As we passed assertively spiced and brightly flavored dishes around the table — salmon rice fritters with mango chutney, a lamb burger with Haitian pikliz and pineapple — a consensus emerged among our omnivorous group that the star of the evening at Mahari was the mushroom-stuffed plantain. To make the vegetarian entrée (a beef version is also available), executive chef Rahim Muhammad hollows out an almost ripe plantain like a canoe, roasts the halves until their edges caramelize, then fills them with mushrooms seasoned like Nigerian suya (grilled meat). They’re served atop Creole tomato sauce and share the plate with tangy charred feta and a mound of Caribbean rice and peas. The flavors, like many here, represent the whole African diaspora yet are of a piece. The restaurant’s name means “gift” in Swahili, and this dish tastes like one. $24. 1504 E. 55th St., Hyde Park