Genghis Khan Mongolian BBQ

Before going to Genghis Khan Mongolian BBQ, I was expecting some spicy food, maybe served on a hotplate, sizzling as you wait to dig in. What I got was different, but still (kind of) the same, and very fun!

We called in advance, booking a table for six. ‘It is a good thing that you called in advance,’ we were told.

Delicious breadsticks!

When we arrived, and found the restaurant that is tucked away in a corner of a desolate business complex, the restaurant was seemingly empty. The friendly waitress led us to our table on the far side of the restaurant. The restaurant itself was adorned with Chinese lanterns, and had neutral brick walls. I noticed a sign on the wall near the entrance, advising the patrons of the restaurant’s imminent move to a new location on the 1^st of January.

We sat down, and after a quick look at the menu settled on ‘The Victory Meal,’ the Mongolian BBQ grill. ($19.50/person, less for under 12s). The waitress came over, bearing a basket of crisp, buttery, crumbly and delicious breadsticks. We told her our choice and ordered some drinks. She told us to make our way over to the adjoining room to make our meal, all-you-can-eat, make-your-own flavour, Mongolian BBQ.

We made our way to the grill room, noticing the only other people in the restaurant getting their meal cooked on the large grill by the cooks – what a spectacle.

I grabbed a bowl and quickly started to pick the ingredients for my personalised meal. You are spoiled for choice, with the selection of meats including beef, chicken, lamb, pork and even kangaroo! There is also a large selection of vegetables and sauces to make your own unique stir fry.

I was a bit overwhelmed with the seemingly endless selection, so I followed one of the recipes from the board, sweet and sour pork. The results was very yummy, but I had the meat to vegetable ratio too high. From then on I made sure I used more vegetables. Make sure you use vegetables with different textures, or else it detracts from the overall mouth-feel.

Here's my example of freestyle... it doesn't look pretty, but it was delicious!

After following the recipe the first time, I went solo on my second attempt, making a great beef dish with a wonderfully balanced sauce. It tasted a lot better than the first, maybe just because I made the recipe myself.

My third bowl was the worst of the three. This is one bad point about this restaurant – the taste of the food depends on your skill and picking good flavour combinations.

After having been there for almost an hour and being nearly finished with the main course, we realised why we were told it was good we’d booked – the restaurant was almost full. This gave it a much better atmosphere, but at a cost. There was now a line of around ten to fifteen people to make the stir fry at any one time, I was glad that I had already had enough. Some other people in my group still wanted more, and they were forced to put up with the long wait times. I definitely recommend you ask what time the dinner rush starts, and get there BEFORE!

Once we had finished dinner, we ordered dessert. We had the ‘Special steamboat sweet,’ which is essentially fondue ($5.50/person, min 4). The waitress came to our table with platters of banana, orange, apple and marshmallows that were shared between two. She then melted chocolate, cream and coffee liqueur to dip them in. The chocolate sauce was very good, the use of dark chocolate made it bittersweet, allowing it to perfectly counterbalance the intense sweetness of the fruit and marshmallows. The platter also had a good balance of textures that subtly added to the overall enjoyment of this dish.

Overall, Genghis Kahn was a fun night out, and it was very enjoyable, being able to make your own food and watch it being cooked – especially after you read about its origins in Mongolia, from the cover of the menu. The food was average, but this is a place that I definitely recommend for the experience more than the actual food itself.

Do I recommend?                                                                                                        

Yes, if you are looking for a fun experience for tea… not for fine dining or a romantic night out. I especially recommend it to families, especially with older kids. If they are younger than 8-10, you will probably have to help them with the process.

This would also be a good night out with some friends – just watch out for anyone offering to make you one, they may ‘assume’ that you like it extra spicy, or garlic-y!

Rating

Food and drinks    12/20

Ambience               6/10

Service                   8.5/10

Value                      4/5

X Factor                 2/5

Total                       32.5/50


Location
264 Montacute Rd
ROSTREVER
SA           5073
(new location)
Phone
8336 7177

Menu

Sign announcing their move

Buffet of vegetables to choose from

The grill the cooks use - bigger then it looks!

Recipes that you can use, or free-style your meal.

Fruit platter for the chocolate fondue. One platter was shared between two.

Fondue - the waitress prepares the chocolate sauce in front of you with a portable stove.