Mango Tree Unveils New Spring Menu Items
Mango Tree, 929 H St. NW in CityCenterDC, is debuting new items for its spring menus today.
The restaurant opened in January 2015 and serves genuine Thai dishes from each of the country’s four main culinary regions: rich and full flavors from the north, spicy cuisine from the northeast, milder dishes influenced by the Chinese cooking style from the central region, and hot and spicy cuisine from the south. Each dish blends savory, sweet, sour and spice.
Mango Tree is introducing its spring menu. Joining its signature Spicy Siam cocktail (clockwise from top left) made with chili infused mango rum, mango juice and a Thai chili are lunch entree khao soi and appetizers nam tok neur and yum som-o. (Photos: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)
International corporate chef Kate Phanngam has been in town from Bangkok working on the new dishes with the local staff for about a month.
A lunch entrée and one of my favorite new dish is the updated khao soi made with slow-braised beef, red curry, egg noodles and crispy noodles along with a soft boiled egg. The previous version was made with chiangmai chicken curry.
Most of the changes are on the dinner menu, including my other favorite new dish, som tom tod. This salad is made with tempura-fried green papaya, cherry tomatoes, long beans, dried shrimp, roasted peanuts and a chili-lime dressing. The previous som tom Thai was made with a green papaya slaw instead of the fried green papaya, which gives the dish added crunch. Other tasty new appetizers include yum sum-o, pomelo (similar to a sweet graperfruit) salad with cherry tomatoes, coconut flakes and bird’s eye chili; and nam tok nuer, chargrilled hangar steak with dried chili, cherry tomatoes, shallots, mint, ground roasted rice and a isaan tamarind dressing.
Mango Tree’s signature lobster pad Thai (clockwise from top left) is staying along with returning massamun gae and new bhu phad pong ga ree and gang phed ped. (Photos: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)
Don’t worry, Mango Tree’s signature pad Thai goong mung gorn, its famous Maine lobster pad Thai with rice noodles, peanuts, egg, tofu, chili and bean sprouts in a sweet tamarind sauce isn’t going anywhere. Massamun gae returns from the restaurant’s opening menu with slow-braised lamb shank in massamun curry with fingerling potatoes; bhu phad pong go ree, a whole blue crab with wok fried yellow curry and egg; and gang phed ped, a pan-seared duck breast with Thai red curry, pineapple and cherry tomatoes.
New desserts include khao niew mamuang, mango sticky rice served with slices of fresh mango, peanuts and green tea ice cream; and mho gang cha Thai, Thai tea crème brulee served with green tea cake and grapefruit.
Desserts include mango stick rice (left) and Thai tea creme brulee. (Photos: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)
Mango Tree is open for lunch from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday, brunch from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and dinner from 5-11 p.m. seven days a week.
Editor-in-Chief Mark Heckathorn is a journalist, movie buff and foodie. He oversees DC on Heels editorial operations as well as strategic planning and staff development. Reach him with story ideas or suggestions at dcoheditor (at) gmail (dot) com.
