In his executive chef debut in the New York City culinary world, London Chase is bringing Caribbean fine dining to a new level with the opening of Mango Bay.
Chase, who previously worked at Manhatta and Essential by Cristophe, both in Manhattan, elevates Afro-Caribbean dishes, like oxtail and jerk chicken, up a few notches with his eye for detail, precision and freshness. For Mango Bay, Chase has created a perfect intersection between the ideal American menu with the historic flavorings of Caribbean culture.
Situated in a two-story brownstone in Fort Greene, Mango Bay was named after Chase's childhood nickname and the fact that there were many mango trees in French Guiana, where he is originally from.
And the Mango “Madam” is idolized through a large painting on the restaurant's second floor, created by artist OlaDapo. Alongside other paintings made by local community members, there are cool Spike Lee memorabilia hung on the walls as well.
“This is my passion project,” Chase told BK Reader.
The bar on the ground floor has an ornate menagerie of liquors ready to be mixed into a variety cocktail specials. The signature The London Chase drink is a hard-hitting boozy tea with rum. The devilishly-disguised cocktail is best enjoyed slowly. Non-drinkers can can enjoy a variety of mocktails, such as the sparkling Mango Baby elixir, made with mango, lemon, ginger and brown sugar.
Chase, who considers himself part of the world's melting pot, was born in French Guiana and raised in London. He said he went back and forth between the two locations while growing up, influencing his cooking style.
“A lot of what Afro-Caribbean fine dining has to be approachable for traditional Caribbean people,” said Chase.
Before taking in the food or drinks, you're eyes are immediately invited to a cohesive interior filled with luscious greens and deep wooden browns. The floral wallpaper resembles what you would find in a typical Caribbean home, and the music transports your mind to anywhere but America.
A hamachi crudo is a true standout on the menu, where Chase combines multiple worlds onto five slices of fish. Other starters like the ackee and saltfish eggroll and the goat puff pastry are much more complex, and will be welcomed by those who are ready to experience more intricate flavors and textures.
And there was no bigger surprise than the jerk burger. The eye-catching main course is playful twist on the traditional burger, as the meat is stuffed with pineapple bacon jammy. The light jerk seasoning brings this American-Caribbean fusion to a fully rounded high point with each savory bite. The burger comes with round crinkle-cut fries and an aromatic scotch bonnet aioli.
Mango Bay also does dessert right with enriching, but light-on-the-tongue flavors. Currently, they have a mango sorbet and a sorrel cheesecake, perfected by chef Kevin Collier, Chase's right hand man.
Mango Bay, located at 271 Adelphi St., is open from Tuesday-Sunday, from 5:00pm - 11:00pm.
