Man Tung Cafe (HK-Style Cafe Menu)

I've always wondered why we don't have more HK-style cafes in the GVRD.  I mean, we are Chinese food central right?  There are certainly enough places to grab Dim Sum and a good ol' Cantonese meal, but that doesn't translate to HK-style cafes.  That is why I am rather enthused when I learn of new spots to grab my Baked Pork Chop Rice and Mixed Grill Combos.  This has brought us to Man Tung Cafe in Richmond in the old Afuri Ramen location.

Although they also feature a Cantonese dinner menu complete with Chinese BBQ, this post will feature their HK-style cafe dishes.  As part of their Mix Grill Combos, we started with their Borscht.  For those unfamiliar, the borscht found at HK-style cafes are not like the traditional Russian variety.  It is more Western-style vegetable soup with possibly some beef.  No, there is no sour cream here.  For this one, it was quite good with plenty of tang and sweetness.  Lots of chunky carrots and potato too.

For our first Mix Grill Combo, we had the Pan-Seared Duck Leg with Sirloin Steak & Crispy Sausage.  This also came with rice, veggies and a choice of sauce (we had black pepper).  Lots of meat here on this sizzling cast iron plate.  Nothing particularly interesting about the wiener but that duck leg was money.  The skin was well-seared and crispy while the meat was gelatinous and juicy.  As for the steak, it was sufficiently tender and not overdone.

Our next Mix Grill Combo consisted of Smoked Duck Breast, Black Truffle Scallops and Herb Butter Baked Lobster Tail.  I found the smoked duck breast to be nicely brined, hence it was juicy and tender.  There was balanced smokiness as well.  Being the formed variety of scallops, they were uniformly-shaped.  Texture was soft and moist, yet was not exactly like a whole scallop (but the price would be much higher as a result).  I thought the sauce had just enough truffle without being too overpowering.  Lobster tail was bouncy and well-seasoned by the herb butter.

Last Mix Grill Combo featured Herb Butter Baked Lobster Tail, Black Truffle Crispy Chicken Roll and French-Style Baked Mussels.  Not much to say about the lobster tail as it was the same as the previous combo.  However, that Chicken Roll was really good.  The chicken meat was super juicy and cooked just right.  Once again, there was just enough truffle for effect.  It was indeed crispy on the outside.  The super large Kiwi mussels were topped with a cream sauce and bread crumbs.  Somewhat similar to clams casino, there was enough texture and seasoning to compliment the meaty mussels.  This came with spaghetti rather than rice (it would be your choice).

As mentioned, Baked Pork Chop Rice is one of the standards of any HK-style cafe.  I'm happy to report that this version was on point.  It sported a aromatic egg fried rice base that was beautifully chewy and nutty.  It was perfect for accepting the tangy sauce that was also balanced with sweetness.  The viscosity was just right as it coated the pork chops.  I found the pork to be tender while the panko coating was softened by the ample amount of sauce. 

Another HK-style cafe classic dish is the Baked Spaghetti Bolognese and yes, we had that too.  This was also very good with noodles that still had a bit of chew left despite being cooked through.  On top, there was a considerable amount of meat sauce that helped coat every strand of spaghetti.  The sauce was thick, rich and full-of-depth.  It was sweet from the onions and carrots while the meat was tender.

Finally, we ended off things with the Condensed Milk Rich Toast.  Hidden in between the 2 slices of toast, we found sweet condensed milk.  Bread was soft and fluffy, but the exterior was coated with egg and fried until crispy.  We found a dusting of cocoa powder on top.  Nice end to a solid HK-style cafe meal.  I was particularly impressed with the portion sizes and also the overall execution of the proteins.  Pricing is reasonable with the Baked Pork Chop Rice and Spaghetti Bolognese coming in at $18.88.  Mix Grill Combos can range from $20.98 and up.  I would imagine the lobster tail increasing the price significantly.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Large portions
- Reasonable-pricing

The Bad:
- I'm personally not a fan of reformed scallops
- I know people don't like this complaint, but the parking lot is often full