COCA Restaurant Celebrates 58 Years of Pioneering Cuisine, Family Tradition and Best Quality

BANGKOK - Sept. 2, 2015 - PRLog -- COCA Restaurant is celebrating its 58th Anniversary as one of Thailand's most innovative and long-established culinary brands by ramping up its message of healthy dining for a better life.

Part of the COCA Group of Restaurants, which also includes the Mango Tree stable of brands, COCA Restaurant is focusing on its Asia-wide campaign to spread the word about its 'Simple, Healthy, Lively' philosophy of food and warm family atmosphere, as well as continued measures to enhance and improve the concept.

COCA Group of Restaurants CEO and Mango Tree founder Pitaya Phanphensophon said, "COCA Restaurants has been a brand with great longevity and holds a special place in the hearts of Thai people - COCA is a place where treasured memories were formed and quality time enjoyed over several generations." The ongoing craze for hotpot, or 'Suki' in Thailand was sparked when Mr. Srichai Phanphensophon - father of Mr. Pitaya Phanphensophon - opened the first COCA in Bangkok in 1957; a humble 20-seat establishment Within a year, it moved to its still-standing locationsat the heart of Bangkok with 500-seat and 800-seat restaurants, whichwere packed to its full capacity from opening day onwards.

"COCA had to move with the times while staying true to its heritage and respecting a client base that ranges across generations. COCA is not just a family brand, but families are a key part of our client base and it's not unusual to see three generations of a family enjoying a healthy meal together at one of our restaurants," he added.

With over 30 restaurants throughout Asia, including recently opened establishments in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Singapore, COCA is well placed to expand further as healthy eating trends and an appreciation of quality ingredients became more important to diners.

For Mr. Phanphensophon, however, it's not about how many locations he has but that every single restaurant bearing the COCA brand must deliver on its promise to its customers. "Being born into the restaurant business, it's in my blood. I hope our brands and restaurants are still around 500 years from now."

Mango Tree managing director and the driving force behind the successful franchising of the group's brands worldwide, Trevor MacKenzie, said COCA would ride the new wave of desire for healthier food and better choices to position COCA as the place for healthy dining for better life.

"I believe it's a brand yet to have its finest hour, with a culinary product very much of its time and a message that hits home as Asia's growing population becomes more aware of the importance of healthy eating."

Mr. MacKenzie said every step from material selection and manufacturing, to laboratory testing and delivery, is thoroughly monitored so that products and services meet the best international standards. Among COCA's innovations and quality assurance measures are a commitment to no added MSG, hormone-free meat only, and use of rice bran oil for cooking.

Today's Coca Restaurant menu is greatly expanded from the original concept, covering an impressive variety of high quality, nutritional Thai and Chinese a-la-carte dishes, live seafood, authentic freshly-made dim sum made by Hong Kong-trained chefs, and the ever-popular hotpot.

"We keep it fresh and contemporary by continually introducing new dishes, seeking new flavours and by taking a bold approach with more modern dishes to offer to our guests," he added.

COCA Restaurants signature dishes include COCA Chicken Curry with onion(chicken red curry and sweet potato), Stir-Fried Prawns with Garlic Hong Kong Typhoon Shelter-style (tiger prawns with garlic and chili), COCA Stuffed Prawn, Stir-Fried Crab or Maine Lobster with Yellow Curry, and Neptune in the Basket, a seafood feast including scallops, tiger prawns, fish, cashew nuts and taro basket.