Messing about on the river

WHETHER YOU’RE looking for a place to enjoy a family lunch, a romantic tete-a-tete or a party with friends, you won’t go wrong at Mango Tree on the River. Tucked away in the bustling Pak Khong Talad, the new flagship restaurant of the Mango Tree brand offers good food as well as a stunning view of the Temple of Dawn on the other side of the Chao Phraya River.

The restaurant occupies three floors of the new community mall Yodiman River Walk, the site of which was once home to the Pak Khong Talad pier. Serving Thai fusion dishes with a contemporary vibe, the restaurant is the latest baby of the home-grown Mango Tree Group, which runs the Mango Tree, Mango Tree Bistro and Mango Tree Cafe brands, as well as the Coca sukiyaki eateries. Today, the group operates more than 70 restaurants and cafes in 15 countries in Asia, the Middle East, and the US.

Decorated in loft style with a minimalist feel, the first floor is an air-conditioned dining room for 80 guests with glass walls that look out at the vertiginous prangs of Wat Arun. When the weather is good, it’s better to sit out on the spacious deck and enjoy the fresh air. 

A staircase leads to the 40-seat bar on the second floor, a great place to sip an aperitif or digestif while enjoying the view and the breeze, and the rooftop boasts an open-air terrace for private parties and can accommodate up to 20 people. 

At lunchtime, you can opt for the a la carte menu and pay another Bt100 to access the salad bar laden with a variety of green salads, som tum, spicy salads, chilli pastes, fruits and Thai desserts. Or opt for the salad bar on its own for Bt180. It’s available every day between 11am and 2pm. A bowl of steamed rice comes with the compliments of the chef and customers can refill it as often as they like for no extra cost. 

On the a la carte items, we enjoyed the Miang Kam (Bt190), which is presented as finger food for six servings. The combination of roasted crispy coconut shavings, cubed lemon, shallot, ginger, dried shrimp and crispy peanuts is wrapped in cha plu leaves and topped with sweet and slightly sour dressing made from char-grilled shrimp paste, ground dried shrimp, black pepper, plum sugar and tamarind sauce. Each morsel is served in a glass making it easy to hold.

The gilled spicy Northern Thai pork sausage known as Sai Oua (Bt180) is sliced and served on a black stone slate with chopped shallot, chilli, garlic, long beans and cucumber. Chef Surasak Charoenchane says the home-made sausage is a blend of minced pork seasoned with lemongrass, galangal, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, salt and fish sauce that is stuffed in the pig’s intestine and roasted in an oven with coconut husks to achieve the smoky 

 aroma. The cooking process is completed under the grill before serving. 

Another dish well worth trying is the Grilled Squid Salad (Bt260). Here, the squid is marinated in ground coriander root, garlic, kaffir lime leave, lemongrass and chilli sauce for half an hour before being grilled. It’s then cooked with mixed greens, Chinese cabbage flowers, butterfly pea, tomato, and bai bua bok or pennywort and served with a dressing of plum sugar, fish sauce and tamarind sauce.

For a spicy kick, opt for Grilled Pork Spare Ribs with Spicy Thai Herbs (Bt420). The pork spare rib is soaked in pineapple juice for 40 minutes to soften the flesh before being transferred to a marinade of coriander root, garlic, chilli pepper and soy sauce overnight. It’s then roasted at 180-degrees Celsius for 35 minutes and seasoned with larb (spiced) powder made from roasted ground rice powder, ground chilli, lemon powder, salt and sugar. Served on a wooden board, it’s best enjoyed with Thai-style spicy jaew dipping. 

One of the best-selling dishes is Pad Thai Lobster (Bt2,980). The flesh of an entire Canadian lobster from Phuket – they each weigh around 900 to 1,100 grams – is fresh and sweet and perfect with the stir-fried noodles.

Surasak also offers a Green Curry with Fish Balls Stuffed with Salty Egg (Bt280). The fish balls are made from pla grai or featherback seasoned with chilli pepper and kaffir lime leaves to reduce the fishy smell before being hand kneaded. 

While the spicy dishes are not overpowering for anyone used to Thai food, do remember to ask the waiters if you’d prefer the level of spiciness to be intense.

Among the tempting desserts is Young Coconut Panna Cotta (Bt120) – a mixture of coconut milk, fresh milk, sugar, coconut flesh and juice that’s infused with pandanus. It’s topped with young coconut flesh and roasted crispy coconut shavings.

Those who like their cocktails with a kick should be sure to order the PT Tomyum (Bt295) – a mixture of lychee juice and vodka infused with lemongrass, lemon and kaffir lime leaves. Teetotallers will prefer the River Breezy Mocktail (Bt170) – which has orange, pineapple and apple juices blended with watermelon and elderflower syrups and is topped with dried bael fruit. 

 

 

TASTY THAI

>>Mango Tree on the River is open daily 11am to 1am. It’s at Yodpiman River Walk on Atsadang Road and is easily accessed by boats at Yodpiman pier. Call (02) 110 0820.