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| - I normally don't feel comfortable writing a review about a restaurant after one meal but i feel compelled to write about my experience at Mango Shiva because, for the most part, it was pretty great.
I have seen this restaurant's name appear on Yelp a number of times, i bookmarked it as a place to try not knowing what to expect, and on a whim decided this to be the venue for a very special occasion. After hearing claims of how Mango Shiva offered South Asian comfort foods with a fusion, upscale twist, I thought it might be a welcome change for two individuals who are accustomed to classic South Asian hole-in-the-wall take out joints. That being said, nothing i read or heard prepared me for my experience at Mango Shiva.
The first point of contact for me and Mango Shiva was Yelp and their OpenTable integration for reserving a table. This service immediately earns kudos as any initiative to make the dining experience more accessible and easier for customers through the incorporation of technology and media is a huge plus (and in the world of South Asian fine-dining--simply an unheard of practice). So, +1 for that.
Next, our arrival at the restaurant. We arrived a few minutes before our reservation on a Monday night at 6:00 and the restaurant was dead so we were seated immediately. The interior is quite elegant: chandeliers, hardwood, and touches of darker tones everywhere. The ambiance inside is remarkably intimate for an open but small space which makes it even more appealing to couples looking for a special spot to dine. Promptly after being seated the waiter arrived, a really nice young man who, though he might have been new, tried best to describe and sell the menu to us new guests. I am definitely no expert when it comes to South Asian cuisine but i am lucky to be the partner of someone who is. Fortunately for me, she navigated the menu very easily; saving the waiter from looking any more confused than he actually was (i will cut him some slack though, i don't think he got over the shock of a brown person, myself, asking him, a caucasian man, to describe certain South Asian staples that almost all brown people grow up eating..except for myself of course lol). We ordered the Fish Pakoras, Eggplant Curry, and the Spicy Thai rice and wow, what flavour! The naan, soft, moist, and delicious. The Eggplant Curry, sumptuous. The Thai-Infused Shrimp and Rice, just excellent; a great pairing of savoury and subtle sweetness. The chef and kitchen staff have a clear standard for excellence and all the spices and flavours were off the charts. I have been eating brown food my entire life and their unique compositions of South Asian foods definitely made for a dining experience to remember!
The only unfortunate thing about the entire meal were the portion sizes. I guess in adapting modern, Western forms, the one aspect of South Asian cuisine that was lost in the fusion were the portions. Everything being designed to be single-serve or satiable for one person can leave a South Asian like myself a feeling a little disappointed upon the arrival of the bill and that unsavoury aftertaste can be enough to deter the typical brown gourmand from returning (although that crowd wouldn't even make the trip downtown to satisfy their appetite in the first place). With that being said, the service was great and the meal was excellent. I can still taste the flavours and am already looking forward to my next trip.
If you are looking for a location that is bound to culminate in a great meal with unexpected conversations, be it from the decor, ambiance, or the exotic, inspired South Asian food itself, Mango Shiva should be on your list of places to dine in Calgary.
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