MangoMoon, the tour of Asia-inspired small plates restaurant from Chabaa Thai chef/owner Moon Krapugthong, will soft-open on Fri., Dec. 19 at 4161 Main St. in Manayunk. The restaurant, located just three blocks from Chabaa (4371 Main St.), is an 80-seat bilevel, liquor-licensed affair, done up with an upstairs bar/lounge area, open kitchen, eye-popping fabrics and rich copper design elements.

Krapugthong ambitious menu is a little different from your average small-plater — there are “tiny” (tapas-size), “small” (app-ish size) and “medium” (entrée-size) choices, but you’ve also got “Warm Up” (complimentary mixed nuts or herbal drink to start your meal) and “Cool Down” and “Calm Down” (hot and cold desserts and dessert beverages). The “Big Dish” option gets a party of two a “Warm Up,” a pair of “small” dishes to split, one main and two “Cool/Calm Down” dishes. Krapugthong uses fresh ingredients and herbs and little to no processed ingredients for her food, and many of the plates are designed to “enhance your appetite and aid your digestive system.”

The beer and wine lists will be international, and they’ll do scotch and bourbon flights, but we are most excited about house-infused liquors — they promise choices like mangosteen-infused vodka as well as the “swadee,” mekhong (Thai rum), fresh-squeezed lemon, Thai basil and soda water.

Check out MangoMoon’s “Small Dish,” “Medium Dish” and “Tiny Dish” options after the jump.

Small Dish

Fruit Salad 5

Guava,mango, mixed roasted nuts, mixed seasonal fruit and ground sun-dried rock shrimp. Served with palm sugar and tamarind  sauce.

Shrimp and Water Chestnut Dumpling 5

Steamed egg dumplings filled with shrimp,ground pork, water chestnut, mushrooms, cilantro root,sesameoil, black pepper, and oyster sauce   

Taro, Tofu, and Lotus Root Combination 6

Crispy taro, tofu, and crunchy lotus root served with sweet chili dipping sauce and ground-roasted peanuts

Char-Grilled Pork 5

Grilled pork, marinated overnight, served with roasted chili and plum sugar for dipping

Grilled Pork Neck 7

Grilled, marinated pork neck filet served with fresh chili-lime sauce

Grilled Chicken Livers 6

Grilled chicken livers on bamboo skewers served with fresh chili-lime sauce

Shrimp Satay Skewers 6

Grilled shrimp seasoned with turmeric, cilantro root, and coconut milk. Served with cucumber salad and peanut sauce

Thai Beef Jerky with Sticky Rice 7

Beef marinated with peppercorns, fish sauce, and oyster sauce.  Served with steamed sticky rice and sweet chili sauce on the side

Oysters with Thai Dipping Sauce 9

Five raw, blue-point oysters served with fresh Thai chili-lime sauce, diced garlic, and Vietnamese mint leaves

Sea Cucumber and Soft Tofu Soup 6

Sliced sea cucumber, soft tofu cubes, eggs, Chinese water lily flowers, Enoki mushrooms, cilantro, and scallions in chicken broth

Shrimp and Coconut Soup 7

Freshwater shrimp, young coconut meat, fresh mushrooms, galangal, lemongrass, roasted Thai chilies, fish sauce, and lime juice

Northern Thai Style Sausage 6

Sai Auh: Minced pork meat with skin combined with galangal, kaffir lime leaves, shallots, scallions, shrimp paste, and red curry.

Tofu Salad 7

Spring salad mix topped with crispy tofu cubes, mixed nuts, and  peas. Topped with  ginger sauce sauce dressing

Baby Octopus Salad 7

Steamed baby octopus, celery, garlic, sweet tomatoes, cilantro, basil, and lemongrass tossed with fresh chili-lime dressing

Salmon Salad 9

Crispy salmon belly, shallots, ginger, fresh mango slices, roasted peanuts, mint, and cilantro topped with fresh chili-lime dressing

Roasted Shredded Coconut and Shrimp in Herbal Wrap 8

Meang Khum: Pan-roasted coconut, minced fresh ginger, lime slices, finely-chopped kaffir leaves, shallots, sun-dried rock shrimp, and roasted peanuts topped with palm sugar sauce in Vietnamese mint leaf wraps

Medium Dish

Steamed Rice in Lotus Leaf  9

Combination of Jasmine and sweet sticky rice, shrimp, Chinese sausage, Shitake mushrooms, green peas, eggs, carrots, and red onions. Wrapped and steamed in a lotus leaf

Grilled Game Bird with Massaman Sauce 15

Grilled game bird, topped with Massaman curry sauce served with pan-roasted pearl onions, potatoes, and jasmine rice

Beef and Shitake Mushrooms with Oyster Sauce 17

Tenderized beef sautéed with baby carrots, shitake mushrooms, and sesame seeds served over jasmine rice

MangoMoon Steak 25

Grilled filet mignon prepared with our signature rub of herbs and spices served with sautéed baby spinach and spicy, aged tofu sauce on the side

Cobia in Red Curry 22

Lightly-battered Cobia filet sautéed in red curry sauce, French string beans, and assorted-color bell peppers; seasoned with fish sauce and coconut milk; served with steamed jasmine rice

Steamed Sea bass with Mango Sauce 23

Steamed sea bass filet with Thai herbs wrapped in a banana leaf, topped with mango sauce; served with Thai jasmine rice

Tiny Dish  3

mixed nuts with herbs
cucumber salad
steamed edamame beans
lotus root and asparagus spears in vinegar
black beans in sweet soy sauce
pickled ginger
salty tiny fish
sweet  fish filets
shrimp rice crackers
jasmine rice
sweet sticky rice
brown rice
rice crackers
roti bread
steamed rice noodle
peanut sauce

This entry was posted on Friday, December 12th, 2008 at 11:12 am and is filed under Menu Time, Openings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.