Man Tong Kitchen is a purveyor of fine Chinese food from several regions. Located located on level one of Crown (on the Clarendon Street side) just near the cinemas, I remember the space when it was a tacky sports bar. Thankfully Man Tong Kitchen has brought with it a touch of class similar to the group’s other venues across Melbourne.
As soon as you walk in, the attention to detail is evident. We were nestled away in a semi private alcove with a circular dining table. I’m not the biggest fan of sit-down dining these days, but if you have to a circular table with a Lazy Susan is the way to go. It enables conversation to flow between guests and, most importantly food to be easily shared.
On the night we were treated to a 10 course feast of regional Chinese cuisine. Man Tong Kitchen has a particular specialisation in the Szechuan and Peking regions which suited me just fine given my penchant for spice. To start with, you can’t go past xiao long bao, and Man Tong Kitchen’s is on par with those of Hutong levels of deliciousness.
Then, one after the other, we gorged on several more dishes. Out of them, my ideal combination were the Peking duck pancakes, shredded duck and scallop soup (a standout for me) and black truffle fried rice with prawns.
I for one have penciled in a date at Man Tong Kitchen for their daily yum cha feasts.
Xiao long bao for the win!
– Rukmal
Co-founder of The Plus Ones, Rukmal lives and breathes events.
Man Tong Kitchen
Crown Entertainment Complex
Clarendon St & Crown Riverwalk
Southbank VIC 3006
