In our continued adventure to try new things and have fun, Saturday night we visited Mango, a Peruvian restaurant on Watson Road, in St. Louis county. We were invited there by another couple, Rick and Cindy. Rick is a coworker and new friend.

We started off with appetizers, including an empanada, tamal aka tamale, and a papa rellena. I’d had empanada’s and tamales, and Rick had talked up the papa rellena, so we were excited to try it. This unique dish is composed of ground and seasoned meat, wrapped in mashed potatoes and lighty fried. It was brought to us freshly cooked and still steaming. The taste was very hearty and not overdone. A couple of these would make a meal.

My wife ordered another Rick and Cindy recommendation, the lomo saltado. This dish consists of stir fried sirloin tips, with onions and tomatoes. Add to that a Peruvian version of steak fries, and a side of rice, and it was quite the tasty dish. Spicy but not too hot. Sharon let me sneak a bite or two.

I opted to go with chicken and ordered the cau-cau stew. This was also a very hearty dish, reminiscent of some traditional American dishes. Shredded chicken was the base with a unique spice blend. It included chopped walnuts and slices of potato mixed in, giving the dish a nice variety of textures. Again, a side of boiled rice was there, garnished with corn and tomatoes bits. Overall very tasty.

The restuarant atmosphere seemed roomy enough for the tables, but was just a bit closer than I prefer. Decorations and the painting lent a South American feel to the place, or maybe Latin. (I’m no expert.) Live music was provided by a three man band, gave the place an even more authentic feel.

Overall quite tasty and very filling! Dinner was great, and we were hosted by a great couple, very familiar with the cuisine, Rick and his wife Cindy. As an aside, Rick is a native Peruvian, and is apparently a regular here. The hostess recognized him before he even came inside. Ha.

If you’re daring, come join me for our next exotic dinner…will it be Spanish? Cuban? Roadkill?

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