I came here for my birthday dinner with a group of friends, after wanting to try the new Thai restaurant in town for a few months. We made a booking on a Wednesday night, which you probably don't need to do if you're in a small group. The upper floor was busy, but not full, and it was empty when we left at 9:30. The restaurant has a very classy, elegant feel to it compared to the other Thai place in town, Old Siam, which has a more casual and family-run feel to it. At Mantra, service is very professional, and attention is paid to plating and style.
I started with a Cosmopolitan, and our group shared some starters. Between eight of us, the Mantra Sharing Platter for four and an order of fried squid made for the right amount of food. The sharing platter includes chicken satay skewers, king prawn tempura, veggie spring rolls, prawn and chicken toast, and ribs. You can order per person, which is very clever. Get it for less people than you think you need, as it's quite a lot of food. My favorite was the totally addictive prawn and chicken toast, which I'd never had before, it was savory and delicious and craveable. But all of it was very good, and presented beautifully! We all enjoyed the sticky ribs, and crispy tempura.
My partner and I shared the Jungle Chicken Curry and Seafood in Aromatic Spices. Both were lovely, the Jungle Curry being rather spicy indeed, especially the sauce/broth. Bright colors, fresh vegetables and well-cooked meat, and a beautiful presentation made it a great meal. Several people got dessert - mine was free and a surprise as the birthday girl. It was some sort of delicious chocolate mousse.
It's a little pricier than Old Siam, and the food quality is very similar. The presentation is slightly more elegant, and the service more professional, however. This is more the Thai restaurant for a special date, whereas Old Siam is the one you'd go to on any old Tuesday. But you can't go wrong with either, and everyone really enjoyed their meal at Mantra. read more