Should I blame it on the FIFA match that day, or is that just an excuse for poor inventory management? Either way, what restaurant runs out of prosecco and rosé in the middle of summer? Without bubbly in hand, dinner at Curryish Tavern was already off to a shaky start.

Their tasting menu ($98 per person) revolves around one featured ingredient each month and, for June, it was mango. As someone who loves the fruit, I was intrigued to see how the kitchen would incorporate it into savoury dishes beyond the usual mango salad.

Dinner begins with a foie gras tart topped with mango murabba. The unripe green mangoes are preserved with sugar and spices, creating a sweet-and-tart chutney that is a burst of flavour. In fact, it’s almost too much, overpowering the goose liver mousse beneath it. A lighter hand would have worked better, although the acidity does help cut through the richness of the foie gras.

Next comes the raw mango and smashed cucumber salad, the most recognizable use of mango on the menu. The peanut dressing adds a creamy savoury note, while the spicy oil gives the cucumbers a nice kick. Fresh dill brightens everything and the crunchy pods scattered throughout add a satisfying textural contrast.

The Kesari mango bhel was a little harder to understand. The crunchy rice cake topped with a mango pakora became too starchy and heavy. The dish would have benefited from a protein like grilled shrimp or tuna tartare, or even something lighter like a mango corn salad or paneer topped with grilled mango. Even making the puffed rice crisp thinner would have helped since it was difficult to cut through and properly combine with the other ingredients.

Still, it was far better than the black cod ceviche, which ended up being the weakest dish of the evening. The overly sweet mango sauce completely dominated the plate, the fish was minced rather than diced, and overall, it just didn’t taste especially fresh.

Thankfully, the meal recovered with the coconut mango chicken curry served with a hot crispy flaky parotta. The mango was more restrained, adding a subtle brightness instead of overwhelming the dish. We agreed it was good but still behind other chicken curries we’ve had elsewhere.

What made the evening more frustrating was the pacing. Despite the restaurant being nearly empty - we were one of three tables during Friday dinner service - the meal moved painfully slowly. Many of the dishes also felt like they could have been prepped well ahead of time, making the three-hour meal even more puzzling.

By the time dessert arrived, I was admittedly checked out. The Alphonso mango shrikhand on chirote was forgettable, tasting mostly like yogurt spooned over a firmer puff pastry.

As much as I love mango, this tasting menu simply wasn’t for me. Too many dishes leaned into the same sweet-and-tangy flavour profile, so by the end of the meal everything started to blur together. Curryish Tavern deserves credit for building an entire tasting menu around mangoes, but the execution felt uneven. By the end of the night, I was craving contrast more than another variation of mango.

Miss Fu in Chengdu. I don’t know who this Miss Fu is, but she sounds like a cool person I’d want to know. If the restaurant’s food is any indication of her personality, she’s spicy and you should be careful… if you cross her, you may get a skewer in the back.

Serving Sichuan dishes, I warned them that my tolerance for spice was only a medium level. And in case it was too much, I kept a large mug of peach slush ($4.99) on hand to cool things down.

You’ll find heat in plenty of the dishes including the deep-fried tofu with garlic sauce ($5.99). Served super hot, they cubes were crispy outside and soft in the centre, soaking up the spicy soy sauce. They were delicious, just watch out as the sauce will squirt out during the first bites.

Despite the sparse amount of sauce covering the dandan noodles with ground pork sauce ($8.99), it was hot! Containing the Sichuan numbing chili, they heat quickly builds on the tongue and after two bites I had to take big slugs of the slush. It’s surprisingly spicy for being listed as a one chili dish on the menu, the chilis not even mentioned in the description – it’s simply listed as containing ground peanuts, sesame, preserved mustard greens, and green onions. You’re warned now.

The noodles did pair nicely with the smashed cucumber salad ($7.99), where the chunks of skinless field cucumbers were tossed in a salty sesame oil with just a hint of chili sauce. It’s cool crunchiness even lasted until the following day.

What Miss Fu is known for is their skewers, arriving in a hot metal bowl and cooked through (this is not a hot pot restaurant). They’re served two ways: in a combo ranging from $24-$26 with enough food for two people or a la carte where you select from four soup bases ($7.99 - $8.99) and add on individual skewers ($0.99 - $2.99).

Of the two we tried, the seafood skewers in chicken broth with a medium level of heat was my favourite. The spices were just enough to flavour and cover the shrimp, fish tofu, fish cake, and lobster balls we had without it being overwhelming. Admittedly, the fish tofu, cake, and lobster balls were run-of-the-mill varieties you’d often find in supermarkets, but they were still tasty.

For those who’d rather stay away from anything spicy, the tomato soup is a great alternative. We opted to pair it with beef skewers, creating a classic tomato and beef combination.  If you order the savoury tomato soup, I suggest getting a bowl of rice to smother the thick soup in.

The beef slices were too tenderized for my tastes and the beef balls lacked flavour, but the cheese ball was interesting with a doughy exterior that’s like a fish ball filled with a creamy white cheese.

Miss Fu substituted the “spicy sauce” in the pork wontons ($7.99) with a neutral chicken broth studded with dried shrimp. It was lovely, having a creaminess that reminded me of the soup from fish noodle restaurants. The wontons are better than the ones you’ll find at the chop suey restaurants – much bigger and plumper.

Despite being stuffed I couldn’t help but have a handful of the glutinous rice balls with black sesame paste ($4.99). Tossed with soybean powder and slathered in a brown sugar syrup, they were pops of flavour and a great way to end the meal.

I’d imagine the restaurant gets busy during weekend dinners, but it was quiet during our Friday lunch, so our server had plenty of time to converse with us the explain the dishes. Given this was my first experience with Sichuan skewers this extra bit of attention was greatly appreciated. Miss Fu, I’ll be sure to give you a call next time I’m in Chengdu.