We got there around 7pm and The Green Mango was reasonably full. We didn't have a reservation but were seated at a nice table near the front. While reading through the tasty looking menu we quickly realized there were only two people frantically trying to serve the entire place, and expected service to be slow. The restaurant had about 15 tables or so and we empathized with the servers...why do they never have enough people to wait tables?
When we finally had a chance to order, I asked for the Thai iced coffee and was told they were out. I then said, "What about the Thai iced tea?" to which I got the same response. So I picked the roasted coconut water which sounded intriguing, but was again told that they didn't have it. I love Thai iced tea and coffee for their strong, sweet flavors, and it's not often that you find them in Thai restaurants here in the UK. So I was totally disappointed, more so that 3 of the things on the menu that seemed most authentically Thai were not available! I had to settle for a lemonade. Not the best start.
Hubs and I decided to share two starters--Thai sausages and the salt and pepper squid. We were so excited to see the sausages that we divvied them up before I remembered to take a picture! But they were delicious and my favorite dish of the evening, slightly sweet with strong flavors of lemongrass and chili. You can even see the amazing spices in the terrible Blackberry photo!
The portion was very generous and there was more than enough for two people to share. I think I would have been happy with just an order of the sausages and some sticky rice for dinner!
The salt and pepper squid was accompanied by stir-fried chilies and garlic. Really tasty but sadly the batter wasn't crisp enough and slightly on the greasy side.
For our mains, hubs choose the whole steamed seabass with a tangy chili, garlic and lime sauce, while I went for the moo yang--marinated pork steak with a spicy chili dip. We shared a sticky rice, too...in my view one of the best Thai foods!
The seabass was beautifully presented. The fish itself was cooked well, incredibly moist and flaky. The sauce was as billed--pretty spicy with a strong citrus flavor. Great with the fish and really nice poured over the sticky rice. This was my second favorite dish after the Thai sausages.
My moo yang was tasty but slightly disappointing. While the pork was nicely marinated the meat was a little bit tough, and the spicy chili dip wasn't quite what I expected. It was tamarind based, and seemed to have something like a sweet chili sauce mixed in. More on the sweet side and while the flavor was good, it was different to the fiery, more fish sauce and lime based sauces I've had at other restaurants.
Other than sticky rice, I can't have a Thai meal without ordering som tam, or papaya salad. I love the texture of the papaya and other ingredients, and the sauce epitomizes the salty-sour-spicy-sweet flavor combination. The som tam at The Green Mango looked pretty typical:
But I was so bummed after taking the first bite as it turned out to be a very mild som tam. I know that every som tam recipe is slightly different and it can vary by region, but the overwhelming flavor was the sweet, without the salty and sour to balance it out. It was spicy, but lacked the punch I usually love when I eat som tam, and it failed to satisfy my som tom flavor craving.
The Green Mango had a nice, relaxed neighborhood feel. Many regulars seemed to be pop in for takeaway (you get a 10% discount) which I usually take as a sign that people are happy with the food. And while we arrived at just the wrong time, additional staff arrived around 730pm and service seemed to run more smoothly after that. The bill was £55 including service, and hubs had two beers so pretty good since the seabass was one of the pricier items. But given the som tam was a disappointment, I don't think we'll be heading back as I'll use old standbys (I like Thai Connections on Blanchington Road) when that salty-sour-spicy-sweet craving hits me again.
No comments:
Post a Comment