Going high on Thai

Spicy flavours

It isn’t difficult for Thai dishes to sneak their way onto the menu cards of other cuisines in India – even the smallest South Indian restaurant boasts of serving dishes like ‘Pad Thai’ and ‘Thai green curry’. Being one of the most popular cuisines in the world, dishes from Thailand have the pleasure of having a fan base world over.

But this popularity comes with the ability to evolve over time and place; these days, most of the so-called Thai dishes have taken on an Indianised appearance and cater to the local palate. So, when people think of ‘Pad Thai’, they assume it’s a saucy dish. On the contrary, an authentic ‘Pad Thai’ is not only dry, but it’s flavoured with chilli, garnish and a healthy helping of peanuts.

If one is looking for the real flavours of Thailand, they should head over to ‘Mango Tree Bistrobar’ in Indiranagar. They recently introduced a new menu that is not only a slice of the country, but also full of rich spices that appeal to local tastes. If one is not looking to have their mouths blown off, they may want to request for a controlled amount of chili, which is judiciously used otherwise.

One of the hottest chilies in the world, measuring in about a centimetre and a half, is a widely used ingredient and adds that extra ‘zing’ to the dishes. At ‘Mango Tree Bistrobar’, starting from the appetisers, one will taste the spice. Even the mocktails and cocktails have their share of it. The ‘Grapow Sang Choi Bao’, which is minced chicken with basil chili in a lettuce wrap, is a must-try. Another tasty dish is the ‘Fish Kung Pao’; the spicy stir-fried fish fillet is accompanied by a mouth-watering combination of peanut and dried chili. This dish also has the other key tastes that are associated with Thai cuisine – sweet, salt and sour.

Vegetarians may like their ‘Baby corn tempura’ with mayonnaise and wasabi sauce. The sauce, interestingly, is a Japanese speciality. The ‘Thai green curry’ with Jasmine rice (a slightly scented and sticky rice) is another must-have. The green curry is considered the spiciest one in Thailand because, unlike in India where green is associated with leafy vegetables, there it’s a paste of green chilies.

For dessert, one should try either the ‘Mango Tree’ special, the ‘Fried ice cream’, or ‘Mango sticky rice’, which is Jasmine rice at its stickiest and sides of fresh mangoes.
‘Mango Tree Bistrobar’ is located at 32, 80 Feet Road, near 12th main junction, Indiranagar.