As V and I were discussing what to order, we decided to take a route we've tried several times before, opting for a few appetizers, rather than individual entrees. I suggested we try a dip and V agreed saying, "I'd try anything but the carrot dip." Admittedly carrot dip does sound a little strange, but it was one I was intrigued by. I wasn't sure if it would be hot or cold, crunchy or creamy, good or bad. The menu described it as "sautéed grated carrots, garlicky homemade yogurt." I had to ask our server if I could try just a spoonful. (V tells me I'm a little crazy.) Our server obliged and brought me a little mini dish to try. I really liked it–a perfect texture that wasn't too creamy like baby food or too crunchy and raw, it wasn't chilled cold but not served hot either. The garlic flavor was well balanced with the yogurt and not too strong. Perhaps next time we'll try a full order!
We ended up ordering the Crabmeat & Artichoke Dip, which was served warm and too was quite good. I found it a little too chunky but really this is a personal preference. The portion was reasonable, especially with our other orders coming.
The Brazilian Coxinha was a chicken croquette with catupiry cheese (a Brazilian cream cheese). The single croquette was a good size and the filling was creamy which was nice with the crunchy crust.
Next we tried Puro Turco, cheese rolls. These reminded me of a cross between the state fair and egg rolls. The hand rolled dough was stuffed with feta cheese & parsley and was hot, crunchy, salty and creamy all at the same time. Great.
Finally we tried the house specialty, a vegetarian dish called Red Sonja. It consists of "red lentil patties with cracked wheat (bulgur), scallion, parsley & oriental spices on a bed of lettuce with lemon wedges." Even from this description, it is hard for us to comprehend what would come from the kitchen. The 'patties' were kind of like a raw mash of all the ingredients. We sprinkled a little lemon juice over the top and with some guidance from our server, picked up the patty in the lettuce leaf for a bite. It had a nice texture which was complimented by the crunch of the lettuce leaf and the flavors were very good–not too strong, just a good mellow mix of fresh tastes.
For dessert we tried another specialty, Warm Semolina Helva with Ice-cream. It was kind of Mundo's take of fried ice cream: a scoop of vanilla ice cream surrounded by a warm, soft shell of coarse-ground semolina flour, with pinenuts, pistachios, walnuts and cinnamon sprinkled over the top. It was really a unique dish, and one that I really enjoyed if only because slightly melted ice cream is one of my favorite desserts.
Mundo really is a great find, the small space means you will get great service and personal attention, the location makes it affordable and the cuisine is authentic and delicious. I'm happy we went back.
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