OAKLAND, Calif. — Mago Restaurant turns spontaneity into superb. Chef Mark Liberman can take seasonal ingredients and spin them into dishes that brighten your eyes… and your tastebuds.
His style of cooking is inspired by his Colombian heritage and his creativity inspired his nickname.
“Mago is my nickname. I was the chef at a restaurant in San Francisco. I guess a bunch of the cooks and sous chefs were calling me Mago behind my back. I was like who is Mago, and they said, ‘you are Mago,'” recalls Liberman.
The nickname stuck. Mago translates from Spanish and means magician in English. The dishes and atmosphere certainly live up to the name.
The concept is meant to be approachable and fun. Music is playing just a bit louder and the kitchen is wide open.
“I think the menu is primarily focused on vegetables and seafood. That’s kinda how I like to cook. It’s how I like to eat,” adds Liberman.
And they have arepas — a traditional corn based flat bread that has a plethora of fillings and toppings.
One particular recipe that Liberman’s mother made in his upbringing has a stamped place on Mago’s menu.
“She is definitely the one that was inspiration for me to explore Colombian flavors. She was the one that would take us every summer to Colombia, and we would spend two or three months there with family when we were kids. That was an integral part of my childhood and the flavors that I grew up eating,” remembered Liberman.
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