Over the last several weeks, I have been eagerly awaiting the opening of Mannat. Most Indian/Hakka restaurants aren't found in the city core but out in the suburbs. Not all are good but the good ones are phenomenal. When I passed by this Thursday, the Open sign was finally lit.
Sometimes Hakka cuisine means Chinese food from the Hakka province,
and sometimes the Indian-flavoured Chinese food created when Hakkanese
folks moved to India. I was hoping for delicious Chinese-Indian mix myself so I was mildly disappointed when I saw that the menu had separate sections for Indian and Hakka dishes.
In any case, I ordered the Chilli Fish Gravy ($15) and Basmati Rice ($5). The chilli dish had a generous amount of lightly fried fish (around 10+ pieces). The thick sauce was average, not too gloopy, though the heat came mostly from Rooster-brand Sriracha. In fact, as I watched the dish being prepared from various squeeze bottles, I wondered if anything was house-made.
I'm not averse to a restaurant keeping costs down by (probably) using commercially-produced ingredients. But that has to be reflected in the menu prices, too. Currently, Mannat was a few dollars too expensive to be a cheap eats. Despite the presence of pricey Chiado and the baffling mystery of Argentinian steakhouse Vos (how is this mostly empty resto still in business?), this strip isn't a restaurant destination. Observe the revolving door that is Buono, Pray Tell, and Phil's BBQ. Or this exact spot with not just Southern Accent but Shios Japanese Tapas Bar, an upscale Portuguese BBQ, and a Iberian restaurant. Personally, I'd drop a couple of bucks per dish and position Mannat as wallet-friendly neighbourhood spot. But I'll reserve my final judgement after I try the Indian entrées, too.
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