Fab Review: Brunch at Mango Pickle

Mango Pickle, in Edgewater, is a new restaurant serving contemporary Indian cuisine. It opened six months ago by husband and wife team, Nakur Patel and Marisa Paolillo. Paolillo is the chef at the restaurant. She lived in Bombay for nine years and worked at an American restaurant while she was there. When they moved back to Chicago, they wanted to incorporate their experiences from India into their restaurant concept here.

Mango Pickle is open for dinner and recently launched their brunch menu. Brunch is definitely my favorite meal of the week so I decided now was the perfect time to check it out.

{Ambiance}
The restaurant is a bright, cozy space. The walls are painted white with brightly colored décor and furniture. Most of the tables are lined up against the walls of the restaurant, complete with patterned accent pillows along the booths. There are a few high-top tables towards the back. Keeping with the atmosphere of the restaurant, there is also colorful artwork on display throughout the space. Vibrant red, green, and blue lights hang from the ceiling.

There is a chalkboard on the wall near the entrance with the rotating beer selection, along with more artwork.

The wall behind the bar adds a pop of color, in contrast to the white walls. The bar is tiled with a floral pattern along with bright orange bar stools, which match the chairs at the high-top tables.

{Food}
If you are in the mood to try adventurous food and stray away from typical brunch staples, then this is the spot for you. Locally-sourced ingredients are used in the dishes, so the menu frequently changes.

Puri Pop-Ups
Puri, a deep-fried bread filled with meat, fish, or veggies, is a common street food in India. These were filled with coconut crusted scallops. The puri was light and airy. The sauce on the scallops was sweet and tangy.

Carrot Halwa French Toast
This was not your typical French toast. The Carrot Halwa French Toast was sweet with various unique flavors. It was topped with raisin and walnut syrup, but surprisingly it wasn’t too sweet. The yogurt also added a bit of tartness to the dish. The carrot purée adds a different, but delightful flavor. This was an overall one-of-a-kind dish that should not be missed.

Goan Coconut Curry Shrimp
The Goan Coconut Curry Shrimp was served over red matta rice with fish and jalapeños. The curry sauce was very flavorful and spicy. However, it was not too spicy, it was just right. The curry had tamarind, garlic, coconut, and ginger.

Chicken Wings “65”
I saw many posts on Instagram saying how delicious Mango Pickle’s Fried Chicken “65” was, so when I saw it was on the menu for brunch, I knew I had to try it. I cannot get over how amazing their fried chicken was. It was chili fried chicken with mango barbecue sauce. This was definitely my favorite dish. The chicken practically fell off the bone and it was perfectly crispy and crunchy. As with the curry shrimp dish, the chicken wings had a nice kick to them.

Masala Lamb “Frankie”
The Masala Lamb “Frankie” was served on roti, which is an Indian flatbread. It was a savory mix of lamb, cilantro, and celery with a hint of sweetness added by a date chutney sauce. The lamb was tender and delicious. This was one of the more filling dishes.

Chili Cheese Toast
The Chili Cheese Toast was a filling side. It was a thick-cut slice of country toast topped with a generous amount of cheese, cilantro, and pickled mango. Mango pickle juice was also put on the toast. You wouldn’t think that pickled mango would pair well with cheesy toast, but it does! The pickled mango gave the toast a slightly sweet taste without it being too strong of a flavor.

Messed-up Chai
The Messed-up Chai was served hot alongside bourbon and saffron-cardamom syrup. The chai tea itself was tasty and the saffron-cardamom syrup was super sweet so you only need to add a little bit to the drink. I’m not a super huge fan of hot alcoholic beverages, but this was the exception. The bourbon and saffron-cardamom syrup paired well with the hot chai.

FAB TIP: Brunch is served on Sundays only from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

{Experience}
Each dish was brought out by the chef and she was more than happy to explain the ingredients and what inspired her to create each dish. As you try each dish, you will notice the chef’s attention to detail in pairing unique ingredients and flavors. If you’re looking to try something new for brunch, I highly recommend Mango Pickle.

{Location}
Mango Pickle
Edgewater || 5842 N Broadway, Chicago, IL || P: (773) 944-5555

{Price Range}
$ (Under $10 for brunch)

{Fab Rating: 4.5 Fabs}

Have you been to Mango Pickle yet? What are your thoughts? Share below.

Eat, Eat, Repeat,
Lisette

Note: This meal was not complimentary. The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the writer.