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(May 25, 2007)
| I like Pflugerville. And
I do not mean to disparage this growing little burg between Austin
and Round Rock. But when Café Mangu, a Caribbean restaurant
opened several years ago on FM 1825 behind the cinema complex, I
questioned the choice of location by the owners. Surely the complicated
fare prepared at this kind of restaurant would have been better
received near downtown Austin, right? Turns out I was wrong. |
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Pflugerville not only completely
embraced Café Mangu, but diners from Round Rock and Austin started
arriving as well.
And why not? Café Mangu, which blends Cuban,
Puerto Rican, and Dominican fare simply rocks. The appetizers run the
gamut of Caribbean influences and they are delightful. The driving force
behind almost all of them is the irresistible combination of two island
solvents, butter, and the amazing mojo, a sauce made with either citrus
or vinegar and garlic. The Yuca Frita con Mojo, crispy yucca root fritters
served with the aforementioned mojo as a dipping sauce, is off the charts
tasty. Low in carbs as well. And the Tostones y Langaniza is another
mouth-watering delight. The crispy plantain chips and the homemade sausage
go perfectly with the lemon-garlic sauce. The flavors are riveting.
The Queso Frito is also worthy of your attention. These are lightly
battered fried wedges of cheese that are served with a zesty salsa criolla.
I recommend a double order of this dish as the wedges tend to rapidly
disappear. And leave room for the Camarones al Ajillo. These very fresh
shrimp are sautéed in extra virgin olive oil and fresh garlic.
If that combination seems exciting, the taste actually exceeds expectations.
Sensational!
The entrees reflect a multitude of Caribbean influences.
Take for example the Lechon Asado. This is standard fare for Sunday
dinner in Cuba. This pork shoulder is marinated and slow roasted until
it falls apart at the touch of a fork. The flavors are exquisite. It's
extremely hard to not order this dish on every visit. The Asado de Res
is a flank streak marinated in Dijon mustard, soy sauce, and fresh herbs.
It reminds me of the flat iron steak at Moonshine, except with an Island
twist. I couldn't resist dipping mine in a little extra mojo. The Pollo
Asado is another classic from Café Mangu. The ½ chicken
is marinated in citrus juices, garlic, and spices. It's roasted until
the skin crackles, and your taste buds will do likewise upon sampling
this dish.
And if you haven't tried the Paella Valencia, by all means do so. The
Paella takes its name from the heavy black frying pan in which it is
prepared. The saffron rice is mixed with mussels, shrimp, lobster, pork
and chicken and takes on a flavor that is uniquely its own. Served for
two.
Café Mangu may be a bit off the beaten path.
But that hasn't stopped hordes of foodies in search of unique flavors
from beating their own path to its door on FM 1825 in Pflugerville.
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