薄皮包子
Manta
Lamb and onion, chopped rather than ground, folded into a thin wrapper and steamed until the filling makes its own broth inside. Bite carefully the first time.
Our names for manta
- Uyghur
- manta
- Chinese
- 薄皮包子 · báo pí bāo zi
Also known elsewhere as…
- Turkish
- mantı
- Uzbek
- manti
- Kazakh
- мәнті
- Persian
- mantu · منتو
- Russian
- манты
How manta is made
The filling is hand-chopped, not machine-ground — that is the whole difference in texture, and it is why the juice stays inside instead of weeping out. Onion goes in raw and in quantity; it melts during steaming and becomes most of the liquid. The wrapper is rolled thin enough to go translucent at the pleats but thick enough at the base to hold what forms inside. Steamed, never boiled.
Ordering manta: how much, and for how many
An order is enough to start a table of four, or to be a light meal for one alongside soup. No chili in the filling, so it works for anyone at the table. Let them sit for a minute after they arrive — the inside is hotter than it looks.
Prices are the same in Alhambra and Irvine. See it in context on the Uyghur Pastries page, or browse the full menu.
Where to eat it
Almost every culture between Seoul and Istanbul folds something like this. Ours is worth comparing to whichever one you grew up with. 100% halal - the whole menu, the whole kitchen. No pork, no alcohol. Served at our Alhambra and Irvine locations — Alhambra in the San Gabriel Valley and Irvine in Orange County — every day from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM, with free parking at each.
New to this kitchen? Start with what Uyghur food is, or read the common questions.