Gastronome

Mango and Mango Cream Pancakes

I love mangoes — even more than I love my forever-photogenic corgi, Hibachi, sometimes.

In the summer, farmers markets become my usual weekend haunts. I bring a larger-than-usual reusable tote bag and fill it with every locally grown mango possible. I’ve said it a million times: The best gift anyone could ever give me would be a mango tree of my own. But until then, and during off seasons, I’ve made it a point to find every mango dish imaginable.

Then I discovered Mango Days at Honolulu — a café where the entire concept revolves around incorporating mangoes into a majority of its items. And though I initially believed I had already eaten mangoes in every way possible, Mango Days at Honolulu still managed to pleasantly surprise.

Take, for instance, its Mango Curry and Rice.

This is going to be so weird, I thought to myself. But one bite revealed familiar flavors of Japanese-style curry, and it was light with an only slightly peppery heat that didn’t overwhelm. Really, though, what made this dish were chunks of mango cooked into the curry. It added a delicate sweetness that has convinced me that mango belongs in curry all the time.

Its dessert-appropriate Mango and Mango Cream Pancakes was another unexpected item I plan on returning for. It arrived to the table covered entirely in cream and bits of mango, looking almost too sugary to enjoy. But it was a restrained and controlled sweetness that didn’t leave me with a stomachache or grimy teeth.

There are, of course, other café menu items that don’t necessarily feature mango, like sandwiches, salads and acai bowls. I sampled a Mango Iced Tea and a Mango Latte Smoothie that was so thick a spoon was necessary — both of which, I plan to go back for.

All of this is in addition to an ambiance that is fun and, like its food, unexpected — a full-sized food truck, for example, doubles as the kitchen and cashier area. (Yes, you read that correctly.)

It’s really more a place to stop in for breakfast and lunch, a sentiment shared by president and co-owner Shuzo Oda. Be on the lookout for local mangoes in about a month, he also told me.

I will definitely be there. My only regret is not keeping this gem to myself a little longer before sharing it with all of you. Just kidding, I love you guys — just not more than mangoes.

MANGO DAYS AT HONOLULU
1425 Makaloa St. Honolulu, HI
Phone number (808) 253-8861