Some of my friends still don’t understand why I spend hours eating a meal which they opine not to be filling or very satisfying either. So, I decided that ever so often I would treat my sceptics to food adventure and here we are!
When I initially made a reservation at Sticky mango, it was for sushi taster since my dear friend wanted to try sushi for the first time. Now I don’t know about anyone else, but a bad sushi experience can leave you scarred, scrap that, a bad food experience can really scar you. Even though, she was up for giving sushi a go, knowing what I knew, I made a last minute decision and opted for Thai food and it went down a treat!
We sampled the tasting menu and it was flipping good I tell you. We started with Thai green mango salad with ginger dressing and cashew nuts. It was fresh, nutty, and full of flavour that was not overbearing (err ginger?). The puff pastry – Malaysian chicken puffs which was kind of like samosa (but wayyy nicer) was served with yogurt dipping sauce and crispy curry leaves. As appetizers go, these really whet our appetite and we really could not wait for the next courses.
These did not disappoint. The black pepper prawns in dehaydrated pineapple, ijacama and peas shoots; I mean hello! Pineapple? sweet and savoury! The fried monkfish? Also an explosion of texture and flavour – Malaysian chilli sauce, sautéed bok choi and apple blossom. The tender broccoli cooked in oyster sauce with water chesnuts and shitake mushroom, phewww! Your taste buds dance in joy with every bite and morsel.
Usually with tasting menu’s, the heavier courses (rice or similar) tend to be towards the end of the meal just before pudding. Sticky mango had truffle egg fried rice made with leeks and truffle paste, I was expecting the traditional fried rice with bits of truffle in it, as you would expect egg fried rice. The rice and truffle came and at the top was the fried egg which was then mixed at your table. Nice touch if I do say so myself and it DELISH!
Pudding was called Sticky mango. The team saved their ace for the the last course! It was black sticky rice, mango sorbet, candy flakes and coconut cream. I wasn’t quite sure how all the textures would work but lisssttteeeennn.., first off, it was a layered dessert – the black sticky rice formed the base, then mango sorbet and then candy flakes (a kind fluffy cloud) at the top which ‘melted’ when the coconut cream was poured over it. I was not expecting the coconut cream to be poured over the dish, melting the flakes and sorbet turning it into rice pudding that tasted wonderful on your palate, a creamy, citrusy dessert.
In the words of my dear friend “this was a truly fantastic meal” ha! My job is done.
Cheers
Ndidi
