Indian coastal cuisine includes both Konkani and Malabari cuisine. Thankfully it is highly under-rated and not as commercialized as North Indian Mughlai cuisine (read available at every nook and corner). Many people do not have a taste or liking for seafood and specifically for seafood cooked in coconut oil / cream which is the standard medium of cooking in this cuisine.
Having heard about Mango Tree in Singapore for many years, I had not got around to visiting the place. However, couple of weeks back the boredom with fish tikkas and Jumbo style pepper crabs got the better of me and I promptly decided to dine at The Mango Tree. Noting the address from the website, we set off for Marina Cove at East Coast Road only to find the said restaurant does not exist there! I called the restaurant to be promptly informed they had shifted a fair distance away 3 months back to a new premises in a Katong mall ! I was appalled and suddenly not very sure if I wanted to trek to the new destination. After all, if you cannot update your website with this basic information, how can I be sure of your culinary prowess? Deciding to give it a try nonetheless, we arrived at the swish new mall 112 Katong to find the restaurant thankfully does exist here.
Located on the 3rd floor of the mall the bright decor shows off the newness of the restaurant. We were greeted with a polite smile and on being told their website wasn't updated which resulted in inconvenience for us, a staff member duly noted the same. A whole range of brass crockery is displayed in the passageway leading to the indoor and outdoor seating areas. We decided on the quieter outdoor seating under fans overlooking one of Singapore's most expensive landed houses, as the staff keenly informed us.
For appetizers we started off with The Mango Tree Tandoori Platter and Meen Pollichathu. I highly recommend the Tandoori platter with its mix of chunky fish kebabs, chicken seekh kebabs and tandoori prawns and priced at SGD 24, the portion is just right for sharing amongst 3 diners. I tried the Meen Pollichathu for the first time outside Kerala where it is a staple and popular dish. In Kerala, Pearl Spot fish or Karimeen (as it is locally known and hence the dish's name) is baked in banana leaves. However, this being Singapore Karimeen is unavailable and thus, pomfret or similar fish is used. If you've never had Meen Pollichathu in Kerala, you will love this preparation. Even otherwise, it is a decent dish to order.
For the main course, we ordered Mouli Jhingadi, Crab Masala, Appam and for some North Indian flavour, a portion of Murg Makhani and Lachha Paratha. Prawns are called 'Jhinga' in regional Indian languages and the Mouli Jhingadi dish was described in the menu as tiger prawns cooked in coconut gravy. The traditional Malabari coconut gravy dish is called 'Prawn Gassi'. Expecting this to be the same preparation, the Mouli Jhingadi was a bit of a disappointment. The prawns were large but instead of the tomato gravy cooked in coconut oil as in the original version, here the gravy was thick coconut cream and that too not of the Indian coconut which has a distinct flavour and is easily available in Singapore. The cream used was the ubiquitous 'Kara' brand of coconut cream which is a staple in Thai cooking. I did not particularly relish the mish-mash taste of curry leaves in Thai coconut cream being passed off as Konkani cuisine and would desist from ordering the dish next time.
Another disappointment was the Crab Masala. The dish is an excellent part of the Malabari menu and is traditionally served without any shell or claws. It is extracted crab meat sauteed with tomatoes, onions and southern spices for which Kerala is famous. I specifically checked with the waiter to ensure that the crab meat is served without the shell. Unfortunately contrary to what we were told, I was aghast to see the whole crab arrive dunked in copious amounts of tomato gravy. I'd like to believe I am an expert crab eater so I did extract all the meat but still it was not something I was prepared for at a Malabari cuisine outlet. The appams accompanying our meal were superlative and hot off the girdle. They were of the right fluffiness and size and we ordered more as we went along with our dinner.
While Murg Makhani fits just as well into a Konkani menu as an American burger, I must say it was excellent. Definitely has to be the best Murg Makhani I've had in Singapore and the Lachha Paratha complemented it perfectly. The smoky taste of Australian First Drop Chardonnay worked beautifully with our order and at SGD 66, was priced very well too. In fact, the small wine list at Mango Tree is quite attractively priced overall. We rounded off our dinner with a portion of Mango Kulfi to share and it was quite good.
Despite my quibbles about some of the dishes, I would still highly recommend a visit to The Mango Tree. My quibbles have more to do with my expectations from some of these dishes since I have been an avid fan of Konkani cuisine for many years. The food menu is exhaustive and I reckon more inputs from the waiter should be taken before placing your order. Don't let the original Kerala recipes dictate your choices here and you'll be fine. The service is polite and unintrusive. Small touches like placing an antique looking wash basin styled in brass in the outdoor area earn Mango Tree plus points. The music volume could be turned down a little but that was a minor aspect. At SGD 200+ The Mango Tree is not cheap but portion sizes are generous and the ambience genuinely relaxing. And yes, I checked the website recently and whilst it has been updated, it seems to have been done by a child - the new address has simply been added to the old one! Check out the new 112 Katong mall and drop into The Mango Tree for a different taste of India.
Having heard about Mango Tree in Singapore for many years, I had not got around to visiting the place. However, couple of weeks back the boredom with fish tikkas and Jumbo style pepper crabs got the better of me and I promptly decided to dine at The Mango Tree. Noting the address from the website, we set off for Marina Cove at East Coast Road only to find the said restaurant does not exist there! I called the restaurant to be promptly informed they had shifted a fair distance away 3 months back to a new premises in a Katong mall ! I was appalled and suddenly not very sure if I wanted to trek to the new destination. After all, if you cannot update your website with this basic information, how can I be sure of your culinary prowess? Deciding to give it a try nonetheless, we arrived at the swish new mall 112 Katong to find the restaurant thankfully does exist here.
Located on the 3rd floor of the mall the bright decor shows off the newness of the restaurant. We were greeted with a polite smile and on being told their website wasn't updated which resulted in inconvenience for us, a staff member duly noted the same. A whole range of brass crockery is displayed in the passageway leading to the indoor and outdoor seating areas. We decided on the quieter outdoor seating under fans overlooking one of Singapore's most expensive landed houses, as the staff keenly informed us.
For appetizers we started off with The Mango Tree Tandoori Platter and Meen Pollichathu. I highly recommend the Tandoori platter with its mix of chunky fish kebabs, chicken seekh kebabs and tandoori prawns and priced at SGD 24, the portion is just right for sharing amongst 3 diners. I tried the Meen Pollichathu for the first time outside Kerala where it is a staple and popular dish. In Kerala, Pearl Spot fish or Karimeen (as it is locally known and hence the dish's name) is baked in banana leaves. However, this being Singapore Karimeen is unavailable and thus, pomfret or similar fish is used. If you've never had Meen Pollichathu in Kerala, you will love this preparation. Even otherwise, it is a decent dish to order.
For the main course, we ordered Mouli Jhingadi, Crab Masala, Appam and for some North Indian flavour, a portion of Murg Makhani and Lachha Paratha. Prawns are called 'Jhinga' in regional Indian languages and the Mouli Jhingadi dish was described in the menu as tiger prawns cooked in coconut gravy. The traditional Malabari coconut gravy dish is called 'Prawn Gassi'. Expecting this to be the same preparation, the Mouli Jhingadi was a bit of a disappointment. The prawns were large but instead of the tomato gravy cooked in coconut oil as in the original version, here the gravy was thick coconut cream and that too not of the Indian coconut which has a distinct flavour and is easily available in Singapore. The cream used was the ubiquitous 'Kara' brand of coconut cream which is a staple in Thai cooking. I did not particularly relish the mish-mash taste of curry leaves in Thai coconut cream being passed off as Konkani cuisine and would desist from ordering the dish next time.
Another disappointment was the Crab Masala. The dish is an excellent part of the Malabari menu and is traditionally served without any shell or claws. It is extracted crab meat sauteed with tomatoes, onions and southern spices for which Kerala is famous. I specifically checked with the waiter to ensure that the crab meat is served without the shell. Unfortunately contrary to what we were told, I was aghast to see the whole crab arrive dunked in copious amounts of tomato gravy. I'd like to believe I am an expert crab eater so I did extract all the meat but still it was not something I was prepared for at a Malabari cuisine outlet. The appams accompanying our meal were superlative and hot off the girdle. They were of the right fluffiness and size and we ordered more as we went along with our dinner.
While Murg Makhani fits just as well into a Konkani menu as an American burger, I must say it was excellent. Definitely has to be the best Murg Makhani I've had in Singapore and the Lachha Paratha complemented it perfectly. The smoky taste of Australian First Drop Chardonnay worked beautifully with our order and at SGD 66, was priced very well too. In fact, the small wine list at Mango Tree is quite attractively priced overall. We rounded off our dinner with a portion of Mango Kulfi to share and it was quite good.
Despite my quibbles about some of the dishes, I would still highly recommend a visit to The Mango Tree. My quibbles have more to do with my expectations from some of these dishes since I have been an avid fan of Konkani cuisine for many years. The food menu is exhaustive and I reckon more inputs from the waiter should be taken before placing your order. Don't let the original Kerala recipes dictate your choices here and you'll be fine. The service is polite and unintrusive. Small touches like placing an antique looking wash basin styled in brass in the outdoor area earn Mango Tree plus points. The music volume could be turned down a little but that was a minor aspect. At SGD 200+ The Mango Tree is not cheap but portion sizes are generous and the ambience genuinely relaxing. And yes, I checked the website recently and whilst it has been updated, it seems to have been done by a child - the new address has simply been added to the old one! Check out the new 112 Katong mall and drop into The Mango Tree for a different taste of India.
Interesting to note your liking for Konkani cuisine. Their crab masala is one of the world's best seafood renditions and its gravy is to live for. I wouldn't expect Konkani redolence in a Singalpore joint but its good to know that you came away satisfied, especially considering the tariffs.
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