Seems a lot of places feature Mongolian Grill. Is it an western
invention?

They feature meats, seafood, vegetables but the only foods native
Mongolians have access to are sheep, horses, milk & milk products.
Never saw a Mongolian Grill in any travel films.

James wrote:

Seems a lot of places feature Mongolian Grill. Is it an western
invention?

They feature meats, seafood, vegetables but the only foods native
Mongolians have access to are sheep, horses, milk & milk products.
Never saw a Mongolian Grill in any travel films.

It's a DIY stir-fry kinda place, almost certainly a western invention.
Unlikely to have any authenticity anywhere, but certainly tasty.

Got the Genghis Grill version in my area and it's always very good. Hard
to miss when I select every ingredient myself and they just cook it.

Pete C.

James wrote:

Seems a lot of places feature Mongolian Grill. Is it an western
invention?

They feature meats, seafood, vegetables but the only foods native
Mongolians have access to are sheep, horses, milk & milk products.
Never saw a Mongolian Grill in any travel films.

According to a lot of sources, "Mongolian grill", AKA "Mongolian
barbecue" is a fairly recent Chinese invention. See, for example, an
very interesting Chinese food history Web page at

http://www.krazykioti.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=32&Itemi d=45.

Scroll to the very end and you will find the following:

"Sometimes, a particular chef's or family's creation takes off
spectacularly, because it fits perfectly with new needs and wants; the
rise of mapo doufu and "Mongolian barbecue" could be mentioned. (Mapo
doufu, the perfect expression of Sichuanese taste, appears to have been
invented in the 19th or early 20th century, probably by a family named
Chen. "Mongolian barbecue" was invented in north China by a Chinese
chef in the 20th century; it is vaguely Mongolian by inspiration, but
was a truly new creation.)

Victor

James wrote:
Seems a lot of places feature Mongolian Grill. Is it an western
invention?

They feature meats, seafood, vegetables but the only foods native
Mongolians have access to are sheep, horses, milk & milk products.
Never saw a Mongolian Grill in any travel films.

It's a type of restaurant where you get to pick the ingredients for
your dish, typically stir frys... I guess so you can't bitch about the
food.

Sheldon

I think it's an Asian import, or perhaps first brought into the U.S. by
some enterprising American who'd been over that way. But it started in
Asia, and obviously has expanded and morphed as a genre over time.

Is it "authentic"? I don't know. Find some Mongolian folks and ask
them. You may get a straight answer, or they may snicker and ask you,
"What the hell is a 'Pizza Parlor'?"

Bob
(Thanking you for the opportunity to use the words "morphed" and
"genre" in a single "sentence".)
==============================================
In article om,
says...
Seems a lot of places feature Mongolian Grill. Is it an western
invention?

They feature meats, seafood, vegetables but the only foods native
Mongolians have access to are sheep, horses, milk & milk products.
Never saw a Mongolian Grill in any travel films.

James wrote:
Seems a lot of places feature Mongolian Grill. Is it an western
invention?

They feature meats, seafood, vegetables but the only foods native
Mongolians have access to are sheep, horses, milk & milk products.
Never saw a Mongolian Grill in any travel films.

It's a disgusting place where they have a bunch of sub-par meats,
veggies, and sauces lined up buffet-style. One goes through the line
and picks out what looks the least gut-wrenching, fills up a bowl,
hands it over to one of the surly youths working the "grill", and sits
down to wince with dismay upon sampling the first bite. All for $9.99!
Yeehaw!

wrote:
James wrote:
Seems a lot of places feature Mongolian Grill. Is it an western
invention?

They feature meats, seafood, vegetables but the only foods native
Mongolians have access to are sheep, horses, milk & milk products.
Never saw a Mongolian Grill in any travel films.

It's a disgusting place where they have a bunch of sub-par meats,
veggies, and sauces lined up buffet-style. One goes through the line
and picks out what looks the least gut-wrenching, fills up a bowl,
hands it over to one of the surly youths working the "grill", and sits
down to wince with dismay upon sampling the first bite. All for $9.99!
Yeehaw!

Oops, forgot to include a URL for your consideration:

http://www.huhot.com/

Rots of ruck!

"James" wrote in message ps.com...
Seems a lot of places feature Mongolian Grill. Is it an western
invention?
They feature meats, seafood, vegetables but the only foods native
Mongolians have access to are sheep, horses, milk & milk products.
Never saw a Mongolian Grill in any travel films.

I have never encountered a "Mongolian Grill" during all the times I visited China, but I have encountered them in the West - both as "Mongolian Grill" and "Mongolian Barbecue" - and I can't say that I would recommend them to anyone looking for a good meal. These are merely a take-off from the "Mongolian Hot Pot", except that customers line up to have their choices of various meats and vegetables stir-fried on hot plates by the cooks. The sauces provided were very banal as well, so all-in-all, not recommendable. For those of you who may have missed the video clip I posted on sushi, you have to see it by clicking on: http://video.tinypic.com/player.php?v=2v1263c .
J.

J.Venning wrote:
"James" wrote in message ps.com...
Seems a lot of places feature Mongolian Grill. Is it an western
invention?
They feature meats, seafood, vegetables but the only foods native
Mongolians have access to are sheep, horses, milk & milk products.
Never saw a Mongolian Grill in any travel films.

I have never encountered a "Mongolian Grill" during all the times I visited China, but I have encountered them in the West - both as "Mongolian Grill" and "Mongolian Barbecue" - and I can't say that I would recommend them to anyone looking for a good meal. These are merely a take-off from the "Mongolian Hot Pot", except that customers line up to have their choices of various meats and vegetables stir-fried on hot plates by the cooks. The sauces provided were very banal as well, so all-in-all, not recommendable. For those of you who may have missed the video clip I posted on sushi, you have to see it by clicking on: http://video.tinypic.com/player.php?v=2v1263c .
J.

A Manchurian (from Beijing) friend of mine introduced me to a version
of a "hot pot" where various meats and vegetables are cooked in a
boiling pot of water. She said told me that boiling water not stir
frying was the traditional/authentic northern chinese method for
making a "hot pot." I know that cantonese version of "hot pot" using
boiling water/broth, too. My friend assured me that the "Mongolian
Grill" was not traditional Mongolian fare but a modern asian-fusion
restaurant concoction ( e.g. General Tso Chicken and the fortune
cookie). A while back agos, I did a internet search on the topic and
a website I found made by female mongolian also asserted that today's
"Mongolian Grill" setup is a modern restaurant innovation/model. This
restaurant model is fairly success in the USA and has spawned a
franchised "Mongolian Grill" restaurants called *BD's Mongolian Grill*
in the USA (see http://www.gomongo.com/ )

In article . com,
says...

James wrote:
Seems a lot of places feature Mongolian Grill. Is it an western
invention?

They feature meats, seafood, vegetables but the only foods native
Mongolians have access to are sheep, horses, milk & milk products.
Never saw a Mongolian Grill in any travel films.

It's a disgusting place where they have a bunch of sub-par meats,
veggies, and sauces lined up buffet-style. One goes through the line
and picks out what looks the least gut-wrenching, fills up a bowl,
hands it over to one of the surly youths working the "grill", and sits
down to wince with dismay upon sampling the first bite. All for $9.99!
Yeehaw!


Plus, once you leave the place, you get the added pleasure of walking
around smelling like frying onions, at least until you can shower and
change your clothes.

Bob

J.Venning wrote:
"James" wrote in message ps.com...
Seems a lot of places feature Mongolian Grill. Is it an western
invention?
They feature meats, seafood, vegetables but the only foods native
Mongolians have access to are sheep, horses, milk & milk products.
Never saw a Mongolian Grill in any travel films.

I have never encountered a "Mongolian Grill" during all the times I visited China, but I have encountered them in the West - both as "Mongolian Grill" and "Mongolian Barbecue" - and I can't say that I would recommend them to anyone looking for a good meal.

That is odd.
Mongolian grill (蒙�烧烤) is quite common in China. Franchises
called
蒙�包烧烤 have also existed for at over ten years.


These are merely a take-off from the "Mongolian Hot Pot", except that customers line up to have their choices of various meats and vegetables stir-fried on hot plates by the cooks. The sauces provided were very banal as well, so all-in-all, not recommendable. For those of you who may have missed the video clip I posted on sushi, you have to see it by clicking on: http://video.tinypic.com/player.php?v=2v1263c .


J.

wrote:
James wrote:
Seems a lot of places feature Mongolian Grill. Is it an western
invention?

They feature meats, seafood, vegetables but the only foods native
Mongolians have access to are sheep, horses, milk & milk products.
Never saw a Mongolian Grill in any travel films.

It's a disgusting place where they have a bunch of sub-par meats,
veggies, and sauces lined up buffet-style. One goes through the line
and picks out what looks the least gut-wrenching, fills up a bowl,
hands it over to one of the surly youths working the "grill", and sits
down to wince with dismay upon sampling the first bite. All for
$9.99! Yeehaw!

Ours is $4.99 and it's not disgusting at all. It's probably the best meal
in town - so if you think *that's* disgusting, consider the alternatives.

kili

--
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kilikini

James wrote:
Seems a lot of places feature Mongolian Grill. Is it an western
invention?

They feature meats, seafood, vegetables but the only foods native
Mongolians have access to are sheep, horses, milk & milk products.
Never saw a Mongolian Grill in any travel films.

It's a disgusting place where they have a bunch of sub-par meats,
veggies, and sauces lined up buffet-style. One goes through the line
and picks out what looks the least gut-wrenching, fills up a bowl,
hands it over to one of the surly youths working the "grill", and sits
down to wince with dismay upon sampling the first bite. All for
$9.99! Yeehaw!

Ours is $4.99 and it's not disgusting at all. It's probably the best meal
in town - so if you think *that's* disgusting, consider the alternatives.

kili

--
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kilikini



Locally we have a place called Hans Mongolian BBQ and since there are only a
handful of them in the Houston area (and none of the others as good as this
place) so people flock there from all over town. Very good!.. you start out
picking from a wide variety of frozen meats and then it's on to the veggies
and sauces to pick.. where you choose your sauces there is some printed
stuff above them regarding suggestions or you can ask the owner. It also
includes an appetizer bar with BBQ spare ribs, dumplings, soups, etc.

Very nice and an immaculately clean restaurant. Believe it's $5.95 for
lunch.

Chris in Pearland, TX

In article ,
says...
Locally we have a place called Hans Mongolian BBQ and since there are only a
handful of them in the Houston area (and none of the others as good as this
place) so people flock there from all over town. Very good!.. you start out
picking from a wide variety of frozen meats and then it's on to the veggies
and sauces to pick.. where you choose your sauces there is some printed
stuff above them regarding suggestions or you can ask the owner. It also
includes an appetizer bar with BBQ spare ribs, dumplings, soups, etc.


The Mongolian Grill here has three prices - 1, 2, or 3 bowls. You take
your bowl(s) to a buffet where you load them up with the raw ingredients
of your choice. There's a large selection, mostly veggies but also
meats. The general quality of the ingredients is mediocre. Some people
have gotten very skilled at piling a huge amount of food in their bowls.
Then you take the stuff to the grill where an employee stir-fries it
with the sauce of your choice. Rice is provided too.

There are several problems. First is that the ingredients are of
questionable quality. Then, they are all cooked together so there's no
accounting for the fact that some things need longer to cook than
others.

The place is popular with people who want huge quantities of food at a
reasonable price and don't care much about the quality.

--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths pages at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

Peter A wrote:

In article ,
says...
Locally we have a place called Hans Mongolian BBQ and since there are only a
handful of them in the Houston area (and none of the others as good as this
place) so people flock there from all over town. Very good!.. you start out
picking from a wide variety of frozen meats and then it's on to the veggies
and sauces to pick.. where you choose your sauces there is some printed
stuff above them regarding suggestions or you can ask the owner. It also
includes an appetizer bar with BBQ spare ribs, dumplings, soups, etc.


The Mongolian Grill here has three prices - 1, 2, or 3 bowls. You take
your bowl(s) to a buffet where you load them up with the raw ingredients
of your choice. There's a large selection, mostly veggies but also
meats. The general quality of the ingredients is mediocre. Some people
have gotten very skilled at piling a huge amount of food in their bowls.
Then you take the stuff to the grill where an employee stir-fries it
with the sauce of your choice. Rice is provided too.

There are several problems. First is that the ingredients are of
questionable quality. Then, they are all cooked together so there's no
accounting for the fact that some things need longer to cook than
others.

The place is popular with people who want huge quantities of food at a
reasonable price and don't care much about the quality.

--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths pages at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

You've apparently got a crappy place.

Around here we have the Genghis Grill franchises and they are excellent.
The ingredient quality and freshness are excellent, cleanliness is
impeccable and your comment about cooking times is way off as well.

The big "wok" ring has tapered heat zones, hotter towards the middle and
cooler to the outside. The cooks are quite aware of cooking times and if
you watch you will see they immediately sort the contents of your bowl
and put the meats to the inside, seafood towards the outside and veggies
in the middle. They check how items like the steak chunks are doing by
tapping them to see how firm they are, the same as you would do with a
steak on the grill.

Pricing is also a bit better. I don't recall the exact prices at the
moment, but there is a reasonable price for one bowl and for a couple
dollars more it's all you can eat.


Pete C.