‘How Cloud 9’s The Mango Tree has set the standard for Thai cuisine’

ISLAMABAD:

Under the auspices of Tiramisu’s very own Shahida Ahmed, The Mango tree launches at Cloud 9 and delights Islamabad’s taste buds with Thai cuisine, best described as ambrosial.

Situated on Hill Road, the ambiance oscillates between contemporary panache and south-east Asian motifs to a charming and scintillating effect. Since its launch, the restaurant has been raking in major business, with a torrent of bookings for lunch and dinner.

“Their Porgy fish is a must try. It’s my favorite thing on the menu,” gushed Rabia Amir, a Mango Tree regular.

The Mango Tree’s arrival was long overdue as Shahida had been mulling over starting up a Thai place for four years; Islamabad’s residents were also tired of the Marriott’s Royal Elephant, its lackluster ambiance and steeply priced Pad Thai.

“I really think that the Pakistani palette and tastes are naturally appreciative of Thai food, which is one of the reasons why I was so interested in opening up a Thai place. Also, the Mariott is just too expensive,” said Shahida, over coffee, while giving her reasons for why she decided to start the eatery, despite the Marriott’s age-old monopoly on Thai cuisine in Islamabad.

“We care about our food and our clients. The whole concept was to have affordable prices and quality food. I don’t want to exclusively cater to the crème de la crème.”

Shahida did acknowledge that although business had been booming over the past two months, it slowed down as of Monday: “Up till the whole Osama incident we were getting a lot of guests, especially ex-pats, who’d come in a little earlier than locals. But now business has slowed a little due to security reasons, which I hope will change soon.”

“Although my loyalties lie with the Mariott, I still think that Mango Tree’s atmosphere is lively and the food is great,” said Nabeel Tahir, a Thai food enthusiast. So if you don’t have security concerns or diplomatic protocol, bring a date and grab a plate of spicy Thai curry or seared red snapper- you won’t go home disappointed.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6^th, 2011.