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Vibrant tropical fare at Rumbi Island Grill

September 17th, 2009, 9:16 am · 5 Comments · posted by Niyaz Pirani

fish

Rumbi Island Grill had a quiet opening this week in Mission Viejo and yesterday I finally got the chance to check out the new Caribbean restaurant.

The vibe inside reminds of Islands, but the food conjures a sense of authenticity. Jerk spice, mango and pineapple all show up in a variety of dishes including rice bowls, tacos, salads and even burgers. We sampled a few dishes, including a chicken salad with Gorgonzola, blackened mahi-mahi and great tortilla chips, which we used to taste an array of sauces the restaurant has, the best being a Bali peanut sauce.

I ended up buying two jerk chicken sandwiches (one for Nadia; I’m hungry but not that hungry!) and was very impressed by the freshness and flavor. The pineapple was juicy, the Swiss cheese thick, and the chicken wasn’t some useless patty - no, this was all meat, baby. The Rumbi fries, a combination of sweet potato crinkle cuts and regular ol’ fried taters, were a bit softer than I like so I’ll order those crispy next time.

I’m hoping the sandwiches weren’t made with extra special care because they know I’m a reporter, but the restaurant is in its soft opening phase for the public to come and eat, so I’ll assume everybody’s getting the same treatment. The place did looked packed around lunch, and if they keep turning out plates like this, they’ll surely last longer than Mustard Cafe, the space’s previous tenant.

If you’re looking for the business side of Rumbi Grill, check out my other post on Fast Food Maven. If you don’t care about that stuff and just want to see more food, well just view our Rumbi Island Grill slideshow.

Rumbi Island Grill
24000 Alicia Parkway
Mission Viejo
949-206-1002

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 5 Comments

  • Christian says:
    September 17, 2009 at 10:16 am

    “I’m hoping the sandwiches weren’t made with extra special care because they know I’m a reporter, but the restaurant is in its soft opening phase for the public to come and eat, so I’ll assume everybody’s getting the same treatment.”

    Yes, I had excellent service and food from them at two of their long-established locations in Utah when I wasn’t even reporting on them (although I did post a couple pictures later from one visit - my other two or three visits were just to eat, no photos or nothing) so I don’t think they are trying to suck up to a reporter.

    • Niyaz Pirani says:
      September 17, 2009 at 10:27 am

      thanks for the comment christian. it’s always good to know that. you wouldn’t believe the things that happen to us sometimes.

  • Shelly Borrell says:
    September 17, 2009 at 12:23 pm

    Hi Niyaz — Nibbles of Tidbits was invited to give ‘em a try too, but since I was unable to attend, I sent a guest blogger, Bonnie down there to gather information and write a review. You probably met her. I don’t have the review yet, but will post it as soon as I do. It all sounds very good. I look forward to personally trying a few things sometime soon.

    Thanks, Shelly Borrell

    • Niyaz Pirani says:
      September 17, 2009 at 1:06 pm

      hey shelly, thanks for writing. i’ve never checked out your blog, but will do so sometime today. also, feel free to post your link in this comments thread and hopefully other people will visit your blog too.