Pete S.
Streatham
12 reviews
Authentic ...
16 Aug 07, 15:21
Above expectations
... in the way that all Mongolian barbecues are - for those of you who haven't had the fortune to visit Mongolia, I can reliably inform you that this is almost the exact opposite of typical Mongolian food.
Mongolians invariably eat boiled mutton. Sometimes in big lumps, sometimes small. For very special occasions they are wrapped up in a pasta-like shell. But they never use any spices, salt or pepper, and the one month of the year when vegetables are available is called "green month". I digress - back to the matter in hand!
Mongolian Barbecue is an excellent idea which works very well in practice too. You choose your raw ingredients from a large selection, hand your plate to one of the two chefs, who then cooks it for you. A choice of pork, lamb, chicken, beef, prawns and fish, as well as a multitude of herbs, spices and (gasp) vegetables can make for a very tasty dish indeed. Or not. There are recipes on show for guidance, for the culinary challenged.
With wine and beer at normal prices instead of tourist rates, this is a great place to meet lots of friends for an evening of food and fun.
Do-it-yourself Barbecue!
10 May 07, 23:35
As expected
I don't know what a Mongolian barbecue actually is. For all I know, it could be completely different to this restaurant, but if they're anything like the do-it-yourself buffet of its namesake, then that's a good thing. At most buffet places, the food is usually cooked before you stick it on your plate. Here, however, you pick and mix your ingredients in a bowl. You choose all the spices and sauces you want in your meal, which you leave at the barbecue place to get cooked. If you mess up the taste of your meal, then there's no one else to blame but yourself.
For example, my first dish here had far too much pepper and spice, mainly because I put a whole spoon full in. It's a good idea to follow the example menus behind the counter. Obviously, with this type of place, there's no particular skill and no kind of chef wizardry involved, so you might have a nice meal or completely mess it up. The price is quite reasonable for Covent Garden, drinks are particularly cheap, and the staff are friendly. The place itself isn't amazingly pretty, but it does have rather distinct decor. I did enjoy eating here, it was quite exciting to see if my masterpiece of a bowl did add up to a tasty dish, and it was certainly a different restaurant experience.
