“GRAND OPENING” in bold words cannot be missed as hungry people drive by, especially not “MONGOLIAN BBQ”. It is rather hard to resist the urge to stop by and check out the new restaurant in town, “Mongolian” food sounds interesting and different. The aroma of the food cooked is all around a few yards away from the restaurant’s front door .
Upon entering the restaurant, the staff is friendly and immediately welcomes the customer. The setting of the restaurant is nicely put together. The first thing the customer sees is the stack of bowls at the front of the counter, leading your eyes along the counter where all the meats, vegetables and toppings are set, and lastly the customers see the big stone where they cook your food. They supply various meats, from chicken to lamb. The vegetables endless endless. Looking at the whole counter you see its been decorated with colorful, delicious, healthy food– fresh cut lettuce, sliced tomato, green broccoli, and so much more. Next the customer sees the toppings. Toppings are always the best part, where they can add as many slices of pineapple, crunchy peanuts, water chestnuts, smooth tofu or crunchy noodle snacks, and so much more.
One of the most interesting parts of the restaurant is the equipment that is used to cook all the food from the buffet line. A large, flat, circular slab of metal is the platform where they cook you food. Everything in your bowl is poured directly onto the metal slab, which heats and cooks the food in minutes. The only cooking instrument used is a bigger, thicker version of a chopstick, called the “kuaizi“. The chef skillfully wielded this utensil, spreading and stirring the assorted foods when needed. With a flourish, the foods were swept into a fresh bowl in one swift motion. Then, the customers are free to be seated and dig in.
In addition to the main buffet is a smaller buffet station, with fried rice, egg rolls, sweet and sour chicken. A soda fountain with Sprite, Coke, and Root Beer is in the back corner. Customers could have a hot bowl of barbecue in less than five minutes depending on how long you took to choose the ingredients. The prices to eat here are rather reasonable compared to other restaurants. It is a buffet only for $7.35 for adults and $4.99 for children at 9 years of age or younger. The service is good, the employees friendly, and the restaurant is clean. There was nothing fancy to it, but if you are ever in need of some wallet-friendly, fast and easy yet satisfying barbecue, Mongolian BBQ is your place.
by JACQUELINE LE
