In the 24 years since celebrity chef Pitaya Phanphensophon opened the original Mango Tree in Bangkok, it has steadily evolved into a modern dining brand with different tiers to match every consumer level.

He is proudly Thai but also proud of his Chinese ancestry, which adds an important ingredient to the restaurants’ truly Asian menu and influences his approach to running the business.

“I strongly believe in using the freshest locally sourced ingredients, and although we always present our dishes beautifully, great taste is at the heart of every dish,” says Pitaya.

Mango Tree Mumbai has opened in partnership with Rana Singh of Mondo Culinary, the sole representative in India for the luxury-dinnerware brands Wedgwood and Vera Wang Home.

The restaurant offers authentic Thai cuisine with a creative twist, enhanced by stylish decor, good wines and custom cocktails.

“We believe we are more than simply a restaurant and we make sure we deliver an experience that is more than just food,” says Trevor MacKanzie, managing director of Mango Tree Restaurants Worldwide. “Today there are nine outlets in seven countries and our vision is to be the premier global brand of Thai cuisine in every major city throughout the world.”

Rana Singh says dining at Mango Tree is like taking “a tour of the four regions of Thailand’s culinary compass”.

“Our chefs have distilled the best of northern, northeastern, central and southern Thai cuisine to present their best to India.”

The signature dishes include Thai Betelnut Leaf Wrap (Miang Kham), Phad Thai Spring Roll (Por Pia Phad Thai), Clear Tom Yum Soup Seafood Hotpot (Poh Taek), Banana Blossom Salad (Yum Hua Plee), Mango Tree Lobster Phad Thai, Crab in Yellow Curry Sauce (Poo Phad Phong Karee), Two-way Fish (Pla Song Withi) and Massaman Curry Lamb Shanks (Massaman Kha Kae).

Designed by British firm Black Sheep, the 120-seat restaurant has three distinct zones – a lounge, a dining area and a private dining room.

The Asian-inspired cocktails include Pomelo and Rosemary Tini, Mango Tree Mule, and Lemon Grass Glalangal Tini.

Keep up to date at http://www.MangoTreeMumbai.com.

The owner of Lima’s best-known restaurant Astrid y Gaston, Acurio operates more than 45 restaurants in nine countries across 12 different brands. His celebrated restaurant has been ranked among the world’s top 20 restaurants in the prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards for three consecutive years.

In Bangkok, he will present such signature dishes as Cebiche Classico (white fish, classic leche de tigre, choclo, sweet potatoes, and cancha), “Tradito Lima-Bangkok” (tuna tataki, aji amarillo with coconut leche de tigre, pickled sweet chilli, and green papaya strings), Causa Limea (purple potatoes causa, king crab, avocado, quail egg, tomato, aj amarillo cream and salmon roe), and Broccoli Pachikay (made with charred broccoli, smoky red peppers sauce, aji amarillo pachikay, crispy rice noodles and pickled sweet chilli.

For dessert, there’ll be a delicious Peruvian chocolate mousse with crispy quinua, cacao nibs and cacao meringues.

Diners can enjoy an a la carte menu, a 5-course tasting menu at Bt3,500 per person and a 7-course set at Bt4,800.

Book your table by emailing mobkk-restaurants@mohg.com or call (02) 659 9000 extension 7390.

ADVERTISING ITSELF with a promise to create 25 layers of happiness, Kimukatsu, the original Mille-Feuille Katsu restaurant from Japan, recently marched into Thailand and set up shop at Central Plaza Rama III.

This hands-on mille-feuille pork cutlet dish offers an authentic taste of tonkatsu that’s crispy on the first bite and soft and juicy on the second. And while the portion is satisfying, it doesn’t leave you feeling bloated but instead maybe wanting more.

And that’s the whole point, says Ito Ryosuke, who set up the brand in 2003.

The restaurant boasts a cosy Japanese-style ambience.

“Many people, and especially men, choose to go to a tonkatsu restaurant because they want a big meal. It’s different for a woman. She sees a deep-fried pork dish and while she knows it’s delicious, she’ll be considering the fat factor and maybe feel a little guilty if she is on a diet,” Ryosuke explains.

“Our refined method of thinly sliced pork in 25 layers gives the dish a remarkably light, soft, and juicy texture on the inside, and crispy on the outside.”

Mille-Feuille Katsu in original plain flavour

The top six favourite katsu menus – Original/Plain, Cheddar Cheese, Garlic, Black Pepper, Negi Shio (Japanese Spring Onion) and Yuzu Kosho – have been carefully selected and adjusted for the Thai palates by Anujtha and Supassaorn Jaovisidha of Kimukatsu (Thailand). They’re priced at Bt330 per set. Other options include Fried Prawn Katsu (Bt350) and Salmon Cutlet (Bt320).

The dishes are made with quality free-range pork loin from Happy Farm pounded into thin slices then wrapped in 25 layers using a technique that allows the perfect amount of air in between each. The layered portions are dipped in flour, then egg before being tossed in breadcrumbs station then deep-fried in a bath of healthy canola oil.

Mille-Feuille Katsu Negi Shio is flavoured with Japanese spring onion.

“It’s important that the chef uses canola oil to deep fry. The way we prepare the cutlet means that the pork cannot be cooked at a very high temperature since it might burn the breadcrumbs, so it requires a lot of oil. Using good oil is one way for us to express our concern for the health of our customers,” Ryosuke says.

The plain and the cheese flavoured katsu dishes are the most popular, but it’s more than worth sampling the Yuzu Kosho for its lovely citrus scent or the Negi Shio for its strong spring onion aroma.

All go well with the rich tonkatsu sauce imported from Japan or with the chef’s special ponzu, which levels out the cutlet flavours with some tangy pops.

“Our signature tonkatsu sauce has a strong yet balanced taste due to our refined method of fruity fermentation,” he explains. “A slight acid flavour goes very well with deep-fried pork, which gets greasy when cold.”

Fried Prawn Katsu

The set includes freshly shredded cabbage salad. The cabbage is grown here in a pesticide-free greenhouse from seeds imported from Japan and the salad comes with as many refills as you want as well as a choice between roasted sesame and Japanese sesame soy sauce dressings.

Starting with the cabbage is good as it not only absorbs the oil but also allows time for customers to enjoy the meal while waiting for main dish, which takes about 15 minutes to prepare.

Japanese steamed rice takes more than six hours to perfect.

And the steamed rice adds to the delicious taste of the tonkatsu. Anujtha has selected to use Japanese short-grain rice, which is famous for its signature cooked-when-ordered freshness.

“We soak the grains for six hours then steam them for exactly 15 minutes before serving the rice in classic pine bowls that maintain the heat and fragrance. We don’t keep the rice for more than one hour. So that means our customers are served with hot freshly cooked tonkatsu and rice every time,” she says.

Spicy Ebimayo 

In addition to the featured katsu dishes, Kimukatsu offers a range of appetisers including Spicy Ebimayo (Bt120), fried prawns drenched in a special multi-spice infused sauce; and Negishio Tofu (Bt100), fresh, bite-sized white tofu dressed with Japanese style sesame oil dressing and Japanese spring onion, though only a limited number of servings are available each day.

Homemade Negisho Tofu

The Potato Salad (Bt130) has a smooth texture and is enhanced with fried shallots for a sweet and salty taste and comes with other accompaniments including boiled egg, bacon and chunks of carrot.

The dessert highlight is the four-selection option featuring Blueberry Ice Cream Mochi, Mango Ice Cream Mochi, Traditional Green Tea Ice Cream with Cheesecake, and Vanilla Ice Cream served with mildly sweet red bean paste and whipping cream. It’s priced at Bt90.

Blueberry Mochi Ice Cream

“One of the reasons we decided to bring Kimukatsu to Thailand at this time despite there being so many Japanese restaurants here already is that we felt Thai customers were ready. They are already familiar with the look and taste of tonkatsu so they can tell the difference between standard servings and our mille-feuille style.

“It is a Japanese tradition to specialise in restaurant types like ramen or udon. Our commitment is to the mille-feuille katsu,” Ryosuke says.

READY TO SERVE

Kimukatsu is on the sixth floor of CentralPlaza Rama III.

Keep up with news at Facebook Page: Kimukatsu.Th and Instagram: Kimukatsu.Thailand or call (061) 535 8666.

The list was announced at an awards ceremony held at Capitol Theatre on Thursday night (May 3). It was the first time a ceremony was held to announce the list.

Indulge Experimental Bistro in Taipei claimed the second spot, while Shanghai’s Speak Low took third place.

Eleven other bars from the Republic made the list. But China, which also had 12 bars on the list, ties with Singapore as cocktail capital of Asia. The country with the next highest number of entries was Japan, which had eight entries, followed by Thailand (six entries) and South Korea (four entries).

While there were no new entries from Singapore, a number moved to higher positions. Among the biggest climbers were Atlas at Parkview Square which rose eight places to No. 4, and Native at Amoy Street which rose 12 places to No.8. Native’s head bartender Vijay Mudaliar was also awarded with the Bartenders’ Bartender award.

Tippling Club, which came in at No.7, up from last year’s 11th spot, rounds out the Singapore bars that made the top 10.

Singapore bars outside the top 10 dropped in rankings. These were 28 HongKong Street (No.12), Operation Dagger (No.19), Gibson (No.22), Employees Only (No.23), D.bespoke (No.32), Nutmeg & Clove (No.33), Jigger & Pony (No.42) and The Other Room (No.50). Sugarhall, which placed No.38 last year, did not make the cut this time.

Asia’s 50 Best Bars has been published annually since 2016, based on votes from more than 200 industry experts across Asia’s bar scene. The inaugural awards ceremony on May 3 was attended by about 500 of the region’s top bartenders, bar owners and industry figures.

The list is published by William Reed Business Media, which also organises the annual World’s 50 Best Bars Awards, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants lists.

It takes just one press of a button to prepare your favourite coffee and milk drink. Simply fill the specially designed milk container to the correct level for your chosen milk recipe, press the button and the machine will froth the fresh milk directly into your cup.

As the Lattissima One has been specially designed for a single serving, the machine will always use the total quantity of milk in the container, eliminating any milk wastage. Cleaning the machine is also exceptionally easy as the milk container can go straight in the dishwasher.

Compact in size and premium in design, the Lattissima One machine has a modern mix of gloss and matte finishes and is available in two sophisticated colours, Silky White or Mocha Brown.

It’s priced at Bt14,300 at Nespresso boutiques and online at http://www.Nespresso.com.

Founded in 2014, Zakuzaku is one of Japan’s favourite pastry brands and is the first bakehouse to offer Croquant Chou, a unique kind of sticky cream puff that’s freshly filled with custard cream and completed with a crunchy texture.

Adhering to the house’s “Factory in Shop” concept, each chou is freshly baked in the store and filled with custard cream for each order, thus allowing customers to witness the entire process and enjoy its guaranteed freshness.

Zakuzaku also serves up Soft Serve ice cream made of Hokkaido milk and coated with Croquant crusts.

The unique concept of Zakuzaku stands by the “wearable choux” philosophy, reflecting a commitment to creating an exclusive kind of baked goodie you can enjoy anywhere and anytime.

The Bangkok branch promises to carry on the philosophy of the brand, offering only the best quality baked goods made mainly of imported ingredients from Japan

Bake Cheese Tart Thailand, led by Willy McIntosh, Kathaleeya McIntosh and their business partners, hosted a party to celebrate the grand opening recently with media and guests including Ponphan Sittinawawit, Passorn Sittinawawit , Napasasi Surawan and Ice Amena Gul.

Retail prices are Bt75 for a Croquant Chou and Bt135 for Soft Serve. The shop is open daily from 10am-10pm.

Find out more or place an order at (091) 916 4224.

Each comforting creation combines distinctive characteristics of Japanese cuisine together with Dean & Deluca signature flair.

First up on the seasonal menu is Cold Somen Noodle Salad with Tiger Prawn (Bt385), a refreshing and light dish drizzled with ginger sesame vinaigrette. For something heavier, opt for Gyukatsu Burger (Bt455) featuring sliced beef katsu stuffed with mozzarella cheese, tonkatsu sauce, wasabi mayo, and served with French fries.

Next up, Mentaiko Smoked Salmon Tagliolini (Bt325) comes in a smooth garlic cream sauce; a dish created specially for pasta lovers. Also on offer are rice dishes Butadon with Onsen Egg (Bt175- Bt275) for pork enthusiasts, and Chicken Tsukune Donburi (Bt155-Bt275) for chicken devotees. These two dishes come with suimono or Japanese clear soup.

A Taste of Japan wouldn’t be complete without some sakura flowers. The barista team unveils two special sakura-inspired drinks: Iced Sakura Cream Cheese Matcha Latte (Bt150) and Sakura Cream Cheese Matcha Milkshake (Bt175). Clad in a delicate pink hue, the drinks are a real treat for both the taste buds and the eyes, featuring key ingredients such as sakura syrup, home-made sakura cream cheese, home-made matcha panna cotta and grated white chocolate. The subtle flavours of green tea and sakura offer the perfect balance of sweet and sour. The drinks are available only in medium size at all stores except the Suvarnabhumi Airport outlet.

The full Taste of Japan menu is available at all outlets including MahaNakhon Cube, Central Embassy, the EmQuartier and the Crystal until May 27.

Guests will have an opportunity to discover a selection of premium wines from more than 100 prestigious labels around the world, handpicked according to their distinct styles and meet award-winning sommeliers and renowned chefs as they share their passion and discuss their favourites while sipping world-class vintages. Light canapes will also be served.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn about selected premium vintages from Thailand’s top sommeliers and use their expert advice in choosing your wines.

Confirmed participants include Thanakorn Bottorff of Gaggan Restaurant Group, who won Thailand’s Best Sommelier Competition in 2016, and Thitid Tassanakajohn, aka Chef Ton of Le Du, who has been heralded as one of Thailand’s brightest culinary stars since the opening of his modern Thai restaurant.

He is also behind the family recipe-inspired Baan and Backyard outlets.

The list also features Prateep Kanisthachart of Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel, Pathompong Wangmanao of W Bangkok Hotel, Jatuporn Meekaew of The Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok, Pattarapol Ponraritt of Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park, Thanakrit Suksabai of Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort, Panya Nabchid of Zuma Bangkok, Direkrit Kotchawong of Riedel Wine Bar & Cellar, and Banyat Chinpinyokul of Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok.

Get off the BTS Ratchadamri Station and toast a wonderful evening at this one-night only. Tiokets cost Bt1,400-net and reservations can be made by calling (02) 126 8866 extension 1201 or emailing dining.asia@anantara.com.

THE RATCHAPRASONG Square Trade Association once again celebrates the hottest months of the year by teaming up with eight pastry chefs from leading hotels and tearooms in downtown Bangkok for a High Tea Jubilee on the theme “Blossom Tea Delight”.

Now in its third edition, the gustatory event is the perfect indulgence with specially brewed tea blends as well as savoury and sweet treats that are being served until the end of June.

Red lotus, which increases blood flow to the heart and lowers blood pressure, is the highlight of the Erawan Tea Room’s Thai-style afternoon tea set. Priced at Bt600-net per person, it features a choice of tea made from butterfly pea, bael fruit and pandan leaf, lemongrass and jasmine.

A pastry chef at the Erawan Tea Room prepares the Thai-style afternoon tea set.

“In keeping with blossom delight theme, we’ve opted for organic lotuses and incorporate the pollen, petals and seeds with both savoury and sweet delicacies. The tea set also plays on the red and pink shades extracted from red lotus, roselle and beetroot,” says chef Achara To-ussami.

The three-tier stand features a variety of savoury treats on the bottom tier including yum tua plu (spicy winged bean and shrimp served on lotus petals), miang gaysorn bua (tidbits made of chopped lotus petals and pollens, roasted coconut and cashew nut with a sweet dip served in crispy pastry cups), thung thong (crispy fried dumplings stuffed with lotus seed and taro), dok khae (batter fried hummingbird vegetable filled with minced pork and shrimp), vol-au-vent stuffed with chicken yellow curry, and chor muang sai poo (steamed flower-shaped crabmeat dumplings).

The middle tier has an assortment of Thai desserts including all-time favourite mango and sticky rice, kanom krok (rice pudding), kanom bueng (crispy bean crepes), look chub (sweet bean paste in colourful fruit forms), mor gaeng (egg custard with lotus seed), and kanom chan (steamed sweet layer cake).

European delights including longan flower honey madeleines, pandan cream mille feuille, durian and passion fruit Jelly, dark chocolate cup filled with hibiscus tapioca, milk chocolate cream and rosella juice, and banana and coconut scones with whipped cream and strawberry jam dominate the top tier.

Novotel Bangkok Platinum Pratunam’s tea set brings seven teas infused with flowers to its set.

Pastry chef Warattha Boonpitak of Novotel Bangkok Platinum Pratunam has responded to the call for blossoms by selecting seven blends of flowery teas from China, namely rose, jasmine, butterfly pea, lavender, chrysanthemum, chamomile and Blooming tea – tea leaves in a pouch that morph into a flower when steeped in hot water. She has also created three savoury and five sweet Thai style treats to pair with the teas.

The tea set is priced at Bt950-net and includes mango and sticky rice, jasmine aa lua and Snow Skin Mooncake in different flower shapes, bael fruit jelly, and macarons filled with orange, strawberry and pistachio.

The savoury bite comes from spicy salmon salad with Thai herbs, cheesy fried shrimp cake and spring rolls stuffed with edible butterfly pea, rose and red lotus petals.

Strawberry is the star at the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok.

Over at the InterContinental Bangkok, chef Saiful Huda goes wild for American strawberries, using them to full advantage in his strawberry mousse and chocolate cake, strawberry financier and mango mousse, and strawberry macarons.

“US strawberries have a juicy and fruity flavour, a beautiful red colour and the right combination of sweet and sour. The macaron is filled with real strawberry jam and contains no dairy products,” says chef Huda.

Strawberry also features in the lemon cake and strawberry, strawberry pistachio lychee tart, and strawberry Japanese shortcake. The top tier boasts chicken sandwiches, corn and cheese pie, and puff pastry with sauteed onion and sun dried tomato that can be paired with a selection of teas like Moroccan mint, fruit tea with sunflower seeds, chamomile, and oolong. The tea set costs Bt550-plus for one and Bt850-plus for two.

Rose and French vanilla are two key scents at the Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel.

Rose and French vanilla are the two scents chef Matt Mittnacht of the Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel has chosen for his Parisian-style set (Bt750-plus for two).

Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel serves a pastry set drowning in summer flowers.

Meanwhile, chef Laurent Duffaut of the Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel serves a pastry set drowning in summer flowers with such dishes as rosella panna cotta, spring butterfly pea supreme, chrysanthemum cremeux, and hibiscus smoked salmon with tea gel, all of them paired with three fruit and green tea blends. The set costs Bt850-plus for two on weekdays and Bt950-plus for one on weekends.

Munchies are served in a birdcage at the St Regis Bangkok Hotel.

Beautifully presented in a bird cage, chef Thitiphong Suanborae of the St Regis Bangkok Hotel offers Boston lobster tom yum on bread, truffle puff mousse, Norwegian salmon with honey mustard, orange cannoli, and hazelnut cake washed down with TWG’s 1837 Black Tea. It is priced at Bt1,500-plus for two.

The Centara Grand at CentralWorld Bangkok Hotel pairs Blooming Tea with sweet and savoury treats.

Chinese Blooming Tea infused with the flowers of jasmine, bachelor’s button, and chrysanthemum is the highlight at the Centara Grand at CentralWorld Bangkok Hotel where chef Thawat Prathumpuang also create sweets and canapes in shapes and textures resembling summer blooms. It costs Bt699-plus for two.

1823 Tea Lounge by Ronnefeldt at Gaysorn Village offers two exclusive tea blends with pastries.

Last, but far from least, tea master Nalinthron Triwittayaslip of 1823 Tea Lounge by Ronnefeldt at Gaysorn Village is sticking to his two exclusive blends. The Bangkok Blend is oolong tea mixed with tropical papaya and pineapple while the Gaysorn Blend combines light flowery Pai Mu Tan white tea from Fujian with ripe mango and hints of citrus. These fine brews go with treats like mango sticky rice and strawberry gazpacho with poached prawn, both infused with Ronnefeldt teas. It costs Bt1,370-plus for two.

TEA FOR TWO

High Tea Jubilee 2018@Ratchaprasong continues until the end of June.

Bangkok Bank credit card holders get a 20-per-cent discount at all venues.

Keep updated at http://www.BkkDowntown.com or http://www.Facebook.com/HeartOfBangkok.

At Nara on G Floor at Siam Paragon, the Mango and Sticky Rice utilises the sweet nam dok mai variety. IHop on the same floor and also on the fourth floor has a great Mango Pancake, with fresh blueberries and whipped cream joining the sweet mango on top.

Also on G Floor, Another Hound has its own version of Mango and Sticky Rice presented in layers in a crystal glass, and Vanilla Brasserie tempts with a Mango Crepe – a cocoa crepe with sticky rice, coconut ice cream and nam dok mai mango, topped with blueberries and pomegranate.

At Siam Center, Tarr Tarr, a tart cafe chain based in South Korea, is ready to offer the Mango Tart – crunchy pastry with cream-cheese topped with diced sweet mango. Another popular sweets restaurant from Korea, Sulbing, has sour and sweet Mango Cheese Bingsu, which features shaved ice with mango, almonds, yoghurt ice-cream and cheesecake.

China-based Yenly Yours presents Mango with Sticky Rice, with both nam dok mai and si thong varieties, while Baan Ying Cafe and Meal has Snowy Mango – shaved ice topped with mango and condensed milk.

My Kitchen at Siam Discovery has Panna Cotta Mango Passion Fruit from Brix Dessert Bar, and On-Ing Mango Ice Cream.