'Honey mango and sticky rice was surprisingly nourishing and as satisfying as you could want'

Mango Tree, Belgravia

Mon–Wed midday–3pm, 6pm–11pm, Thu–Sat midday–3pm, 6pm–11.30pm, Sun midday–10.30pm

Stepping into Belgravia’s Mango Tree is rather like stepping into—well, stepping into more or less any other restaurant in Belgravia. The lights are dim, the décor is sleek and the clientele seem dressed-down yet noticeably chic. Indeed, it seems the perfect choice for a quick business lunch with a client (I assume) or dinner with friends before a night on the town. What we’re talking here is that paradoxical brand of casual yet more-than-casual atmosphere which pervades many of the restaurants in the area. In that sense Mango Tree is—depending, I think, on how convenient the restaurant is to you—either nothing special or just the sort of thing you might need for an occasion.

How lucky it is, then, that Mango Tree manages to rise a cut above over its competitors with its new ‘Traditional Taste of Thailand’ menu. An alliterative delight to the few who care about such things and a culinary and cultural delight to everybody else, this new menu (running until the 15th November) offers a choice of eight dishes—four starters, four mains—stemming from the four almost-corners of Thailand: the north, north-east, central region and south.

I began with sai krok-isan: Thai sausage made from rice, garlic and pork, served with vegetables and peanuts (£8.50). More of a snack than a true starter, it was nonetheless an entirely pleasant dish; the Thai herbs with which the sausages were cooked were just on the right side of intensity without being overbearing, while the accompaniments (lettuce, ginger, red onions, some impressively strong Thai chillies and peanuts) complemented them just fine.

My guest opted for what I thought (and still maintain) was the most interesting dish on the menu—kiew kai tod, or deep-fried quail eggs wrapped in wonton sheet (£7.95). The textures of that particular dish, the contrast between those soft quail eggs and their deep fried casings, were pretty intriguing, and the chili sauce that came with it added some much-needed piquancy to the dish.

I then went for goong and plamuak phong curry—stir fried prawns and squid with chillies, celery, cream and egg (£18.95). An impressive dish, perhaps a little heavy on the ‘mild powder’ but otherwise little to complain about: as far as curries go, I’ve had few better. My guest’s baked sea bass fillet was simple, yet, once again, more or less faultless.

The desserts—taken from the normal menu—were equally impressive, though a slight dearth of traditional Thai desserts in favour of more generic fare was slightly disappointing. My guest’s choice, honey mango and sticky rice (one of the few exotic choices on the dessert menu) was surprisingly nourishing and as satisfying as you could want, while my ‘chocolate sphere’, with ice cream, strawberries and chocolate sauce, was masterfully presented and incredibly rich, even for a dessert with the word ‘chocolate’ actually in its name.

Mango Tree also, as you’d expect, has a comprehensive cocktail list and a wine list with some startlingly high-class vintages (though the more affordable bottles are nothing to be sniffed at, either). Expect to be paying around £10 for a cocktail and anything from £20 for a bottle of wine.

There’s very little wrong with Mango Tree. I’d even go as far as to say there’s nothing wrong with it. It is a fantastic restaurant. But is it worth going out of your way for, if you’re not local to the neighbourhood? At any other time, I’d say perhaps not—from what I saw of the main menu and from what I experienced of the desserts, I think you could get a similar experience at any number of other restaurants. Their Traditional Taste of Thailand menu, however, is exemplary, and is as fascinating (I particularly enjoyed the menu’s explanation of the contexts in which each dish would be served in its home country) as it was appetising. For this menu alone, Mango Tree deserves your attention.

Mango Tree, 46 Grosvenor Place, Belgravia, SW1X; 020 7823 1888; www.mangotree.org.uk

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