EATING OUT

A traditional feast

The Mongol armies of Genghis Khan were once feared throughout Asia - but today their culinary legacy has won international approval

Reviewed by JOHN LEICESTER

Mongo'S Restaurant & Bar, Ground Floor, Two Pacific Place, Sukhumvit Road, Tel 02-255-1122, Open daily for lunch and dinner, Sunday brunch: 11:30am-3pm

The latest addition to Bangkok dining, Mongo'S Restaurant & Bar serves up Mongolian-style barbecue in a contemporary setting, combining exotic ingredients, zesty sauces and a touch of creative DIY in the best traditions of Asian fast food.

"Mongo'S represents one of Europe's hottest food concepts with eight popular restaurants in Germany, and the Bangkok branch is the very first in Asia," says Jens O. Reichert, CEO of LBC Management Group, the master franchise of Mongo'S for the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand.

He believes that the Mongo'S concept will catch on quickly in Thailand with strong support from local franchisees and German standards of operation, and he plans to open new restaurants in Pattaya and Phuket later this year.

So what does Mongo'S bring to Bangkok's culinary scene? Everything about the restaurant suggests Mongolia - its name, a decor that includes cow skins and Mongolian faces in characteristic, colourful settings, and a cooking style inspired by the Mongol emperor Genghis Khan's conquering army. What it doesn't offer is modern Mongolian cuisine, but that isn't really the point.

As they surged across Asia, the Mongols took their livestock and food supplies with them. Every night at their encampment, fresh meat and vegetables would be grilled barbecue-style on their metal shields over open fires.

The Mongo'S barbecue is a modern equivalent, a stir-fry of meat and vegetables mixed with special sauces, but cooked on a show kitchen grill rather than a shield. Fast, light cooking ensures that the freshness, taste and goodness of the ingredients are kept within each dish.

Dining here is fun based on a simple DIY concept. The first step is to choose one of seven sauces to go with your dish. These include local favourites chilli-garlic and Thai green curry, lime-curry (an Indian-style flavour), Malay-satay (light taste of herbs and peanuts), tomato-herbs (salsa style), coconut-sesame (very light) and Mongo'S plum (sweet Chinese plum taste), plus a surprise Sauce of the Month.

Then take your bowl to the food market and make your selection from the range of fresh vegetables, noodles and pasta, and meat, which on our visit included ostrich, crocodile, duck, turkey, lamb and beef. We also noted five kinds of fish and seafood.

Next, hand your bowl to the chefs for a sizzling stir-fry with your sauce selection and it will be served at your table. Many permutations are possible, so each bowl requires some thought to ensure you've picked the right combination for maximum pleasure. A couple of our guests complained of a headache from having to make so many decisions, but there was no disputing their enjoyment once the eating started.

The restaurant does, in fact, have a menu: For dinner, Mongo'S One Way (440 baht) is a one-time visit to the food market, while we opted for Total Mongo'S (680 baht) with a much wider choice of ingredients. At lunchtime, Mongo'S Quick Lunch (290 baht) is a one-time trip to the food market, while Total Mongo'S (480 baht) means that you can help yourself as many times as you like.

For children up to 12 years, Mini Mongo'S (250 baht) includes a single visit to the food market plus a soft drink. And there's also a Sunday brunch (950 baht) which offers a free flow of draft beer and soft drinks along with a wide selection of international and Asian dishes and ingredients.

Needless to say, our group tried every sauce and probably every ingredient, and each trip to the food market became more animated as we debated the best combinations to try. Our Thai contingent enjoyed the spiciness of the chilli-garlic and Thai green curry sauces, while the fresh zestiness of the tomato-herbs was promising. The surprise hit was the plum sauce, which greatly enhanced the delicately fried, sliced duck breast.

If creating your own combinations proves too much, the restaurant offers a small menu of appetisers that includes beef, pork and chicken satay (190 baht) served with spicy glass noodle salad; prawn, salmon skewers (230 baht) served with mango and pineapple relish; and tofu tempura (190 baht) on a ginger tomato compote. There's also dessert menu and we succumbed to deep-fried vanilla ice cream (110 baht), with the ice cream wrapped in a light, crispy pancake.

Mongo'S is on the ground floor of Two Pacific Place, with Nana BTS station right outside. It has seating for 90 indoors and for 40 on the al fresco patio. It is very popular with the coffee and snack crowd, and also has an attractive Wine Bar on the mezzanine floor.

There is a sizeable drinks list, and a very appealing wine policy. According to Mr Reichert, all the wines list are offered at supermarket prices plus a modest corkage charge of 250 baht - and this covers everything from house wines to grands crus.

Mongo'S comes close to having something for everyone from a quick lunch to a leisurely dinner. But it's probably best if you're with a group of friends who enjoy sharing their tastes in food - in the celebrated tradition of Genghis Khan's mighty Mongol army.

Bangkok Post

Last Updated : Sunday April 08, 2007