I had been informed that Mango Tree in Bangkok had an excellent reputation and was looking forward to trying out the Hong Kong sister. We were welcomed and ushered to a table for two right by the window and were able to take advantage of the stunning view across the harbour towards Central.
We were in a slight hurry as we had cinema tickets which restricted us to just over an hour for lunch, but we mentioned this when we ordered and the waiting staff took this on board and we were served promptly, but still didn't feel like we were rushed.
After a recent trip to Hua Hin, we saw a couple of things on the menu which we had enjoyed on our trip so, taking our time restraint into account, ordered simple and light.
The soft shell crab salad was portioned nicely for our starter and the various flavours blended well, but also stood out individually. The green papaya was fresh, the peanuts, shallots, dried shrimp and chilli were well balanced and the whole dish was refreshing, with just the right amount of spice.
For the main, we shared a green chicken curry and crab meat fried rice. The chicken thigh meat was tender and moist and the curry had an abundance of various aubergines, which are a personal favourite in Thai curries. The portion size again was just right for lunch for the two of us.
The crab meat fried rice did not disappoint in any way. Not greasy, and ladened with large juicy flakes of beautiful crab.
For dessert we shared the classic mango with sticky rice. Three large slices of perfectly ripe mango (we thought maybe with a hint of pandan) and good salty sweet coconut cream.
If i was forced on pain of death to find a fault, it would only be that, being seated with the fantastic window view, did at times lead to the compromise of being around the corner from the main body of the restaurant and the staff weren't able to see us when we wanted service. This was only a very minor concern for us, given the limited time we had to dine, but under normal circumstances would barely be an issue, and certainly no cause for complaint.
Mango Tree is still a bit of a hidden gem, (for lunch anyway) and from a selfish point of view, I would like it to stay that way, though with the quality of food and general dining experience, I suspect this will not be the case. All I can say is, get in there now and be the one in your circle of friends who knows about this place first.