Leading Asian restaurant operator, Mango Tree Worldwide, has expanded its footprint in India with the launch of the country’s first Mango Chili Thai Café in Bengaluru, the thriving southern mega-city, in early 2019.
Perfectly positioned in the Prestige Shantiniketan Forum Mall on Whitefield Main Road, downtown Bengaluru’s main thoroughfare, the new restaurant will be a vibrant social dining space where groups of friends and families can come together and enjoy contemporary yet authentic Thai cuisine. The store will be operated by HMSHost International, leading provider of food & beverage locations at high traffic locations worldwide.
Mango Chili is the fun, exciting and authentic Thai restaurant concept from Mango Tree, allowing global diners to experience Thai cuisine just as the locals do. The new Mango Chili Thai Café in Bengaluru will transport its Indian clientele back to the bustling streets of Bangkok, with bright yet rustic interiors featuring exposed ceilings, polished concrete floors, Thai fabrics, modern artworks and installations – including a full-size Thai tuk-tuk. Seating options includes hanging rattan cocoon chairs.
“Indian consumers are developing a keen appetite and appreciation for authentic Thai cuisine. Thailand and India share several cultural similarities and many Thai flavours feel comfortingly familiar to Indian consumers – especially southern Indian ingredients such as coconut, chili and tamarind,” said Trevor MacKenzie, Mango Tree’s Global Managing Director.
“Our new Mango Chili Thai Café will allow the people of Bengaluru to enjoy high quality Thai cuisine in an exciting and casual setting, just as they would find in Thailand. The restaurant will benefit from significant footfall from shoppers at the Prestige Emporium Shopping Mall, as well as a wider audience of local consumers, families, groups of friends and IT and office workers on MG Road,” he added.
Walter Seib, CEO of HMSHost International: “We are delighted to open the first Mango Chili Thai Café in Bengaluru. HMSHost International is creating exciting new food destinations by working with inspiring global brands, and introducing new food concepts to the world. The already successful partnership with Mango Tree in other parts of the world enables us to let our guests in Bengaluru experience the authentic Thai restaurant concept.”
Thailand is growing in popularity among Indian travellers, due to its many attractions, close proximity and the rising number of direct flights between the two countries. According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), 1.4 million Indians visited Thailand in 2017, which marks an 18 percent jump compared to the previous year.
This means that huge numbers of Indians – including many millennial travellers and young families – are now enjoying real Thai food while on holiday and want to experience the same flavours when they return home. Mango Chili Thai Café in Bengaluru will allow these new Thai food enthusiasts to savour the true taste of Thai cuisine, exactly how it tasted in Thailand.
The menu will feature a range of Thai starters, including tom yum goong, Pad Thai spring rolls, sun-dried lamb with Sri Racha sauce, and crispy chicken wings. Diners can also enjoy a choice of classic Thai soup pots, including tom yum and tom kha; a selection of red, green and massaman curries; and stir-fried dishes such as pad grapow and chicken with cashew nuts.
The new Mango Chili Thai Café will also have a wide variety of vegetarian dishes to suit the Indian market. These include spicy okra salad, vegetarian spring rolls, tofu with tamarind sauce, and paneer cashew nuts. All dishes can be accompanied by a choice of rice and noodles. Finally, diners will be treated to a selection of delectable desserts including Thai street ice cream and mango sticky rice cones.
Mango Chili Thai Café in Bengaluru becomes the company’s second outlet in India, following the popular Mango Tree Mumbai. It also marks the official launch of the Mango Chili Thai Café concept in India.
Mango Tree Worldwide now operates approximately 66 restaurant outlets in 12 countries around the globe. These include key locations in major shopping malls and transport hubs, such as international airports and railway stations. By 2020 the group expects to operate a total of 100 outlets worldwide.