Nomad's land

Mongolie Grill is on the move

by SARAH MUSGRAVE

It's hard to imagine the herdsmen of the Mongolian steppes lining up to pay for their meal by the gram, but never mind how authentic Mongolie Grill's cuisine might be. Dinner here is a lot of fun, combining Chinese cookery, Japanese sizzle and California wraps. And it's now more accessible since reopening in the Plateau last month. I'd normally wait longer before reviewing it, but after six years of business in the Village I figure they've got their food down pat.

The new restaurant is lighter and airier than its previous incarnation, but the focus is still a huge, circular cast iron grill topped by an immense steel vent. Behind it works the cook, a young man with a shaved head and monk-like appearance, deep in concentration. Like some sort of kodo drummer of cooking, the metallic clang of his spatula joins the techno music in the background.

You start your meal with a soup of tofu and bamboo shoots in a thick, tangy stock. It's like a more pungent version of Chinese hot and sour, though darker and less gelatinous. It was quite satisfying, but I found the chunks of bean curd too firm for my taste.

Then you head over to the buffet area, where you fill a stainless steel bowl with all sorts of raw ingredients. The first section contains just about every seafood and meat product available, from glistening escargots to cubes of lamb. I opted to go surf while my friend went turf. I loaded up on pieces of fresh trout, salmon, calamari rings, oysters and shrimp. He chose pieces of marinated chicken, marinated beef and plain beef cubes.

Next up is the vegetable section, with more than 20 options to add to your bowl. I threw in a few straw mushrooms, sliced raw mushrooms, chopped green onions and red onions, shredded cabbage, egg noodles, thinly sliced zucchini and broccoli florets. There are also artichokes, cauliflower, nuts, sprouts and cubes of tofu (there's a discount for vegetarians).

The final step is choosing the sauces, which run the gamut from Dijon to teriyaki to the spicy Genghis Khan. The cook's suggestion was to combine more than one. I tried a coconut milk concoction called "Thai fire" and a simple mixture of oil and minced garlic. My friend topped off his carnivorous plate with a semi-spicy sesame sauce, ginger sauce and minced ginger in oil. In the end, his was definitely the tastier of the two dishes. Fortunately, there's soya and hoisin on the table if you need to adjust flavourings.

Your bowl is then weighed (my complete meal was $12) and the components are dumped onto the grill where they sizzle delightfully as they are tossed and turned by the cook. Last time I visited the Village location, I remember watching with a mixture of horror and fascination as the grill master perspired profusely as he worked. Rivulets of sweat would stream down his bald head, catch momentarily on a facial piercing, then wend down his chin to splash with a hiss on the hot surface before him. No such spectacle this time!

When you get back to the table with your cooked ingredients on a huge stainless steel platter, you're provided with a bowl of rice and a plate of rolling papers thick enough to be mistaken for napkins. Made of wheat instead of rice, they created a sturdy wrap for the ingredients.

There's nothing Asian about the desserts--chocolate cakes and such--but the maple cake drizzled with chocolate sauce was a delicious and sugary end to the meal. As we finished up, we were already planning the combinations we'd make next time around.

Mongolie Grill

Address: 500 Rachel E.

Phone: 526-0605

Hours: Sun-Wed 11am-11pm; Thurs-Sat 11pm-midnight

Best features: fun ingredients to make your own meal

Vegetarian friendly: yes

Wheelchair access: some stairs

Alcohol: yes

Credit cards: yes

Price: $18/person without tax, drinks or tip

Rating: HH 1/2 out of HHHH