70 Mango Tree scouting Sydney sites

Japanese restaurant groups are already in Sydney, now it's the turn of the Thais. Japanese giants Toridoll and Plenus have both dipped their toes in the local market.

Last week Trevor Mackenzie, who oversees the Bangkok group controlling 70 Mango Tree restaurants worldwide, was in town looking for a site.

Mackenzie, who has personally opened 48 restaurants around the globe and worked briefly in Sydney 10 years ago at Icebergs Dining Room, believes a new wave of Thais are looking at markets such as Australia. "A lot of kids are coming back from schools overseas and saying 'why don't we open something in another country'."

Mackenzie hopes to launch the first Mango Tree in Sydney next year, and plans a luxe multi-million dollar fitout.