Temujin, Sowerby Bridge
Mongolian. Web site looked very impressive with lots of references to the warrior race and promises of exotic food barbecued in front of your eyes. Reality was less impressive. To start with a couple of white wines and mongolian beers - Baadog by name and expensive. Between 5 diners we ordered two mixed starters and they were quite good - a range of spring rolls, corn fritters, fish, chicken kebabs with two dips. Not too bad.
Next stage was to collect the raw ingredients for your main course and take it to one of the chefs who would stir fry it before your very eyes. This always involves serious tossing of woks so that the flames shot a yard into the air, which created a real spectacle. The exotic meat available today was kangaroo whereas the website had suggested venison, ostrich and others.
Once you had given your plate of raw food to the chef you had to choose which oil you wanted in your wok, which sauce and finally which of 2 garnishes. Five minutes later your stir fry was ready. It was as much as you could eat so I went back 3 times. First beef in chili oil with sweet & sour sauce and cashew garnish, secondly pork with herb oil, char sui sauce and no garnish and finally just for the hell of it I had lamb in chili oil, chili sauce and chili garnish (and it was hot).
Desserts were a hefty £4-99 each and the most significant part of the evening (the bill) was nearly £150 for 5.
Overall verdict was a) expensive and b) not really very mongolian. Sure there was a brooding picture of Genghis Khan on the wall but it was just a big stir fry for £15. Experienced regulars would cut out the starter and desserts and eat well for much less but there was nothing unique about it in fact we could probably have made the stir fry ourselves quite easily from produce available in Tesco. We wouldn't have had the huge flames however.
Spin off issues. I have since read Conn Iggulden's trilogy about Genghis Khan and found it rather good. Try your local library.
Next stage was to collect the raw ingredients for your main course and take it to one of the chefs who would stir fry it before your very eyes. This always involves serious tossing of woks so that the flames shot a yard into the air, which created a real spectacle. The exotic meat available today was kangaroo whereas the website had suggested venison, ostrich and others.
Once you had given your plate of raw food to the chef you had to choose which oil you wanted in your wok, which sauce and finally which of 2 garnishes. Five minutes later your stir fry was ready. It was as much as you could eat so I went back 3 times. First beef in chili oil with sweet & sour sauce and cashew garnish, secondly pork with herb oil, char sui sauce and no garnish and finally just for the hell of it I had lamb in chili oil, chili sauce and chili garnish (and it was hot).
Desserts were a hefty £4-99 each and the most significant part of the evening (the bill) was nearly £150 for 5.
Overall verdict was a) expensive and b) not really very mongolian. Sure there was a brooding picture of Genghis Khan on the wall but it was just a big stir fry for £15. Experienced regulars would cut out the starter and desserts and eat well for much less but there was nothing unique about it in fact we could probably have made the stir fry ourselves quite easily from produce available in Tesco. We wouldn't have had the huge flames however.
Spin off issues. I have since read Conn Iggulden's trilogy about Genghis Khan and found it rather good. Try your local library.
posted by Julius Caesar at
1:31 pm
