SXSW Day 4

Mongolian BBQ and Prawn Brains

My last lunch at SXSW was a blast from the past. It was pouring rain out so we went to the closest place possible and that turned out to be a Mongolian BBQ. Growing up in Seattle, I frequented similar establishments all the time, although in the northwest they were known as "mongolian grills." It also rained a lot in Seattle, but not as much as everybody thinks.

If you're unfamiliar with the concept of Mongolian bbq, this is how it works: you grab a bowl and fill it with the vegetables of your choice, pick a meat or two (usually beef, chicken, or pork), and finally, put some sauces on it. You then take your bowl, which is probably piled high with food and hand it to a cook who will stir fry everything on a large solid iron griddle. The pile of food which was previously seven to eight inches tall will turn into a much smaller glob of (hopefully) stir-fried goodness. Because you're picking what you put in it, the results can vary depending.

This particular establishment also had noodles that you could add to your bowl. The noodles are normally only available at dinner but it had been mistakenly left out and I was the last person to grab some before the employees corrected their mistake. Unfortunately, It was a minor and short-lived victory. The noodles turned out to just be spaghetti noodles. It tasted fine but it was just weird.

Below are photos of my meal before and after being cooked.

The flash photography might have a little to do with why the "after" is so unappealling. I can assure you it tasted better than it looked, largely thanks to the liberal use of sriracha sauce.

Like I said before, Mongolian BBQ is what you make of it. It's very hit or miss. Typically a miss. I can't really say I miss them, even if going to this one was kinda fun just for the nostalgia. If you should ever find yourself in a Mongolian BBQ here are a couple tips:

1. Cilantro, Cilantro, Cilantro.
2. Bean Sprouts!
3. Use lots of sesame oil, the cooked product turns out better if you do.
4. As you add stuff to your bowl, push it down with your hand so you can fit even more without having to worry about everything falling out.
5. Sriracha sauce. More often than not, you're food is going to turn out bland and will need a kick in the ass. 

Here's a video of the cooks at work

And finally, the strangest thing I ate while in Austin:

I was given this at a sushi place and didn't really know what to do with it. I've had fried prawn heads before but this one was raw and I'm pretty sure I wasn't supposed to eat the whole thing. Instead of asking, I just sucked the damn things brain out and left it at that. Pretty yummy if you ask me.

posted by: blim on Tue March 11, 2008 at 07:01 PM

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