 Mango II Thai Cuisine
2171 Main St. (Rt. 38)
Tewksbury, MA 01876
(978)988-9779
(978)988-9399 (fax)
http://www.mangoii.com
FAS Rating 93! Food 92, Atmosphere, 94, Service 92
Smiles everyone! Smiles!
If there is one thing that all Thai restaurants seem to share it’s
those ever-present smiles on the faces of everyone that works there.
Stepping into Mango II in Tewksbury, MA is no different-just like
stepping into the old Fantasy Island TV show with Ricardo Montalban.
The first thing you notice upon entering Mango II is the striking
décor which is an eclectic mix of traditional Thai tapestries,
contemporary art lighting and modern seating. It is also exceptionally
clean. A trait that would be nice to see in some of the smaller Thai
restaurants we’ve been to.
We are greeted by “Tah-Nah”, the perennial face of Mango
II and of course his ear to ear grin. He seems to know many customers
by name and welcomes everyone as he passes by. It’s as if he’s
welcoming us into his home, and it feels good to be there.
We begin the meal with 3 appetizers. The menu contains the usual
suspects including Golden Bags, Tod Mun and Shumai, but we decide
on Chicken Satay, Thai Rolls, and Angel Wings. We missed seeing the
famous Thai fresh rolls on the menu but were told that they were
available upon request.
The Satay is tender strips of marinated chicken expertly barbecued
on skewers and served with both peanut sauce and sweet cucumber sauce.
There is no better word than succulent to describe these tender morsels.
They were great with the cucumber sauce and even better with the
peanut sauce- all agreed, one of the best we’ve ever had.
The Thai rolls are a tasty appetizer in most Thai restaurants and
Mango II didn’t let us down. A safe bet for newcomers to the
cuisine, they consist of a ground chicken and vegetables wrapped
by a crispy wonton like skin and served with a light sweet and sour
sauce.
The Angel Wings were certainly the most exciting appetizer we ordered
that day. They are chicken wings with the bones removed then stuffed with minced
shrimp, chicken and vegetables and deep fried. Served with a sweet
chili sauce they are both hearty and inventive.
On to the main courses which consisted of Chicken Basil, Red Curry Duck, and a perennial favorite and most famous Thai dish, Pad Thai.
The Chicken Basil was sautéed chicken with fresh minced hot peppers, basil leaves, mushrooms, green peppers and onions. This one was just as spicy as I like it but can be ordered with no spice at all. The "two flame" version I had was a burst of flavor in every bite and worked well with the nuttiness of the brown rice I ordered with it.
The Red Curry Duck consisted of Thai red curry sauce in coconut milk, with bamboo shoots, mushrooms, string beans, green and red peppers, Thai melon and Thai basil leaves. Another "two flame" offering but not quite as spicy as the basil. Rich and exotic, this dish worked well with the savory duck.
The Pad Thai, one of the most famous Thai dishes, did not disappoint. The Thais have learned to perfectly blend the elements of sweet and salty into this noodle dish. Stir-fried with shrimp, chicken, egg, ground peanuts, bean sprouts, sweet turnips and scallions, this hearty dish was so good we almost got a second order to share!
The dessert menu was limited but the food was so good we really didn't have much room left. We decided to share the Thai Custard with sticky rice which was had a slighty firmer consistency than a typical custard but was sweet and delicious. The sticky rice made a nice accompaniment and countered some of the sweetness. For those who have never had Thai sticky rice, (it's not just overcooked white rice), it's a speciall type of high-gluten rice that is soaked and then steamed to produce a rice that is used almost like bread in some Thai meals.
Mango II is a good choice for both lunch and dinner as their menu accomdates portion and pricing for both. Families are welcomed and there is a kid's menu.
They do have a full bar if you're going to make an evening of it but I'd also recommend you try the Thai tea. It is a rich and fragrant tea, delicious hot and even better iced.
Our overall experience at Mango II ensured we wouldn't need Ricardo reminding us to "Smile everyone"...we were alreay smiling!
Stan Dancewicz
copyright 2008 Mass Restaurant Review |
