Manbo/ Cafe Mambo

Wonderfully Weird Little Place

This is a weird little gem of a place that I surely did not expect and had become a regular stop for my family when we pass through Kesennuma around dinner time. I'll start with the name, Manbo, the sunfish, an animal I had never heard of nor seen before moving to Japan and an animal I still find peculiar. For some reason, the Google business page calls in Mambo as in the dance, which somehow does not make more sense. The front of the building shows a hint of stained glass, and I think at some point this was supposed to have a speak-easy kind of feel, or at least that's what the massive bar seems to indicate, but the chandeliers above and columns about seem to be trying to channel the palace of Versailles for some reason. The rest of the stained glass in the place, in addition to the seating and the music, seems more keen to emulate a 1950s diner somewhere in the American Midwest. It is such a weird combination and honestly I don't know why but I kind of love it. The food is alright and the portions are large, especially on the set menu options. Our first visit saw me ordering a "Hamburger sandwich" because I had not heard it called that by anyone other than my grandmother. The only disappointing but was that the chef chose to use a wasabi mayonnaise that my spice sensitivity took issue with, rendering the whole of the burger a mass of wasabi flavored texture. Still, we returned months later and I rejoiced in a different dish, curry and rice. The atmosphere was even more amusing the second time around. I think I like this weird little place.