Every now and then, I’m reminded how lucky I am to live on an island where culinary travel requires little more than crossing the street. This week I went to Colombia, without leaving Palma, thanks to Mangobiche and my Colombian friend Mateo, who had already been here and told me that this would be a perfect place to taste food from his country.
I’ll admit I had arrived to Mangobiche expecting something more rustic, perhaps more “ethno”, full of colour and clutter. Instead, I found a space that felt modern, neat and well thought-out. Clean lines, comfortable tables, good lighting. The only real nods to Colombian street life were carefully chosen photographs of local people and places — subtle, respectful and very effective. By the end of the meal, it was a solid 10/10 for atmosphere alone.
We began with drinks, and Mateo suggested I try aguapanela. This is a traditional, countryside drink made from panela (unrefined whole cane sugar) dissolved in hot or cold water, sometimes with a squeeze of lime or a hint of ginger. We drunk it cold. It’s one of those flavours that feels unfamiliar at first sip, earthy and almost smoky, but deeply comforting. I found it refreshing and oddly addictive, the kind of drink that tells a story of fields, family kitchens and everyday life rather than bars and cocktails. Unusual, yes, but I loved it!
To start, we ordered pandebono, a popular Colombian bread made with cornflour, cassava starch and cheese. Slightly sweet, slightly salty, and baked until golden, it’s apparently the sort of thing that locals snack on throughout the day. The flavour was pleasant and comforting, but I personally found the texture a little heavy for a starter.
We decided to share two dishes, starting with the wonderfully interactive pataconada. The plate arrived with eight crispy patacones — twice-fried green plantain discs — ready to be topped and assembled at the table. For anyone unfamiliar, patacones are crunchy on the outside, soft inside, and far more interesting than they have any right to be. They formed the base for shredded chicken, pulled beef, beautifully crisp chicharrón (fried pork belly), homemade hogao and fresh guacamole.
Hogao deserves its own explanation. It’s a classic Colombian sauce made from slowly cooked tomatoes, onions, garlic and spices. Simple ingredients are transformed into something deeply comforting and aromatic. Spoon it over almost anything and it instantly tastes like home. Building each patacón felt playful and generous, and the combination of flavours worked beautifully. It reminded me of tacos, but the crunchy plantain base was even more exciting than a tortilla.
Next came bandeja paisa. This is the iconic dish of the Antioquia region, and it comes from Mateo's hometown, Medellín. It’s often described as the queen of Colombian cuisine, and one glance at the plate tells you why. It’s a feast: homemade bean stew, minced beef, crispy chicharrón, chorizo, white rice, sweet fried plantain, arepa and a fried egg. It vaguely reminded me of a full English breakfast, in the sense that everything you could possibly want is on one plate. But flavour-wise, this was richer, deeper, and far more interesting in texture. I’m a huge fan of bean stews and I’ve always said some of the best ones come from the Balkans, especially from my region of Lika, but this one surprised me. It was even more flavourful, hearty without being heavy, and clearly cooked with care and patience. I would come to Mangobiche for these beans alone!
By the time we polished off those two dishes, dessert was out of the question. We were comfortably, happily full. We’ll just have to come back for the sweets.