Around the World Through Diverse Cleveland Food
As Cleveland’s food scene grows culturally, The Shakerite helps you find the best enclaves of ethnic cuisine
Inside of Johnny Mango World Cafe and Restaurant in Ohio City, guests converse in the lively and loud environment. Johnny Mango serves a variety of dishes, from Thai noodles to Mexican burritos. Although Johnny Mango is on the West Side of Cleveland, in the newly popular Tremont area, that does not mean it is hard to get to. A majority of the restaurants reviewed are on the West Side, and it is worth getting over the stigma of going over the river to get to this delicious ethnic food, from Indian to Mexican, Brazilian to Thai.
Cleveland has long suffered from an inferiority complex, but I believe this city is very underrated. In 18 years of living
Naan from Cafe Tandoor in Cleveland Heights, is an Indian flatbread served with many Indian dishes. They offer different types of naan, from garlic to spiced lamb to cashew.
in Cleveland’s orbit, I have found that the best thing to do is eat. Cleveland offers a wide array of culinary options that sample cultures from around the world.
A small selection of Cleveland’s international restaurant hot spots are featured and reviewed here. Though some are located in the exotic region of Cleveland’s West Side, these restaurants are worth the hike.
From Tremont to Ohio City to Larchmere and beyond, Cleveland offers great opportunities for a new culinary experience. With tastes spanning from Asia to South America, these restaurants offer a fix for any craving with flavorful, delicious meals.
Cafe Tandoor Concocts a Unique Taste of India
Cleveland Heights Cafe Tandoor’s butter chicken is a flavorful and vibrant dish. The samosas, biryanis and naan are also recommended.
Cafe Tandoor has an extensive menu full of delicious traditional Indian dishes. The fresh homemade naan is strongly recommended. This soft bread is offered in different flavors and is perfect for dipping in entree sauces such as the butter chicken.
This entree is a classic and restaurant favorite with its rich sauce served over rice.
The restaurant is relatively large and casual, making it great for any group size.
Batuqui’s Cuisine Illustrates the True Flavor of Brazil
Batuqui offers authentic Brazilian cuisine full of light yet creamy sauces such as that in the calamari. The intense flavors are plentiful and addicting as any option on the menu is a good one.
Batuqui’s building is a former house, creating a small, intimate environment. The incredibly friendly service and the authentic Brazilian cuisine leaves visitors with a home-cooked meal experience.
Each dish’s strong flavors are exquisite, particularly in their stewed sauces. Guarana soda is a must try, as is the Calamari Samba appetizer and the Pasta de Mariscos.
Both the calamari and the pasta have a similar creamy tomato sauce soaking the fresh seafood. A dinner at Batuqui is the ideal cozy night with spectacular food and desserts. You can’t go wrong with any choice on the menu.
Johnny Mango Takes a Trip Around the World
Johnny Mango is a unique multicultural restaurant. The fried rice is a classic with a twist from its fiery lime sauce.
Johnny Mango is the perfect choice for an indecisive night. It offers a full range of international dishes as well as many vegan and gluten free options, from Thai to Mexican to Chinese.
The flexible menu allows for a protein option in almost each dish.
The fried rice with fiery lime sauce, pad thai with peanuts and scallions and burritos are especially exceptional.
The casual and colorful environment is great for a group of friends or a family night, at especially lower prices. This Ohio City hot spot is full of life and makes for a fun outing.
Li Wah Creates the Ultimate Dim Sum Experience
For an authentic Chinese dining experience, Li Wah is the perfect choice. With countless options, Li Wah is great for all. Fried shrimp balls are only one of these fabulous options.
Li Wah is best known for its dim sum, a traditional presentation of Cantonese cuisine on small plates, and comparable to Spanish tapas. Li Wah provides an authentic Chinese culinary experience – customers are seated, automatically served a steaming kettle of jasmine tea and make their food selections from traveling carts of options.
Though Li Wah does have a menu, it is nearly all in Chinese and dim-sum-style. Shrimp and pork are very common ingredients, but vegetarian options are also available. For an all-new cultural experience, try dim sum at Li Wah.
A Spark of Pan-Asian Flare at Bac Bistro and Bar
Bac combines culinary highlights of many Asian cultures all the way from Thailand to Korea. The kimchi noodles are a medley of Korean classics, and a customer favorite.
Bac offers a unique Pan-Asian fusion menu covering a variety of Asian classics, including lo mein noodles, basil fried rice, and pad thai, as well as dishes such as kimchi noodles. kimchi noodles combine several key aspects of Korean culinary culture such as the bulgogi style beef option, kimchi (pickled spicy cabbage and vegetables) and kimchi sauce with translucent Japchae noodles (sweet-potato-based).
Bac is a medium sized, trendy Tremont spot. Despite the fantastic food, a reservation is rarely necessary, and it has a classy, yet not fancy feel. The unique combination and modern take on Asian classics make a trip to Bac well worth the drive.
Barrio Tacos, Even Better than Chipotle
Barrio Tacos are perfect for a fun, cheap and delicious night out. The lively atmosphere and the colorful environment make for an all around positive experience.
Barrio offers a great deal for delicious tacos. From either the suggested menu of chef’s choice tacos or the “build-your-own” menu, a pair of tacos is a perfectly satisfying meal for easily under $10. The housemade salsas and guacamoles are phenomenal, as are the sauces.
The El Jefe taco is classic, infinitely flavorful and great with the “stoner” shell, which has a hard taco shell inside of a soft tortilla. The hard shell inside of the soft shell provides the flavors from both yet is much less messy than just a hard shell. Most of this vibrant, intimate space’s seating is for two – your best bet for quick seating, as the venue is always packed – with good reason.
