Global Street Foods Unite at Mambo International Kitchen.

When you combine some of the best street food dishes from around the globe and a shabby chic farmhouse atmosphere, you get Mambo International Restaurant in Northridge, California. The menu is a collection of Filipino, Mediterranean, Korean and Indian favorites: Deep fried Lumpia, Tapsilog, Chicken Tikka Masala, and Falafel, just to name a few.

If you aren’t familiar with the neighborhood, the restaurant can be a little hard to find. It is located on the corner of a busy intersection in an elaborate building that looks to have been transplanted from a Swedish village and stands out among the surrounding fast food joints and strip malls. But once you’ve found it, you’ll be sure not to forget it.

Upon entering Mambo, you are greeted with a warm and welcoming ambiance. The décor is colorful, without being too overbearing and has just the right amount of ‘Instagrammable’ vibes, without being obnoxious. Being first-timers, the ordering process was a bit confusing. With such a robust menu, that offers premade dishes as well as ‘build your own’ bowls, it can be tough to decide where to start. But, with a little help, we were soon able to figure it out.

Mambo’s specialty is Filipino cuisine, so we kicked off our international feast with a couple traditional Filipino favorites: Tapsilog, a popular breakfast dish which consists of thinly sliced pieces of cured, seasoned beef, garlic rice topped with a sunny side up egg; and Pork Adobo, which included braised pork with a salted egg salsa and finished off with fried garlic pieces. For the next round, we opted for an array of globally inspired tacos: beef bulgogi topped with Asian pickles (Korea); chicken tikka masala with cilantro (India); and a Vietnamese inspired taco with sweet pork, hoisin, chicharron and Asian pickles. We concluded our lunch with a couple of Mediterranean staple dishes: Falafel and what is on the menu as ‘Vito’s Pita Wrap’ which is a spiced beef kabob wrapped in a warm soft pita topped with tomato, onion, lettuce and white sauce.

Now, someone who visits Mambo for the first time may be overwhelmed, and somewhat confused, by the diverse menu selections – as I was too at first. As a lover of all of the cuisines featured on the menu, I was slightly wary about how well each dish would compare to their ‘authentic’ counterpart. After each introduction to Mambo’s interpretation of some of my favorite dishes, I was pleasantly surprised. The flavor profiles were consistent and the quality of ingredients and presentation was on point. 

See, what makes Mambo unique is that the chef prepares the food that he genuinely loves, and that is obvious with every bite.

Mambo International Kitchen is located at 8300 Tampa Ave, Northridge, CA 91324. They are open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and until 3 p.m. on Sunday. For more information on the restaurant visit www.mamboresto.com or follow them on Instagram at @mamboresto.

Article originally posted HERE

Pork Takes Center Stage at E!GHT Korean BBQ.

Did you know that pork is the most consumed meat worldwide? 

When you think of all the various ways in which it can be consumed – from bacon to charcuterie –  it is easy to understand why.

At E!GHT Korean BBQ in Los Angeles, pork is taken so seriously that the name of the restaurant is derived from their specialty: eight different colorful flavors of pork belly, blending a combination of aromatic ingredients aimed at enticing the customer’s appreciation for swine.

We visited E!GHT on a sunny Sunday afternoon. The plaza where it is located was packed for the lunch rush, but we were able to find a spot close to the entrance. Before we even stepped through the restaurant doors, we were allured by the aroma of grilled meat and kimchi wafting into the parking lot. We grabbed a table near the back of the restaurant and eagerly awaited our meal. Sleek and modern, the place has an energetic and comfortable ambiance.

Almost immediately we were brought the banchan, a collection of savory and flavorful side dishes served in Korean cuisine and a bowl of kimchi noodle stew that was set upon an open flame to cook at our table. We knew going in that this was going to be a fulfilling meal, so my husband and I opted to skip out on breakfast and arrived very hungry. Needless to say, the banchan didn’t last very long.

To experience a diverse selection of their pork and beef, we ordered combo C, which included Prime Beef Brisket, Thinly Sliced Pork Belly, Pork Jowl, Flower Pork Belly, and Marinated Galbi Bulgogi. Our server placed the first two items on the grill and we were instructed to wait until he let us know when the food was ready. Unfortunately, the thinly sliced meat was left longer on the grill than needed causing it to overcook and diminish the flavors. But, nonetheless, we were anxious to try the next round. As expected, the pork jowl and flower pork belly did not disappoint – delicious and rich, the pork was grilled to perfection. We ended our meal with the garlic and soy marinated bulgogi and mushrooms and kimchi stew, riding out on a wave of robust flavors.

E!GHT is the place to be if you are looking for a fun, delicious and immersive food experience to share with friends; but be prepared and come hungry, because you can very quickly consume your weight in meat! 

E!GHT Korean BBQ is located in Los Angeles and Buena Park, California. They are open Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 am to 11:00 pm, and until 1:00 am Friday through Saturday. For more information or to book a reservation visit www.eightkoreanbbq.com.

Article originally posted HERE