Mofongo, a Puerto Rican comfort food made from fried green plantains seasoned with garlic and pork cracklings, is screaming-all-caps scrumptious at Cuchifritos on E. 116th, narcisa declares. “HANDS DOWN THE BEST MOFONGO IN THE CITY,” she swears, “outside of gramma’s & tia’s kitchen!” An imposing mound of the stuff, studded with chunks of chicharron, comes plain for $4.50, or with a salad and a hunk of fried pork for $5.50. Both come with the customary cup of broth served with Puerto Rican mofongo (Dominican mofongo tends to get gravy instead).
“This is a tight, loud, crowded, dramatic Puerto Rican style spot frequented by locals for YEARSSSSSS,” writes erstwhile local narcisa; “you are going here for THE FOOD, not for ambiance, not for being health conscious, not for doting customer service.”
Downtown, narcisa’s pick for mofongo is the longtime hound hangout Casa Adela on Avenue C, which she finds good and authentic, though the kitchen has “off days here and there too–just being honest.”
Cuchifritos [East Harlem]
168 E. 116th Street (between Third and Lexington avenues), Manhattan
212-876-4846
Casa Adela [East Village]
66 Avenue C (between E. Fourth and Fifth streets), Manhattan
212-473-1882
Board Links: best PR style mofongo in NYC?
Mofongo Depot
FYI – Dominicans call their “mofongo” variation “mangu,” not “Dominican mofongo.” Cubans call theirs “fufu.”
Sorry McMachete…
I just feel a need to make a clarification. I’m a Puerto Rican who is VERY involved in Latino culture. I’ll try to list this as clearly as possible for all of our readers as I think it is important that we learn about each others cultures as much as possible.
MANGU: is an official breakfast dish from the Dominican Republic that, yes, does consist of green plantains, but, unlike mofongo, the plantains are BOILED then mashed and mixed with oil or butter. The mangu is garnished with onions that have been sauteed in salt and vinegar and then it is served with eggs and deep fried slices of salami. Rumor has it that the name was given to this dish after an American Soldier was served a portion and responded by saying, “Man, good!”
FUFU: this side dish is very similar to Puerto Rican Mofongo, it’s made exactly the same way except that it uses RIPE PLANTAINS which are sweet unlike mofongo which uses green plantains. The taste is completely different and quite delicious.
Now, getting to mofongo.
MOFONGO: A PUERTO RICAN DISH. Dominicans have adopted and adapted this dish as their own and so the Dominican version varies, although in minor ways, from the Puerto Rican version.
Puerto Rican style Mofongo is served with a broth and doesn’t have meat mixed into it the most it will have mixed into the plantain mash itself is the garlic, oil, and chicharron…the meat (be it chicken, pork, seafood, even vegetables is usually placed in the center of the mofongo or poured over it.
Dominican mofongo usually has the meat of choice actually mixed into the plantain mash and it is served with a gravy not a broth.
They are both delicious it just depends what style you are hankering for at the moment.
Like I’ve mentioned before in other postings, Mofongo isn’t really something you want to eat often (especially if you’re health consciuos) but it is something that when you get a craving for it everybody better watch out!
Sorry McMachete…
I just feel a need to make a clarification. I’m a Puerto Rican who is VERY involved in Latino culture. I’ll try to list this as clearly as possible for all of our readers as I think it is important that we learn about each others cultures as much as possible.
MANGU: is an official breakfast dish from the Dominican Republic that, yes, does consist of green plantains, but, unlike mofongo, the plantains are BOILED then mashed and mixed with oil or butter. The mangu is garnished with onions that have been sauteed in salt and vinegar and then it is served with eggs and deep fried slices of salami. Rumor has it that the name was given to this dish after an American Soldier was served a portion and responded by saying, “Man, good!”
FUFU: this side dish is very similar to Puerto Rican Mofongo, it’s made exactly the same way except that it uses RIPE PLANTAINS which are sweet unlike mofongo which uses green plantains. The taste is completely different and quite delicious.
Now, getting to mofongo.
MOFONGO: A PUERTO RICAN DISH of GREEN PLANTAINS that have been FRIED until golden, mashed, and then mixed with tons of garlic, olive oil, and pork cracklings known in Spanish as Chicharron. Dominicans have adopted and adapted this dish as their own and so the Dominican version varies, although in minor ways, from the Puerto Rican version.
Puerto Rican style Mofongo is served with a broth and doesn’t have meat mixed into it the most it will have mixed into the plantain mash itself is the garlic, oil, and chicharron…the meat (be it chicken, pork, seafood, even vegetables is usually placed in the center of the mofongo or poured over it.
Dominican mofongo usually has the meat of choice actually mixed into the plantain mash and it is served with a gravy not a broth.
They are both delicious it just depends what style you are hankering for at the moment.
Like I’ve mentioned before in other postings, Mofongo isn’t really something you want to eat often (especially if you’re health consciuos) but it is something that when you get a craving for it everybody better watch out!
Sorry…I posted the comment twice….the second comment is the correct one!
Thank you Mark for visiting these small family businesses and bringing them to the public eye! You brought a smile to my face! Not to mention…..I was just tickled pink to be quoted!
LOVED the pics! I wish I could eat them!
narcisa, thank *you* for your posts. I’ve learned a lot from them. You’re the one who has brought these places into the public eye. I hope you keep posting – many of us out there appreciate the well-informed info!
(BTW I’m Mark, though I post on these boards under a different name.)