Man Tong Kitchen - Crown

This restaurant recently open in Crown and when there's a new kid on the block I'm definitely one of those who would want to be the first few to try them out in the first few months when they open their doors for business. So when a friend's birthday came up it only seem the right time and opportunity to savor what they had to offer. We did not make reservations for dinner on a Saturday night and that was a mistake but because we thought that we were having a late dinner it should not matter, well we were wrong. It was a half an hour wait for a table but the waitress was apologetic and came out with nuts to appease our patience which we politely declined. The place was really crowded and the wait staff was busy running from table to table. When we were shown our table the menus were already there which was a good thing so we got stuck into looking at what was going to be our choice for that night. Dumplings seems to be their signature dish as mention in their menu so we thought we can't go wrong with that to start off. 

Boneless chicken in chinese rice wine

Wontons in hot chilli

I personally found the boneless chicken a little bland and also I'm not a big fan of steam chicken. The wantons were yummy, the skin was thin and it was not overcooked on the inside. Note that we ordered the shanghai dumplings aka xiao long bao as part of the appetiser but by the time the mains was serve we still had not got our dumplings so began the chase and wait game.

Fish fillet in ginger and spring onion sauce

Stir fried string beans with szechuan chilli sauce

The first two mains that arrive was the fish which was not too oily and seasoning was just right. The string beans we enjoyed thoroughly, it was cook just right and the crsipy bits of garlic and mince meat gave it a depth of flavour. This was by far a favourite dish. 

Spicy Szechuan Noodles with Mince Meat

And after 45 mins have passed we still have not got our shanghai dumplings and the rest of our mains, we felt service was a little bit slack. The next dish to arrive was the noodles but we had to send this dish back to the kitchen as it was serve in broth and that was not the way it is usually cooked. Szechuan noodles are like spaghetti it is noodle cooked al dente serve with a meat sauce. So we told the wait staff that we wanted it dry and there was no mention in the menu that it was going to be served in soup. But what return to the table was a disappointment, as picture above there was hardly any sauce on the noodles. 

Fried White Bait in Salt & Pepper

Xiao Long Bao

The last two dishes to arrive was the white bait which we had to remind the wait staff that we were waiting on and finally the dumplings. the white bait was crispy and not oily at all. As for the dumpling after the long wait all I can say is that I've tasted better. It did not burst with broth and flavour.

Overall this place is a hit and miss, there are a couple of good dishes. Does it warrant a return visit? Perhaps but not anytime soon.


Location:
Man Tong Kitchen
Crown Casino