Where to Find Manti Dumplings in and Around Philly
Here are all the best places to eat these tender, meat-filled, yogurt-sauced pockets.
Stina Pizzeria Manti | Alexandra Jones
When you think about dumplings in Philly, your mind probably calls up dim sum in Chinatown, pierogi and vareniki in Northeast Philly, or even Pennsylvania Dutch chicken and dumplings in Reading Terminal Market. But the city’s embrace of Middle Eastern cuisine in recent years has brought yet another dumpling — manti — to the fore.
These delicate, meat-filled pockets of dough, found in Turkish, Armenian, Uzbek, and other Middle Eastern and central Asian cuisines, can come pinched all the way shut and steamed or cooked in broth — or they can be shaped into tiny open-topped canoes and baked, side by side, by the panload. These tender delights are typically served with different sauces and garnishes — swirls of yogurt, spiced tomato sauce or infused oil, browned butter, a sprinkle of fresh mint or tangy sumac. Here’s where you can find them in and around Philadelphia.
Stina, South Philly
Bobby Saritsoglou’s West Passyunk BYO is making Mediterranean fun again. Stina’s menu highlights a unique combination of Italian, Italian-American, Turkish, and Levantine dishes from falafel and lasagna to pide — pizza-like, racket-shaped stuffed breads — and manti. His are stuffed with ground lamb, then finished with Aleppo pepper oil, airy dollops of whipped yogurt, and fresh mint.
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Paprica Modern Mediterranean Grill, Center City
Paprica, a fantastic little Turkish restaurant in Center City, serves manti small enough that you’ll want to eat them with a spoon, served with a generously crown of yogurt and chili oil.
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Apricot Stone, Northern Liberties
Apricot Stone chef Fimy Ishkhanian grew up in an Armenian family in Aleppo Syria, so their menu covers a variety of Middle Eastern food traditions. Their manti are the Armenian style the Ishkhanian grew up: baked, filled with a savory beef filling, and served with a garlicky yogurt sauce.
Sansom Kabob House, South Street
Don’t get confused: Sansom Kabob House refers to their version of this dish as mantu, as they are called in Afghanistan.
Shish Kabob Palace, Northeast Philly
Shish Kabob Palace’s Uzbek-style manti are larger than many others featured here, meaning their lamb filling comes through in all it’s savory, gamey glory.
Isot, Queen Village
Hit up this BYO, a destination for Turkish fare just south of South Street, for manti stuffed with a ground beef-lamb blend. They’re sauced in house-made yogurt, then drizzled with oils infused with red pepper and mint.
Family Mediterranean Cuisine, Pitman
This halal BYO keeps South Jersey in pide, kabob, and yogurt-sauced manti, which are available at both breakfast and lunch. Follow yours with kazandibi, a caramelized milk pudding, for dessert.
Chaikhana Uzbekistan, Northeast Philly
The manti at this Bustleton Avenue Uzbek staple are the steamed variety, made with a fine dough pinched shut around finely minced meat. Their dumplings are served simply, topped with melted butter and a shower of fresh dill.
Samarkand, Feasterville
This Bucks County BYO blends meaty American favorites — ribeye steaks, grilled fish, cheeseburgers — with a deep menu of Uzbek fare. Start your meal off with their outsized manti, with your choice of meat, pumpkin, or potato fillings.
