The Mongolain Grill (Cambridge, London) - any reviews??

[MarcO]

I'm attending a birthday dinner at The Mongolian Grill in Cambridge on Saturday (there is also one in London). Anybody been to this place and could offer some thoughts?

The concept of the place is where they grill things "fresh" for you right there for your personalized stirfry. To be honest, I am expecting less than fresh food, overcooked and overpriced, but then again I'm a bit of an asshole.

Your thoughts please!

[bradm]

Google along with me...

Aloha,

Brad

[CyberHippie]

I've been to the one in Kitchener and London. Definitely one of my fav. restaurants.

[phorbesie]

well, i've been to a place called 'the mongolie grill' in vancouver and whistler, and it was awesome. i don't know if this a different chain.

you choose all the stuff you want and put in a bowl, then they fry it up for you. it can be expensive if you get lots of heavy stuff..cause you pay by weight. but yummy

[PalacePrincess]

we have one here in waterloo. it's actually not bad, as long as you don't pick gross stuff.

it's a raw food buffet. you go through it, pick what you want in your stirfry, & bring it up to the grill. (which is a freakin' huge, HOT round thing that has a few chefs around it). they cook your food on this thing with 2 big sticks (takes about a minute), and give you your dish back to eat. there is also a salad bar. you can get an all you can eat or just a trip through once. i suggest getting the all you can eat, or the 2-times through, that way if you experiment & don't like what you get, you can go up & make a new one.

my sister used to work there, here are some tips:

they have the buffet set up so that you are putting the cheapest food in first. don't be afraid to go through it backwards. start at the meat, then go to veggies and then to the pastas (if you want them).

use at least 3 ladel fuls of oil/sauce (there will be signs that recommend that though, as well as suggested recipes -- after the meat/vegetable section of the buffet, you get to the sauces, oils, herbs & spices). they say you shouldn't mix up the types of meat (due to different cooking times), but fuck it, i always do. although i don't add seafood in mine, so maybe that makes a difference.

it's kind of a novelty place... the food can be really good if you pick a good combination. the stir fry is served with rice & tortillas at your table, they also have a regular menu with food on it that is cooked back in the kitchen and served to you.

ambiance wise, it's kind of like a step beside east side mario's. they don't have the cute kitsch of east side's, but sort of the same atmosphere.

have fun!

[CookieMonster]

The one in Calgary is delicious, but can be a bit pricy. Try it out at least once - I've always found their veggies to be quite fresh and the sauces are devine!

[guigsy]

it's too bad you're not attending a birthday dinner party at the one in london, i'd crash the fugger. i like it there. i took my mom there for mother's day once, and she liked it as well.

[CyberHippie]

The rice and tortillas at your table is nice. You can start of with a nice stir-fry, move on to some fajitas, and wash it all down with a different stir fry... Yum!

Stir Fry is actually one of my favourite foods, probably why I like it there so much. It is a little pricey, but it's all you can eat, plus stir fry prep is a lot of work, nice to just have it all ready to go, just add ingreadients.

[PalacePrincess]

i haven't been there in awhile, but it's not that much, is it? from what i remember, i think the all you can eat is like $15 or something like that... so if you go up a few times, it's pretty much worth it. especially if you get a practically meat only buffet. heehee. the salad bar is pretty good too, and that's included in the all you can eat.

although if you throw drink prices in there too, i guess that would put it kinda up there.

[Jakis]

They had the same sort of thing every thursday and tuesday in the Carleton Residence caf when I was there. Im sure this place is much, much, much better though.

[MarcO]

thanks, friends. bradm - yes, I tried a google search but sometimes you just need that personal touch, ya know?

I guess my reluctance is based on really having a quiet hatred for all-you-can-eat buffets. I have never liked them.

But there hasn't been a negative response so I will go open-minded for some quality food!

Maybe I'll order off the menu just to see what reactions I get.

thanks again. Carry on about this place, or buffets in general, if you wish. This is like sports talk for a guy like me!

[ge-off]

cambridge is my home stompin grounds..

are you from cambridge??.

the grill is pretty good..

but its no mandarin thats for sure..

[Sunshine]

When I lived in London and my parents would come to town for birthdays etc.

I use to love to go there. It's not too expensive either. I think dinner would be $14.99 for two or three trips to the buffet.

It's sooooooooooo tasty, especially if you have a good sense for making your own combinations.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....now I WANT IT!

Edited August 24, 2005 by Guest

[gentlemonkey]

They have one in Ottawa too. Bell-Corners.

Its pretty good, just make sure you take a look at the sauce combos.. (there are suggested combos).. the first time I tried it, i was smitten the the sauces and was like 'mmmm, garlic, mmm teryaki, mmmm hot sauce' and it tasted like bad soup on a plate. But if you get the sauces to work together its delish.. they have a suggested sauce combos chart- i suggest you use it.

also, the dumplings are great. the simulated crab meat is not.

also, they cook vegetarian plates on the same grill as the raw meat, unless you specify it cant touch the same grill. fyi. I think everyone get s a bowl of sweet'n'sour soup too, which ranks somewhere between liptons and puddlewater.

overall, a good meal. enjoy!

[timouse]

well, i've been to a place called 'the mongolie grill' in vancouver and whistler, and it was awesome. i don't know if this a different chain.

you choose all the stuff you want and put in a bowl, then they fry it up for you. it can be expensive if you get lots of heavy stuff..cause you pay by weight. but yummy

it's the same concept except way more expensive. the mongolian grill charges by the person, the mongolia grill (?) in whistler charges by the pound. of food, that is, not patrons

[hamilton]

I used to go to the one in London all the time when I lived there. Great food, reasonable price - about $12-15, IIRC, for the buffet. And every trip to the grill yields a different meal.

[Tooly]

different oils eh? id just use olive if i were you marco, any other oil turns into trans-fats when cooked past very low temps. not a well known fact, Lays and other chip companies now have the big ""NO TRANS-FATS"" on their bags (of chips) which is TOTAL bullshit. they toss their chips in sesame or veggie oil, and crank it up to boiling temp or beyond, and thats when the oils turn into trans fats.

olive oil rocks, it has the highest, or one of the highest burning temps around, hence it wont be turning into trans fats.

word up

enjoy the grill brah

[Sarahbelle]

yum yum! I went to the one in waterloo!

It's so good! They even clean the grill for you if your vegetarian (you have to ask though )

I like mixing all kinds of stuff together!

And they give you rice and wraps to go with your stirfry.

mmmm I an hungry now

[Steve from Cleveland]

We have one wround here.. It's a chain, because they have one by Julia's house in michican. It's bd's Mongolian Grill, Barbecue or something. It is really pretty good, assuming you spice it right. That's the trickiest part. I like it, and although I have a hard time eating my money's worth, it is a pretty entertaining and enjoyable experience... Give'r a whirl...

Steve