Wowed by Wonderful Pan Latin at Wapango

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A while back, ToastedRav tried out Wapango, which is "A Pan Latin Experience" that's relatively new to the St. Louis area. At the time, Jen thought that the restaurant was just OK, but when I decided to give it a try almost a year later, my taste buds were wowed.

Owner/operator John Gianoulis said that the local restaurant "takes foods from everywhere south of the border and puts a unique twist on them" Sure, the menu is a bit pricey, but you're getting a heckofalot more than you would at El Maguey; you have to pay for those hard-to-find ingredients, as well as the culinary talents of real professionals in the kitchen. The atmosphere is interesting, the food was bold, and once we walked through the door, there was no indication that were were dining in Chesterfield Mall.

Speaking of those talented professionals, pastry chef Mary Harden baked the fresh Cuban-style rolls that we started our dinner out with. But what really made this before-dinner snack were the two sauces that accompanied these warm rolls. The Argentinian chimmy churry sauce, which consists of parsley, oil and a whole lot of garlic, went surprisingly well with the warm black bean dip.

In lieu of an appetizer, my dinner companion and I decided to split a bowl of Yucatan Chicken Lime Soup ($7). Even though I was starting to feel a little full by the time we finished, I almost regretted splitting the tasty soup instead of getting my own cup.

For his entree, my boyfriend decided on the Red Corn Chicken Enchiladas; roasted chicken and jack cheese rolled inside two red corn tortillas, topped with spicy cream sauce, chile-orange mojo and Mexican crema, then served with golden rice and South American slaw ($15). It was so good that he cleaned his plate before he gave me the bite he had promised to share.

I love everything from fish to calamari, and since Missouri is kinda land-locked, my true test for restaurants around St. Louis is how fresh their seafood tastes. I ordered the Moqueca, which is a traditional Brazilian seafood stew of shrimp, fresh fish, scallops, mussels and calamari that is simmered in rich coconut milk, bell peppers, onions and tomatoes, then served over golden rice. I got the half order ($14), which was more than enough for a meal after all the rolls and soup. It was phenomenal, and I might have had a little trouble sharing a bite of my dinner, too.

We were too full for dessert, but the savory meal was finished off by a house-made white chocolate for each of us. My mouth is watering just thinking about that little morsel. If this picture of our polished-off plates gives you any inkling at all about how much we enjoyed our meal at Wapango, you'll know that I would recommend it in a heart-beat. Just save it for special occasions or any time you want an amazing mojito.