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Wild and Untamed Menu at Wild Mango's

Innovative is the first word that comes to mind after dining at Wild Mango’s. Then a whole lot of acronyms and expressions rush to the brain all at once like – Wow! Mhmm! Yummy!  Delish! Mangolicious!

Executive Chef Amy Knox just recently celebrated Wild Mango’s fifth anniversary that has a proud history of accolades and awards which include the coveted Taste of Belize’s Chef of the Year which she won two years in a row and also best Cake Decorator. After claiming victory for two years in a row she was invited to become a judge in the Taste of Belize panel for her experience and expertise in the culinary industry. Clearly Amy has what it takes and we definitely agree that her gastronomic expertise is amazing.

Wild Mango’s is located at the south end of Barrier Reef Drive (Front Street) in a cozy beachfront open-air deck; it’s very colorful and inviting. It’s a true Caribbean ambience and an innovative cuisine solely unique to Amy Knox. She has dreamt of food that is uniquely fantastic definitely not ‘Mexican’, but Mexican influenced. The menu’s dishes reflect Amy’s distinctive Caribbean and Latin Influences as well as her classic culinary training.

A review from Frommer’s says it best: “The menu is fairly broad and almost endlessly creative.”

Endlessly creative is the perfect way to describe her menu. It’s the one place where you can find great ceviches that tickle the sensory buds. That’s seven to choose from – 7! We sampled the Tres Amigos which is a combination of three ceviches on the menu – Ceviche Tropical (grouper, papaya, pineapple, cucumber, pasilla chile, grapefruit juice and lime, served with plantain chips); Coconut Thai Ceviche (grouper & shrimp, coconut water, cucumber, soy and sriracha, served with tortilla chips); Ceviche Ecuadoreno (shrimp, cucumber, avocado and Mexican cocktail sauce served with plantain chips and popcorn!) Very distinctive taste and all of them are delicious. The Ceviche Tropical is the sweetest, my favorite.

Sorry no conch or lobster in the ceviche or any dish at Wild Mango’s. Chef Amy believes in sustainability. “Too many, if not all, restaurants on the island serve conch and lobster and I believe they are being over exploited. That is why I have more fish on my menu,” commented Amy. She supports local fishermen who deliver their catch of the day and provide her with plenty of Wahoo, Tuna, Snook and Dorado. Very Cool!

Another exquisite appetizer is the Empanadas de Platanos. Wow! Ripe plantain ‘dough’ stuffed with black beans and cheese drizzled with jalapeño crema – totally unique, totally tasty, and totally good. The Pulled Pork Taquitos with Creole sauce and queso blanco and the Tequila Flamed Shrimp Stack (with blackbean-pineapple salad and mashed avocado) were superb!

The mouth-watering appetizers were just a sign of what was to come for the main course. They were just as good, or even, better! Standing out were the Budin Azteca and the Beef Tenderloin “Oaxaqueño”. The Budin is a superb Mexican version of lasagna with layers of tortillas, beans, sautéed veggies, mole negro, cheese and garlic white sauce. This was served with a side salad with chile-raisin vinaigrette. WOW; a vegetarian dish, but nothing short of flavorful and delicious.

The Grilled Beef Tenderloin is definitely one of the best that we have come across on the island. The spice-rubbed tenderloin is served on a mole negro sauce with a black-bean tamale and green beans. The combination of the mole with the beef was definitely a first for me and it was great.

We also had the Orange Mojo Grilled Grouper (with fresh orange mojo and coconut ‘risotto” and the Ancho-Honey Glazed Mahi (pan seared mahi-mahi, ancho-honey glaze, black bean sauce and jalapeño crema) two other extraordinary dishes.

Throughout the menu you will finds sauces, salsas, mole, broth, spices, mojo, risotto, glazes and vinaigrette, all that make the dishes extra delicious and the best part is that Chef Amy prides herself in making all of them from scratch. She adds to them her special touch and local ingredients that, again, make her food unique! Pretty impressive.

The Coconut Tart with chocolate drizzle topped the desserts for me. With its almond butter crust and fresh grated coconut, there was no turning back for me once I took the first spoonful. Equally amazing was the Banana Chimi-change. Served hot, chocolate stuffed banana, dulce de leche are wrapped in a crisp flour tortilla which is drizzled with chocolate fudge and served with ice cream and cashew. Just writing about it makes me desire some more. Mhmm! Others to try are the Rainforest Brownie Sundae and the Ultimate Flourless Chocolate Cake.

Wild Mango’s also delivers a great menu for lunch with fresh salads (unique dressings), burritos, sandwiches, wraps and tacos. But I guess we will leave that of another review!

The best seats at Wild Mango’s are those on the outdoor, covered wooden deck, though there is cozy seating indoors or at the bar. Oh the BAR! Make sure you try the non-alcoholic ‘Caye Lime Freeze Smoothie’ (a caye lime pie on a straw!), the ‘Mango Mojito’ and the ‘Best Damn Island Margarita’, three excellent cocktails.

Ambergris Today extends best wishes to Wild Mango’s in celebration of its fifth anniversary and thanks Chef Amy Knox and her wonderful staff for delighting us with a such great service, an entertaining evening and amazing food. Wild Mango’s is a must when it comes to dining in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye.

Wild Mango’s
501-226-2859

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