Tango Tamari in Andheri is a blend of Peruvian and Japanese food that hits the right note!

Located near the famous Juhu Beach in Mumbai, this restaurant does justice to the tropical vibe of the beach with its planters-laden decor and a wooden-themed interior. It hosts a fusion of dishes from Peru and the food of Japan. The name “Tango Tamari” itself pays a fitting tribute to Nikkei cuisine, a fusion of Japanese immigrant culinary traditions and the vibrant flavours of Peru. Fascinated by the name we hopped on to try the blend of both the cultures and you’ll know at the end if the combination worked out or not.

The Tropical Theme with Tiny Elements 

As soon as you enter the Juhu Tara lane, you’ll have to walk a few minutes to discover this place. Upon entering you will see an open area that has plants and bohemian-inspired decorations. The spree for adoring the little corners in the entire property started with a bookshelf that had some glass and steel artefacts. Such is every corner of the restaurant with some or the other elements that catch your attention. One such wall in the inner area has an abstract floral painting. It holds your attention because it outshines the rather dull ambience of the space. The dim ambience is complemented with rusty furniture and theme along with greens everywhere, both on the ground as well as the upper floor and the bar on the ground floor’s inner entrance. Looking at the bar, we were approached by the head chef Mitesh Rangras. 

Food Talks 

After having a small conversation with him we ordered a few dishes from the chef’s recommendation and a few of our choice. We wanted to start light so we ordered the Tropical Lush Salad, featuring grilled spicy pineapple, roquette lettuce, young coconut, water chestnut, and a zesty Blood Orange & Aji Chilli dressing. For the small bites, we went with the Whipped Ricotta which was a blend of flavours in our mouth with hot honey, crispy chilli, green onions and sourdough. Wanting to have something solid with this we ordered the Picante Prawns which could not have been crispier. It was smoky and the aji and molato chili sauce added a kick of spice.

For the main course, we had the table decorated with a mix of dishes. For sushi, we ordered the Umami Bomb which was a sushi roll with tempura shiitake (tempura mushroom), truffle cheese cream, black truffle shaving, truffle hot sauce and the mix of these flavours was just on point. It had a combination of spice, crispiness, fluffiness, sourness and a bit of sweetness. The Guacamole Sushi also was on the same page of taste but we finished it both as we liked the taste. For non-veg sushi, we went with the Katsu Chicken Roll which had a crunch of cucumber, creaminess of the cheese and properly cooked chicken. The Spicey Mushroom Yaki was a bit bland to taste even though it was paired with a thick sauce. The Sriracha Chicken outer layer was very thin which made it easier to chew the mildly flavoured dumpling. The Quinoa Gyoza which is a Japanese dumpling had a lot of ingredients to it but they didn't please the tastebuds as they made the dish too overwhelming. The Ramen Bowl to end the meal was warm and comforting but one must not expect much flavour in it.

To pair the dishes we ordered the Beach Bum which was a pineapple, mint and soda-flavoured mocktail and the Korean grapefruit soju. To end the meal on a sweeter note we went for the ice cream taster which has a choice of three ice creams. We had the salted caramel which was perfectly salty and chocolatey, the double chocolate which again lived up to its name and the best one was the tender coconut. How could we miss the Creme Brulee when we were at a Spanish restaurant? It was perfectly caramelised with the right amount of sweetness and softness underneath the layer. The afternoon that started with admiring the tropical decor ended with savouring the blend of two cuisines and cultures.