Chef Chat: MofonGO’s Manolo Lopez Redefines Nuyorican Cuisine

Ask any Puerto Rican and they’ll tell you that mofongo is as essential to their diet as is water.

Alright – maybe that’s a little extreme, but New York-based chef Manolo Lopez happens to agree. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Lopez inherited his mother’s cooking talent and keen understanding of authentic Latin flavors. It’s from this that MofonGO was born.

Walk the streets of Williamsburg, Brooklyn on a summer weekend and you’ll smell Lopez’s famous monfongo emanating from popular food flea market Smorgasburg. Natives flock to Lopez’s MofonGo pop-up seeking a taste of his authentic mashed plantain dish with a new-school twist. 

We spoke to Lopez and asked about his famous Puerto Rican dish and NY pop-up. Read his answers ahead. [pagebreak]

TheLatinKitchen.com: We hear you took your first real stab at cooking while hosting private dinner parties for friends. Tell us more about this!

Chef Manolo Lopez: That’s how Mofon•GO got started. Back in 2011 a lot of millennials were moving from Puerto Rico to New York. At the time we were all struggling to get our “dream jobs.” Many of us bussed tables, worked retail and had three-plus jobs. The only thing we could actually enjoy was our company and food. We started doing private dinners at friends’ apartments; we would make arroz con gandules, pernil, pasteles, and mofongo. We couldn’t afford to go out, so we created our own little club. With time it grew and it was more than Puerto Ricans assisting and asking me to come to their apartment and cook, so it’s only natural that we keep that spirit alive. We’ll host dinner parties in different apartments around New York, often making fusion with other types of food. To us it’s more that just making money; we want other people to join in on the action, build relationships, and create unique experiences.

TLK: How much of your mom or family’s techniques and recipes did you take with you in your own cooking endeavors?

ML: All of it. Margarita Cruz is the main inspiration behind Mofon•GO and many businesses. She’s a ray of light in darkness. She took a problem child at the age of 14, challenged him and made him focus all his energy on a creative outlet that happened to be cooking. I’m forever grateful for her guidance and the gift she gave to me. It’s much more than food. All the recipes we use come out of something she made for my sisters and myself growing up. Her kitchen was the center of everything in our house. Friends, family and even strangers would gather to eat in a space that she created where there was no judgement, there was no fighting or discussions – just great food and great conversations that I hold dear to this day. Even when we’re playing around with ideas or recipes I’ll call her and be like “Ma’ que tu crees si usamos aceite de trufas para el mofongo?” and she’ll give me a straight answer. [pagebreak]

TLK: How do Latinos looking for abuela’s home cooking react to MofonGO? What about non-Latinos who are trying Puerto Rican cuisine for the first time?

ML: Well look, every so often we get the “My abuela puts butter in her mofongo, it tastes better” and I’ll answer back, “Well tell your abuela to serve 400 orders in 6 hours every day.” I’m being sarcastic, of course. But it’s only until they try it that they come back and give me a high five. I’ve even had people come back and say, “It tastes better than my abuela’s, but don’t say anything.” Non-Latinos are intrigued by the whole experience we provide; clean branding, mashing plantains on sight, and the smell of fried pork. I’d say that 80% of our customers are non-Latinos who have tried mofongo on the island or have heard about it.

TLK: Do you feel any pressure, knowing that many people may be getting their first taste of Puerto Rico with MofonGO?

ML: I don’t. When I decided to make Mofon•GO a real business it was because I couldn’t find a restaurant or stand that made food that reminded me of back home. Not saying that the places we visited weren’t good, but that island flavor was hard to find and I know we’re doing it justice with my mom’s recipe. Mofon•GO isn’t just about food, it’s about lifestyle. We represent today’s modern age Latino. Educated professionals with business savvy who are design orientated and entwined with their roots. [pagebreak]

TLK: You mentioned part of the reason you started the business was because you didn’t see a lot of Puerto Rican representation in New York. Do you think there’s been any improvement? What more do you think should change?

ML: I’ve been misquoted many times on this, so let me make it right: New York is filled with Puerto Rican representation. For decades it has been. From artists, to musicians, to politicians, we’re a big part of New York history. My take on it was that there were no places that reminded me of back home and that was the representation I was talking about. I think many of us have been doing amazing things. It’s different now because we’re slowly making our debuts on a bigger stage. Social media has helped get our word out and a lot of Latin media platforms are exposing us and giving us a voice. I think we need to work together, reach out to one another, and build a network where we can all push each other to reach higher goals as a collective. 

TLK: We were surprised to learn that you recently opened a pop-up in Japan. Why there, and do you hope to make a splash elsewhere?

ML: Japan was amazing. One of my main goals is to take our food and culture around the globe. Now we’re at the point where a lot of people are paying attention to what we’re doing and taking us serious. Japan was our first international pop-up and first pop-up outside of New York. My good friend Fany Gerson (La Newyorkina) suggested Mofon•GO to Hankyu Market after having a succesful pop-up with Dough last year. Why Japan? Because I’m in love with their culture, food, people, and discipline. I wanted to take my food into the unknown and see people’s reactions. It was well-received. Mofon•GO is going eveywhere. I joke around that we’ll be the first ones to make mofongo on the moon, and after the whole crew laughs they look at me like “Let’s make it happen.” You never know! [pagebreak]

TLK: When you’re not chowing down on your own signature recipes, what do you cook or eat at home?

ML: I don’t have a lot of time these days to cook at home like I used to, so I go out quite often to local restaurants and treat myself. Just recently the LLama Inn opened in Williamsburg and I can’t stop going. I had my first fine dining experience at Le Bernardin which was amazing, but my absolute favorite is CASA ADELA on the Lower East Side. God bless Adela and her family. That was the only place that helped me keep my sanity back in the day and it’s still the best Latin restaurant in New York.

TLK: Any other up and coming projects you’d like to share with us? Where can we find you other than Smorgasburg?

ML: Yeah! I’m teaming up with Chef Susie Jiménez from Spice it Up in Aspen & Chef Ibrahim Sanz from Haven in New Jersey to take on Daniel Boulud’s “Qué Rico” invitational to raise funds for City Meals on wheels foundation on June 6th at Rockefeller Plaza. I’m also working on Cosa Nuestra’s second show plus a few more pop-ups… And that’s it. I can’t give out all my plans. The element of surprise is a big part of our brand.