Call it mini mofongo if you must.
I want to like mofongo I really do, but all too often the mashup of plantains and fried pork is drier than a Brit’s sense of humor. Sometimes I do like it, but it’s always a real gut buster. All of which leaves me quite glad to have tried Ecuadorean miniature mofongo the other day. Of course in Quito and on Roosevelt Avenue they don’t call it “miniature mofongo” but rather “bolon mixto.” (more…)
Behold, the chicharron fongo at Albert’s Mofongo House.
Mofongo and I have a love-hate relationship. When the Puerto Rican specialty of mashed fried plantains seasoned with garlic and often shot through with chicharron is bad it’s really, really bad. A dense stomach spackle that leaves me questioning why I ordered it in the first place.
When mofongo is good, it’s still dense, but quite delicious. Such is the case with the chicharron fongo ($12.95) at Albert’s Mofongo House in Inwood. It is garlicky beyond belief and shot through with bits of chicharron. Not enough chicharron in the mofongo? Don’t worry Albert’s got you covered. There’s a pile of cracklingly delicious chunks of pork on the plate. The sidecar of broth is a nice touch too.
As befits a place with such a name there are 31 varieties of mofongo, including chivo fongo ($13.95) and Viagra fongo ($32.95). I’m not so sure I’m ready to spring for the Viagra variety, but the goat one sounds good.
Albert’s Mofongo house 4762 Broadway, Inwood, 212-567-3052
