Wild Mango

Saturday was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, it was unseasonably warm and the thought of sitting in a dark movie theatre watching a matinee seemed almost sacrilegious. The solution was to lower the car windows and take a long drive to the westside. We have been aware of Wild Mango for a while. Jeff’s mother raves about it and of course, the other reviews have been very positive. That was our destination.

…and what a destination. Upon entering, you find yourself in a small utilitarian white room. The hostess quickly escorts you through the double door at the front of this foyer and a palace of marble and aesthetic good taste is set before you. The dining room is a visual treat that belies its shopping mall location. Rich plum furniture and accents play alongside bold red lighting fixture drums. The tables are heavy lacquered cherry wood. This was an inviting place to enjoy a meal.

…and what a meal. With such attention paid to the restaurant’s look, it could have been easy to skimp on the food, but the kitchen matched the room, toe to toe. Each meal was as beautiful as the surroundings. We both started with the daily soup, today creamy corn and chicken. The corn had been blended into the rich chicken broth, with a few kernels and bits of chicken remaining. A dot of punch was provided by white pepper (?) Michele had the “Simple Salad” a misnomer if every there was one. A complex arrangement of greens, radishes, tomatoes with vinaigrette over the top and an underlying dressing at the base. Beautifully presented on a linear plate, Michele could not wait for the main course. She was rewarded with a perfectly seared salmon with a ginger-soy glaze. The accompanying mango-cucumber salsa had a nice spunky flavor. The dish typically comes with sweet potato fries, but Michele substitutes the rice and lighter felt like a better balance. Jeff enjoyed the Chicken Cheese Cake. Imagine a crab cake made with chicken and accented by the addition of mozzarella, tomato and Asian pesto. The “cake” sat atop a puddle of soy and orange mango coulis. The side of French-fried sweet potato was a perfect match for this slightly heavier, but no-less enjoyable entrée. Desert was a 14 layer chocolate triangle, one of the most unusual presentations. Huge, by any standard, the rich chocolate and moist cake disappeared faster than we expected.

All of this remarkable food was had for a remarkably low price. Our lunch bill was almost embarrassingly small for the quality of food consumed. Despite the long travel distance we will definitely return, perhaps for dinner next time, but regardless, based on this first experience, we’re sure to be stunned.

List Status: Added

http://www.wildmangorestaurant.com/
362 Great Northern Mall North Olmstead, OH 44070 440-979-1888

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