Mambo-New London, CT

You could go to the most critically acclaimed restaurants and have an exquisite, flawless meal; however, there is no denying that the best food in the world is the food you grew up with. The greatest chefs don’t stand a chance against the skills of my Cuban mom and grandma!

I went to this tiny hole-in-the-wall in New London, CT called Mambo. Although they claim to be Caribbean, the term is somewhat broad. Cuban, Puerto Rican and Dominican cuisine are all very similar, but can differ greatly from other Caribbean Island cuisines, such as Jamaican or Haitian. I can sit here all day and describe the differences, big or small, amongst them. Instead, I am going to make you hungry…

The menu at Mambo closely resembled Puerto Rican Cuisine. The “mofongo” and “habichuelas” were a dead give away. The Cuban versions of these foods are called “fufu” and “frijoles” (see below for their descriptions). Now, I am not Puerto Rican, but the cuisine of this wonderful little island is basically the same as the food in Cuba. The ingredients and dishes are the same; we just call them different things. The food I ate at Mambo reminded me of the many home cooked meals my mom or grandma used to make. Anyway, I digress. Let me get back to making you hungry…

I ordered the chicken stew. My mom would call this “fricase de pollo”. It is chicken cooked in a tomato-based broth with onions, garlic, saffron, oregano, and cumin-the basic Cuban pantry. (Mom, help me out here. Let me know if I forgot any ingredients). The chicken just shredded apart and was packed with flavor! It was served with a side of fluffy white rice and bowl of red beans. The latter were slightly different from what I am used to eating, simply because I prefer black beans. They were also sweeter and had less cumin. Nonetheless, my meal was FANTASTIC-the epitome of Cuban comfort food!

Scott ordered the “pernil”, or shredded pork. The pork tasted exactly like the pork I grew up with. It was garlicky and citrusy and shredded apart like pulled pork, sans the barbecue sauce. He just had the white rice because I haven’t been able to fully convert him… he still won’t eat beans! ☺

If you find yourselves in Southeastern Connecticut stop by Mambo. Better yet, bring me along with you. I'll order in Spanish so that we can be treated like part of la familia.


Mofongo/Fufu: plantain mash, usually served with pork rinds and garlic
Habichuelas/Frijoles: Black or red bean soup