Experience the wonderful and unique flavour of Thai cuisine at Mango Tree Bistro.

Fond memories of Thailand bring to mind warm & friendly people typical of Asians, interesting places and delicious food that’s just incomparable to any other cuisine. Mango Tree Bistro at Mirdif City Centre will give you a taste of these in Dubai.

The staff’s charming smiles will draw you in. Warm, wooden furniture and Asian décor makes for a cozy interior - ideal for families. You don’t have to worry about kids running around and breaking something. Interesting Thai music in the background lendsa nice touch, not too loud but loud enough to drown out nearby chatter.

Starting off with the trademark soup of Thailand, the Tom Yum Goong has set me in the mood for what is to come. Its distinct mélange of flavours from sour to slightly sweet to salty aptly introduces someone to the characteristic flavour of Tom Yum. Up next is the Yum Talay – this seafood salad’s fish, shrimp and squid were perfectly tender and not even a hint of a second too long in the pan.  Infused with the tanginess of lemon and the punchy saltiness, the salad gets your palate craving for more.

Other must-try appetizers are the traditional Thai fish cakes (best eaten dipped in plum sauce) and the appetizing morning glory in batter with minced meat sweet sauce. The crunchiness will make you forget you’re eating a vegetable but I found the sauce a tad too sweet.

When the main dishes arrived it struck me that we weren’t even halfway through. Biting into the deep-fried Sea Bass with its crunchy and crispy exterior only to discover soft and delicious fish morsels inside made me vow I’d be eating more fish in the future. Complementing the dish is a mango salad lending an unexpected yet delightful sweet flavour to the Sea Bass. We found the rice noodles scrumptious, wonderfully tasty and equally delicious was the chicken with basil. A mistake we made was requesting the chicken dish not to be spicy but the staff were right when they said it packs more oomph with a hint of spiciness to it.

The terrific meal ended with three flavors of ice cream. The coconut, mango and lychee were all divinely light and creamy. The crunchy water chestnuts served on crushed ice and dash of coconut milk gave a cool finale as well. On beverages, the lychee with mint slush was refreshing though it would have been easier to drink with a bigger straw. Best accompanying the meal is a pot of tea - I felt I needed that to help me digest the big meal I had.

For someone like me who likes Thai food except for the spicy part, I loved the food at Mango Tree Bistro because I could enjoy the same taste minus the chili.  For Thai food lovers, you might want to request for the dishes to be spicy to get the authentic Thai chili / spicy taste.

Mango Tree Bistro

Where: Mirdif City Centre

T: 04 284 3635

By Carol Sarmiento

August 2010