Much like its Filipino counterpart, Thai cuisine is more than just Pad Thai, Tom Yum and curries. Thai restaurant Mango Tree aims to show Filipino diners the style of Northern Thailand food. Each region has its own unique cuisine infused with a balance of sweet, sour, spicy, and salty flavors in each dish. Northern Thai cuisine is especially known for its use of aromatic ingredients and bold flavors including the use of fermented ingredients and dry heat cooking methods.
The chefs of both Mango Tree Philippines and Mango Tree global teams were invited to learn about Northern Thailand culture and cuisine by immersing with the locals and exploring traditional cuisine with Northern Hill Tribes and culinary masters of that region’s cuisine such as Chef Kannika Tassanaprasit, an Iron Chef Thailand challenger, and Chef Phanuphon “Black” Bulsuwan. The result is the Changmai Selections, a series of dishes that showcases Northern Thailand’s unique flavors and culinary traditions.
The Miang Kham is a traditional one-bite snack with coconut flakes, peanuts, dried shrimp, galangal, onion, lemon, chili, and a sweet-savory miang kham sauce, all wrapped in an aromatic sesame leaf. Meanwhile, the Nam Prik Noom is a smokey yet fresh dip composed of roasted red chilies pounded together with various herbs and served alongside pork cracklings.
fish sauce, herbs, and makwan peppers, whose citrus notes play well with the meat. For sausage lovers, the Sai Oua is a Thai grilled sausage made with minced pork, herbs, and spices with a texture very reminiscent of Filipino longganisa.
Originating from the hill tribes around Chiang Mai, the Aeb Pla features a fillet of fish marinated in a unique Northern herb mixture, wrapped and grilled in banana leaf. Meat lovers are in for a treat with the Kaeng Hang Le, a savory-sweet curry made with pork belly, fermented bamboo shoots, and a selection of herbs and spices for a deeply-flavored, complex dish best paired with jasmine rice.
No Northern Thai feast would be complete without the much-vaunted Khao Soi. This is a Traditional Northern curry noodle topped with crispy egg noodles, chicken, lime wedges, and pickled vegetables.
Finally, there is the Banana Fritters with Pandan Sauce with battered banana wedges deep-fried to a golden-brown crisp. This is then served with a vibrantly-colored pandan and coconut cream dipping sauce for a sweet treat to end the meal.
The Chiang Mai selection will be available starting October 15 with dishes exclusive to Mango Tree and Mango Tree Cafe stores in the Philippines.
