The Mongolorian BBQ injects Chinese buffet memories with new hope

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photo by Rob Bartlett

While Mongolian barbecue has enjoyed popularity in decades past, it’s never really been cool. Now Colonialtown hot spot the Mongolorian BBQ is coming as close as anyone has to making it so in Orlando, with bright fare that takes Chinese-buffet nostalgia and makes it sleek, young and fresh again.

Beginning with the name itself — a nod to Star Wars series The Mandalorian — the Mongolorian is going for modernity with pan-Asian flair. Designed with both style and pace in mind, the pulse here is brisk and vibrant. It’s a fast-casual operation where you line up at the counter, place your order at one of the touchscreen stations and then grab a table, where your food is brought hot and fresh.

There was much advance talk about the Mongolorian’s special kitchen equipment, which are automated drum-style wok tumblers. But it’s the work done by the actual cooks that brings some elevation to the Mongolian barbecue game.

For appetizers, we tried the Mongol wings ($7.50), which are simply seasoned and sided with tasty house barbecue sauce, and the crispy pot stickers ($7), which come with a wan ponzu sauce. Both dishes are hard-fried, which works well for the chicken wings but less so for the dumplings. The fried green beans ($6) were much more delicately executed, and far better.

click to enlarge

photo by Rob Bartlett

When it comes to the Mongolian barbecue itself, this restaurant shows its kitchen cred in the curated bowls of their “Signature Bites.” Easily the best of the two we tried was the bold Mongol Empire ($15), a rice dish topped with grilled beef and chicken and accented with bok choi, cabbage, mushrooms, white onion, scallions and sesame seeds, all tossed in their specialty Mongolorian sauce. Nomads Land ($15) — a dish of flat rice noodles with grilled chicken and pork mixed with cabbage, carrots, baby corn, broccoli and scallions dressed in a Thai-inspired basil curry sauce — was much less memorable.

You can, of course, chart your own combo on their “Custom Bites” menu (starting at $15), which is part of Mongolian barbecue’s appeal after all. You pick your base (rice or a variety of noodles), protein (chicken, pork, fried krab, crispy tofu; or beef, shrimp and vegan chicken for a $1 upcharge), up to four vegetables (the usual suspects), up to four toppings (fried onions, scallions, jalapenos, sesame seeds, shredded nori, or fried egg for a $1 upcharge) and, finally, a sauce.

The sauce defines the dish, and here there are seven choices. Of the three we tried, the basil curry was the most subtle. Flavor restraint probably isn’t uppermost in most minds when it comes to Mongolian barbecue, so go with the rich, chili paste-powered Mongolorian sauce or the nicely caramelized savoriness of the Sweet & Salty sauce for lustier bites.

Apart from the vegetables being a little sparse, there’s much to laud about the mains. The ingredients overall are good. The handling of the proteins is especially noteworthy. Even among a stir-fry toss, the tofu remains crispy outside and plush inside. The meats are impressive in both cut and cook. The chicken they use, for example, is superior dark meat. Moreover, some meats are grilled before stir-frying, a step that adds nice flavor and dimension above the typical one-note Mongolian barbecue cooking.

Neither the beverage nor the dessert offerings are, ahem, a boba fête, with only basic soft drinks and two sweet treats. The donut-style fried churros ($6) – served a la mode with chocolate drizzle – was decadent, if a little grease-soaked.

Of the new class of progressive Asian eateries to rise in Orlando, the Mongolorian BBQ is among the most approachable in cost and cuisine. And the considerable buzz there is what happens when you take a simple joy like Mongolian barbecue and juice it with some modern inspiration.