Not-so-aam flavours

Mango wood smoked chicken

'Tis the mango season, and foodies are going all out to incorporate this king of fruits in cheesecakes, yoghurt and cocktails. If sweets are not your thing, don't worry, restaurants have a plethora of savoury mango dishes, too. Here are The Guide's five must-try picks from around the city.

Seared and smoked
This Khar eatery's latest offering is a whole chicken seared over a charcoal tawa and slow-cooked over mango wood in a smoker. It is served with a raw mango salad and chutney that balances out the flavours. "I wanted to introduce a dish with mango that isn't a dessert and decided what better way to do it than to use mango wood to cook it in, considering I use only charcoal and wood fire in the kitchen here," explains chef Amninder Sandhu.

AT Arth, 604, PD Hinduja Junction, 15th Road, Khar.
TIME 12 pm to 1.30 am
CALL 9594060038
COST Rs 850

Mango pakwan puri chaat

An aam chaat
Is chaat your go-to comfort food or favourite quick snack? This SoBo restaurant is serving you the classic sev puri with a mango twist. It is tangy thanks to the drizzle of Tabasco sauce, which complements a mix of raw and ripe mangoes, coupled with Indian spices in the chaat, quite well. "As people love sev puri, I wanted to make a seasonal chaat that is also light," explains chef Paras Menariya.

AT The Culture House, first floor, Soni Building, Girgaum.
TIME 11 am to 11.30 pm
CALL 23614466
Cost Rs 199

Pan seared kapri

Italian fish, desi twist
Served with garlic mash topped with fettuccine nero and stir-fried baby pakchoy, this version of fish is drizzled with a chilli mango cream to enhance the flavours. "I love fi­sh, so I wanted to add the ma­ngo flavour to pan-seared fi­sh. The chilli mango cream co­m­bined with the Italian dish, along with the subtle garlic mash, acts like an explosion of flavours in your mouth," says chef Nikhil Ganacharya.

AT Le Cafe, 1st Road, Chembur East.
TIME 9 am to 12 am
CALL 67099999
COST Rs650

Korean chicken with mango salsa

Korean spice
As Mumbai warms up to Korean flavours, th­is eatery has opt­ed to keep the trend al­ive and mixed it up with a touch of the fleshy fruit. The grilled and glazed chicken is made with skinless meat, ma­r­inated in Korean spi­c­es. "It's spicy, but the mango balances it out," says sous chef Hitesh Shanbaug.

AT The Good Wife, ground floor, The Capital, G Block, BKC.
TIME 12 pm to 1.30 am
CALL 40109433
COST Rs 675

Cajun mango chicken breast

That's beer-y spicy!
Fancy a portion of meat that is spicy and with a huge amount of your favourite fruit? Try the Cajun and mango chicken breast at this Powai eatery. Left in beer brine for a day, it is then marinated in their homemade Cajun rub with mango puree, and finally grilled and baked. It is served on a bed of creamy semolina, grilled asparagus chicken jus and a mango salsa. "I was inspired by a Jamaican spiced jerk chicken and wanted to serve an alternative to mashed potatoes. The creamy semolina cuts the Cajun spice and goes well with a mango-summer salsa," says chef Hansel Baptista, head chef at the eatery.

AT Crafters, level 1, Haiko Place, Central Ave, Hiranandani Gardens, Hiranandani Complex, Powai.
TIME 12 pm to 1.30 am
Call 9920405463
COST Rs 550

Also check out
. The kairi (raw mango) meringue tart (in pic) at The Bombay Canteen, which is inspired by a lemon tart. The shortcrust base is first lined with brûléed kairi slices sprinkled with chilli powder and topped with a kairi custard with the barest hint of black salt. It is served with torched meringue and kairi jujubes rolled in sugar.
. The green mango meringue pie at Smoke House Deli, made using raw mango that gives the sweet dish a zing.

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