Under the mango tree

Times are changing for 'lifestyle restaurant' and global brand Mango Tree. Matt Hodges visits the mothership in Bangkok as the company gets ready to open on the Chinese mainland.

Thai dishes used to be considered too spicy for some markets, so the global Thai brand Mango Tree has for two decades been toning down its flavors outside its home country.

"Now we are telling our chefs to add one or two chilies to their dishes in most places because world palates are changing," says CEO Phithaya Phanphensophon ahead of the franchise's mainland debut later this month in Shandong province's Qingdao.