I have a real loathing of places which refer to themselves as London’s “best-kept secret”, but Sticky Mango actually deserves the accolade. It’s not wedged into the Southbank’s busy arteries, which overflow with humdrum chain restaurants. Instead, this Waterloo outpost is quietly but conveniently located on Coin Street, near the Old Vic, the National Theatre and the BFI IMAX, and what’s more, it delivers with a menu that has real South East Asian soul.
The chef behind Sticky Mango
Inspired by travels across Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, chef and owner Peter Lloyd has created a menu which brims with depth, spice, flavour and intensity. With previous stints at the House of Commons, the Sanderson Hotel and Spice Market at the W Hotel, Lloyd has worked with the great and godly Pierre Koffmann, Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White.
An evening at Sticky Mango
I arrived on a Tuesday evening, having walked over from Body Worlds in Piccadilly with little appetite. Going to a restaurant after seeing the whole digestive system in full-blown, gory detail is probably not such a good idea. Sticky Mango is a happy place, buzzing away with the convivial clink of glass and the waxing and waning of business and arty chatter. My foodie friend and I are both pescatarians, so it was going to be a fish-focused evening.
I’m also gluten and dairy-free (your eyeballs are rolling, I can see it now), so I was thankful to have a dietary menu from which to choose. I expected to see glutinous soy sauce sprayed on every dish in this South East Asian outpost, but I’m happy to report that there are plenty of delicious choices for those with intolerances. My appetite came back, and then some. I was happily informed that Lloyd’s signature dessert is safe as houses for me to eat, so I could relax knowing my sweet tooth would be looked after.
Starters: soup, prawns and oysters
I started with a soup which was soothingly sweet and tangy and bobbing with big, juicy prawns and sweetcorn. I need this in my life when I have my next cold.
My friend Tina tucked into a moreish plate of black pepper prawns with dehydrated pineapple cubes, Mexican jicama and pea shoots.
I can’t stomach oysters, but Tina was very happy to see these slippery suckers on the menu, and she informed me she could easily eat another whole plate. The flavours are complex: coconut, a dash of chilli encased in gelatinous tapioca pearls and cool kaffir lime granita. Tina was in oyster heaven.
Mains: seabass, monkfish and truffle rice
The chef recommended I try one of his signature dishes, the seabass, which is served grilled in a banana leaf. It’s a delicate dish, both fiery and fresh with pickled vegetables and zesty lime. The carrots have just the right crunch.
Tina and I were eating for England by this stage, so our eager chopsticks munched their happy way through a spicy wok-fried monkfish with apple blossom and bok choi, as well as half a Singaporean lobster. It’s rich, tomatoey, saucy and messy, the kind of dish we could happily slurp on a daily basis. We’re big fans of the bok, so we ordered a sesame-smothered one as a side dish too.
Now, I need to pause for a while and sing the praises of the truffle egg fried rice. It is a leeky, fragrant thing of simplicity and beauty. It comes with a whole fried egg on top, but our waiter soon expertly dices his through the yolk, mixing the whole heavenly concoction together in Bruce Lee fashion. Next time, I’m so not sharing.
Desserts worth saving room for
Another of the chef’s signature dishes: we opted for the peanut nougat satay with a peanut butter mousse and chocolate ganache. The star of the plate is the charcoal lime ice cream. Tina, who is not a dessert fan, sighed her way through the dish and told me she could eat this every day for the rest of her life.
And now to Sticky Mango’s eponymous dish. ’Tis the stuff of childhood memories: comforting, fragrant, rich and soothing. There’s a little magic here too: it arrives at the table looking like a steamed bun, but the chef expertly pours some warm coconut cream to reveal black sticky rice and mango sorbet. It’s what puddings should always be.
Visiting Sticky Mango
Sticky Mango’s original restaurant is on Coin Street in Waterloo, a short walk from the Old Vic and the National Theatre, which makes it a good bet for dinner before or after a show. Menus, prices and opening times change, and the group has opened more branches since this review, so check the Sticky Mango website for the current locations and to book a table.
First written in 2019. The dishes above are from the evening we visited, so please check the website for the current menu.