Mango Tree: A Playful Take on Traditional Thai
Mango Tree has been around in the Metro for a while; but it took me a long time before I tried out its outpost in BGC. This was mainly because I swore off its concept ever since my uneventful dining experience in its Mango Tree Bistro concept in Trinoma which was marked by unimpressive food quality.
PHAD THAI WITH PRAWNS (P480)
However, due to my sister’s continuous raves about the place, I decided to renege and try it out and boy, was I satisfied. I recalled how much I enjoyed its Phad Thai with Scallops with my barkada that I decided to bring my family to Mango Tree for lunch so we can try out more of its food. This time, I opted for the more traditional Phad Thai with Prawns. Its Phad Thai is undeniably loaded and packed with premium ingredients; its noodles wonderfully glistening in its delectable sauce that it's easily one of the tastiest renditions out there.
SHRIMP CAKES (P420)
Similar to Manam, Mango Tree's menu is divided into two sections; namely, purists and adventurous. However, the majority of our food choices leaned more toward its classic selections out of habit. Its Shrimp Cakes boasted of a beautiful golden-brown deep-fried hue with sizable bits you can chew. Unfortunately, it came with a faint aftertaste, owing to its batter. One good thing about it though is that the kitchen opted to switch the traditional sweet chili sauce for some sweet plum sauce.
Fortunately, its Crispy Fish with Green Mango Salad more than made up for the Shrimp Cakes. The crunchy fish floss was perfectly dressed with a nice harmony of sweet, salty and sour tones; further aided by the crunch of fresh green mangoes and sweet crunchy cashews. This was easily the best fried catfish salad I've had.
CHILEAN BLACK MUSSELS WITH SWEET BASIL AND THAI HERBS (P520)
I’ve always had an affinity for spicy food; the peak of which was proven with how I devoured an extremely fiery seafood platter bathed in a clear but deadly spiced Thai sauce in Malaysia. It got a bit too painful to swallow in the end; while my sweat glands decided to be extra hardworking that day that sweat kept profusely dripping down my face; but I’d definitely kill to experience that again. I thought I was ordering a version of that when I spotted the Chilean Black Mussels with Sweet Basil and Thai Herbs in its menu; that I got so confused when I was served with freshly sweet Chilean Black Mussels in a clear light sour broth. It was extremely far from what I had in my mind; but I definitely had zero regrets discovering such a refreshing gem.
GRILLED SQUID (P580)
My sister’s sole request was for us to order the Grilled Squid. The squid was perfectly tender, and had nice charred marks to them; but I didn’t get why she was so hyped up about this dish until I tried its out-of-this-world seafood sauce made of lime, lemongrass and chili. I’d actually won’t mind just ordering a bottle of the sauce on its own! Pair this up with the Stir Fried Morning Glory (P320), which also came with its own killer sauce made of oyster sauce, garlic and soybean paste!
RED CURRY BEEF TENDERLOIN (P750)
When it comes to curry, Thai curry definitely ranks the last for me when compared to Indian and Japanese; but it seems absurd to have a Thai meal without curry; so we ordered an obligatory Red Curry Beef Tenderloin. Admittedly, I found the price point a bit too steep; especially considering its serving size, but it’s undeniably flavorful. We paired this up with some fragrant Crab Fried Rice (P450/P550).
I may be late to the party, but I’m glad to have given Mango Tree another try as I wouldn’t have discovered easily one of the best Thai restos in Manila.
Mango Tree
C3 Bonifacio High Street Central, 7th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City
Date of Visit: August 25, 2019 with Wilson Chua, Lily Chua, Jared Chua, and Jem Chua
