotted sambal petai.

That’s right: freshly steamed mantou buns with sambal petai — what a glorious idea!

Besides 'mantou', the restaurant is also known for its Hainanese specialities.

The reality turns out to be even better: spicy and delectable, with strong-smelling stinky beans to be relished. (Some places serve milder petai, strange as it sounds, which can be disappointing.)

Tear off a piece of mantou to scoop up the sambal petai or split the bun gently into half and fill its centre generously. We vote for the second method; each bite is simply more satisfying this way.

Nothing goes better with bread — or mantou in this case — than kopitiam beverages. Our kopi C and cham prove to be no exception to this rule.

Nothing goes better with bread - or 'mantou' - than 'kopitiam' beverages.

The colourful interior of the restaurant might be a nod to the narrow streets or hutong of northern Chinese cities. This homage would be apt given that mantou are a staple in the north of China where wheat is cultivated, rather than rice, which is more common in the south.

For those who can’t get enough of the fluffy mantou, peruse the selections from the menu’s Fried & Steam Mantou section. The recommended option here is the Signature Boneless Curry Chicken though there are more unusual suspects such as Indonesia Style Curry Prawn and Russian Borscht.

Typically when an eatery announces that a dish is their signature, who could be blamed for going for that item? And so it was with us: we ordered their Signature Boneless Curry Chicken with fried and steamed mantou.

Signature Boneless Curry Chicken with fried and steamed 'mantou'.

The fried mantou is quickly deep-fried so it doesn’t lose much of the airy interior that it has in common with the steamed version. Imagine a thin, crispy skin — almost shattering between your teeth if you don’t wait too long to eat it.

Alas, the boneless chicken curry turned out to be a disappointment. The thigh meat is indeed boneless, which is a boon, but the curry leans towards bland and far too diluted.

Perhaps regular customers prefer a more watery curry, all the better for soaking up with the mantou. For the rest of us, something more concentrated in both seasoning and consistency would be more appreciated.

The colourful interior (left). Dip it or make a 'mantou' sandwich (right).

Other ways to enjoy steamed mantou come in the form of their Man Tou Sandwiches. Here you have an option of Teriyaki Chicken, Country Style Pork Chop and Luncheon Meat & Egg; the latter two wouldn’t be out of place in a Hong Kong cha chaan teng.

Another highlight is labelled in Man Tou Pu’s menu as "Spring Onion Pancakes” though these bear a closer resemblance to danbing or Taiwanese egg crêpe rolls.

There are many fillings to choose from: Ham & Cheese, Floss & Cheese, Cheese & Sausage With Mustard Sauce and Braised Pork & Lettuce.

Pleurotus Eryngii & Cheese With Spinach Pancake.

Our pick is the Pleurotus Eryngii & Cheese With Spinach Pancake, which despite its unwieldy name turns out to be quite a surprising delight. Pleurotus eryngii is the scientific name for king trumpet mushroom or king oyster mushroom.

This makes for a "meatier” bite, with more natural umami to boot. Come to think of it, mushrooms matched with spinach and eggs would be perfect for a brunch dish. The flavour pairing here is exquisite, though the drizzle of gelatinous cheese sauce is probably unnecessary.

Just like porridge restaurant Goh Zha Lang next door, Man Tou Pu offers complimentary tongsui at the end of your meal. Service is brisk; the staff brings our bowls of barley and egg white tongsui before we have even finished eating.

Complimentary 'tongsui' at the end of the meal.

It’s a good way to complete a meal that has had more hits than misses. We will skip the curry the next time we visit and have another round of that moreish sambal petai and steamed mantou — yums!

Man Tou Pu Restaurant

127, Jalan Sutera, Taman Sentosa, Johor Bahru

Open daily 11am-2am

Phone: 07-333 8969

* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.

* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.