Artistically labeled a “Food Art Gallery”, Mingle’s Mango, an Asian fusion restaurant in Warm Springs, boasts a colorful menu with exotic dishes. Nested among the various other eateries in the Warm Springs Plaza, Mingle’s Mango opened up in July of this year, the restaurant replaced Seiki House and is open for business everyday between 11:00 am to 3:00 pm and 5: 30 pm to 9:30 pm. 

Mingle’s Mango really does live up to its gallery title, and the restaurant is heavily embellished with artwork that gives the restaurant a unique vibe and sets it apart from other food places. Vivid paintings of Chinese folklore decorate the walls and add an exotic and modern feel to the restaurant. The paintings are integrated into the layout of the building, and drape across walls, tables, and shelves, integrating every part of the restaurant into a cohesive and ambient spot. The restaurant has a very homely feel to it, with fairy lights adorning the entrance, and chalkboard menus advertising the special of the week and favorites from the menu. 

Although I walked in expecting a pretty standard restaurant, I was surprised to see that as workers prepared dishes behind the counter and waiters served meals, as per a normal eatery, customer engagement was upped through the showing of television shows. Naruto,  Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, and other animes were projected onto the large screens that formed a curtain behind which busy workers scrambled to boil noodles, fry chicken, and plate dumplings. This business strategy worked quite well for Mingle’s Mango, as customers were captivated by the show and would stick around to finish the episode they were watching, consequently spending more time at the restaurant and ordering more dishes in the process. The average time a customer spent at Mingle’s Mango appeared significantly longer than at other restaurants, and groups of people were watching a specific show with their friends or chatting conversationally amid breaks between episodes.  

The weekly special was Dragon Ball Soup Dumplings, which comprised of pork fried pork dumplings, with a savory soup inside and a crispy bottom, and I ordered the dish after my waiter recommended it to me as “ a customer favorite!” at the restaurant. Other dishes on the menu included a large variety of other soup dumplings, various noodle dishes, and House Specials that include the most expensive dish on the menu, the Sanji Jambalaya, shrimp and squid dish for 18$. I watched the episode of Naruto: Attack on Titan that was playing to pass time until I was served my Dragon Ball dish. The pork was seasoned wonderfully, with enough spice that complemented the more subtle taste of the soup inside. The dish was worth it for the price of  $12 and provided a hearty and filling meal. Although I expected a more spicy and firey soup dumpling, the Dragon Ball was still a delicious dish that was plated aesthetically. 

Overall, for its unique take on customer service and it’s reasonable pricing, I would rate Mingle’s Mango five out of five stars. What really pushed it over the top for me was the customer satisfaction and the setting that made it a great hang-out spot.