As I perused the Restaurant Week menus, I realized that I hadn’t ordered Stango Cuisine in nearly a year. This seemed like an excellent opportunity to remedy that. I’m so thankful they are still hanging in there over at Lincoln Square. Mubanga Chanda and her team offer something you can’t find elsewhere in C-U.
Their Restaurant Week menu offers meals at three different price points, depending on what you’d like your main course to be. All of the meals include an appetizer, entree with sides, and beignets for dessert. This was my husband’s first Stango experience, so I encouraged him to try Emma’s Platter. It’s a great way to taste test a lot of their menu options all at once. It includes chicken curry, beef stew, and hungarian sausage, as well as rice, beans, greens, and nhsima, which is similar to polenta. He chose (wisely) plantains as an appetizer. This is the priciest meal on the Restaurant week menu, at $28.99, but it also gives you a decent amount of food.
I went with oxtails, a new-to-me dish, with a side of nshima and vegetable samosas as my appetizer. This meal is $25.99. You can also choose goat meat at this price. For $21.99, you have the option of chicken curry, beef stew, or gizdodo (gizzards stewed with plantains) as your entree.
Here were the highlights from our dinner:
Photo by Julie McClure.
Plantains
These delightful bites of goodness are a must order item at Stango. They are perfectly caramelized and have this wonderful crisp around the edges. They are sweet and satisfying, and you almost feel guilty about having them as an appetizer. Just kidding; I felt no guilt. You can choose plantains as an appetizer or a side. Please include them in your meal; I promise it will be worth it.
Photo by Julie McClure.
Samosa
A go-to for us when we order Indian food, Stango’s version of samosas did not disappoint. They were crispy with generous filling and had a nice bit of heat. My only wish is that they came with something to dip them in.
Photo by Julie McClure.
Nshima
This is a pretty basic item, but I love its simplicity and how well it compliments the saucy entrees as well as the beans and greens. It’s creamy, not gritty, and it belongs on every forkful as you work your way through your dinner.
Oxtail
As previously mentioned, I’m an oxtail newbie. There aren’t many places that serve them in C-U, so I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity. I was glad I did! The meat is served on the bone, and it is tender and flavorful with a rich gravy (remember the nshima? It soaks up that gravy quite nicely). If you’ve never had oxtails, I would compare the taste and texture to short ribs.
Greens
Greens are a new love of mine, and these were delicious. They are not bitter or mushy, and offer a nice contrast to the other flavors on your plate.
Photo by Julie McClure.
Beignets
Every meal comes with two of these beauties. They are perfectly fried, fluffy, and coated with a generous dusting of powdered sugar. It probably wouldn’t be a terrible idea to order some extra. They are mini-doughnut sized, so surely you will have room.
Our two meals were filling and just the right amount. We did not have any leftovers. On a dreary day, it was welcome comfort food. Stango Cuisine is serving their Restaurant Week specials for lunch and dinner, and you can order by calling them at 844-497-6835 or online through various outlets. They will deliver within a certain distance. Be sure to make Stango a part of your Restaurant Week lineup and in your regular takeout life.
Stango Cuisine
140 Lincoln Square Mall
Urbana
Tu-Sa 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Top photo by Julie McClure.
