Ever since it opened downtown, Mango Peruvian Cuisine has always been my favorite hideaway for a late-night happy hour drink ($5 martinis and $3 premium drafts after 9 p.m.). The restaurant is just far enough from Washington Avenue so that it’s void of frat-boys and ideal for enjoying a refreshingly potent Pisco Sour. When drinking, I always end up chowing down on the freshly blended chimichurri sauce and sweet, crispy plantain chips that are delivered to the table, prompting me to wonder about the menu, aside from the drinks.
Now that I’ve finally tried Mango’s food, I feel as though I’ve been missing out, and if you haven’t dined at this restaurant yet, you’re missing out, too. Mango’s upscale, modern twist on Peruvian food can satisfy almost any palate, particularly if your palate is craving something meatless.
The Saltado de Champignones, a mix of mushrooms (soft button, delicate shiitake and meaty portobello), is sauteed in olive oil and white wine until it’s tender enough to melt in your mouth. Sweet and green onions, tomatoes and aji amarillo (Peruvian yellow chili pepper) are thrown in with the mix and tossed with a heavy dousing of garlic and Peruvian spices. The juicy flavors from the dish are absorbed into the rice, creating an extremely flavorful Peruvian stir-fry.
My little hideaway might not be a secret anymore, but that’s OK … it’d be a crime to keep food this good a secret.
This article appears in November 2012.