Mongolian Barbecue, Tiongson Arcade’s newest culinary find
Bariles first tasted Mongolian Barbecue a few years back at a food stall inside the Greenbelt 1 Mall in Makati City. Back then, he found out that it was neither Mongolian nor a barbecue.
It was actually, various ingredients from a buffet of thinly sliced raw meats and veggies and noodles which customers choose and mixed together in a large bowl which is handed over to a cook who then adds the diner’s choice of sauce. These are then stir-fried in one section of a hot, open, solid griddle in about 5 minutes, after which they are scooped back into the bowl and served to the customer, usually with a cup of rice.
Although it was new to Bariles, he liked it instantly, bringing him back to the time when he used to work in Malaysia and Thailand. Since then, a trip to that food stall became a regular thing each time he sets foot in Makati.
Now, the good news is: he doesn’t have to go that far, because a local GenSan restaurant just opened serving his favorite Mongolian Barbecue.
The name of the place is still simply: MONGOLIAN B-B-Q until they find a suitable monicker for it. Owned by my “kinakapatid” Alan Sanidad, the same guy behind Abi’s Oriental Restaurant and Abi’s Goto House (both along Osmena South), the restaurant is located at the famous Tiongson Arcade, Tiongson Street in Barangay Lagao. It’s right beside Gusteau’s Shrimps and Crabs and Euro Kitchen, which we also featured here months back.
What’s good about Mongolian BBQ is that the cook and his large griddle are positioned outside the diner where passersby can smell what he is cooking and maybe entice them to drop by. The buffet of assorted meat and veggies, sauces and herbs plus noodles are also displayed outside. When I was there earlier tonight, two other groups were also choosing their “sahug” and so, we had to wait in line before we had our pick which we then gave to the cook. By the way, the meat had to be weighed by a kitchen staff for pricing. If I can remember right, it’s P75 per 100 grams of assorted meat.
Choose your own mix of meats (pork, beef, chicken, shrimps, fish, fish balls, squid) and veggies plus sauces at Mongolian BBQ
Alan’s cook who have been with him for 8 or so years, finished preparing our Mongolian Barbecue in less than 15 minutes and so it was immediately served to us, piping hot. This is how it deliciously looked, same as how it tasted.
Mongolian Barbecue ala Tiongson Arcade
Next, we were served another house special, Beef Teppanyaki, thin slices of beef ordered from Lisa’s Meat…. thus making it so tender to the bite and with Alan’s secret sauces, aromatic too.
Beef Teppanyaki
Then, it was the turn to taste Alan’s Fish Teppanyaki with Lemon Sauce. It was super tender and eaten best when hot while dipped in its Ponzu sauce. Except for its skin, this one easily melted in my mouth. Without its smelly fishy taste, it is a good Lenten alternative for the usual grilled tuna panga we generals usually have.
Fish Tepanyaki
Then, finally we had to try Korean Chicken which Alan was so proud of since there is no one quite like it in GenSan. A bit spicy and a little on the sweet side, it is best eaten straight from the grill too, to best appreciate its juicy portions.
Korean Chicken
The dishes we sampled can only be described in three words – sumptuous, healthy and affordable. But what about the place’s ambience?
While Alan was explaining to us his future plans for his new venture, I took these pictures of the dining area which were tastefully decorated by RRMC’s Bing Carino.
Bing covered the entire floor with baby rocks and hanged white tarps on the restaurant’s walls giving character to an otherwise simple and rustic setting. Galing mo Bing!
Mongolian Barbecue’s dining area.
With Mongolian BBQ‘s entry into the group of specialized mini-restaurants at the Tiongson Arcade, run by young entrepreneurs like Karl Macaraeg, Alan Lopez and Alan Sanidad (all of them not yet in their 40′s), it gives us “generals” enough reason to salute them for introducing us to new and varied culinary fare while coaxing us to go out of our houses more often and experience what the city has to offer at night, aside from the usual.
Bravo Karl and to the two Alans!
Tagged Alan Sanidad, Beef Teppanyaki, gensan restaurant, Korean Chicken, mongolian barbecue, Tiongson Arcade
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Daxi Weida03/08/2009 at 1:36 AM
The problem with reading posts like this at this time of the day (1:31 am) is you begin to crave yet you can’t do anything because the kitchen is already closed and your favorite cook is already deep into slumberland.. Mangutkot na lang kog cornik ani.
Daxi Weidas last blog post..Thank you, sister!
anonymouse :)03/08/2009 at 3:31 AM
@Manoy Avel, tulo laway ko sa pictures ng dishes. Pakitanong kay kinakapatid (mo)Alan bakit may japanese dishes (teppanyaki)sa house specials nila? Maganda siguro kung ang name ng mini-resto nila Japongol BBQ di ba? ajejeje
BTW, sabi ng friendz ko na heytch-ar-em studez (sabay ko dito sa internet cafe), teppan daw tawag sa griddle/grill na gamit ng cook.:)
anonymouse
s last blog post..Gusto nyo makita ako?
sheng03/08/2009 at 4:54 AM
Masubukan nga ito… Malapit lang to sa amin eh.
shengs last blog post..A Tribute to the Master Rapper
tanchi03/08/2009 at 9:16 AM
wow.
another gensan’s tastebud..:))
tanchis last blog post..Gensan, All Set for Kalilangan Festival 2009
orman03/08/2009 at 4:09 PM
super sarap talaga dito… i love the chicken teppanyaki… the mongolian barbeque was okay… kulang lang ng lasa for me… the beef teppanyaki was really tender… the place naman is cozy… i don’t remember complaining about the seat so that’s good. i know sisikat din ito coz allan has a “green thumb” on the food business. anything he touches turns to gold! way to go, allan and michelle! incidentally the resto will be featured in the gma special on kalilangan festival…watch out for it….
ormans last blog post..Hallelujah
rammyboi03/08/2009 at 6:24 PM
hala! mouth-watering kaau. duol ra man ni sa amo. ako ni sulayan (LOL) tnx sa info kuya avel
rammybois last blog post..Plurkitos and Plurkitas of Gensan
bariles03/08/2009 at 9:46 PMAuthor
Hahaha! That’s the best comment I have received so far with regard to my food posts, Daxi.
Thanks my friend. More to come….
bariles03/08/2009 at 9:56 PMAuthor
Oriental dishes ang specialty nya…halo-halo although he limited the menu para mas focused sila. You HRM friends are right, teppan nga tawag doon. Kaya nga, may beef teppanyaki and fish teppanyaki sya. The Korean chicken is also cooked in the same teppan.
Pag kumain ka doon, pakilala ka sa may-ari. I told them to watch out for you. May sorpresa silang nag-aantay.
bariles03/08/2009 at 9:59 PMAuthor
@rammyboi – @tanchi – @sheng – Let’s go there together. We might get a discount. Deal?
chic03/08/2009 at 11:55 PM
proven and tested!sarap jud kaayo ilang fud..
affordable pa jud..
they let my kids pa chose pa the veggies..
my mistake–nag atang ko sa atubangan sa cook habang ginaluto ang dish..
mau na lang wa jud nagtulo akong laway..hehehe
try there mongolian bbq..di jud mo magmahay..pramiz..
bariles03/11/2009 at 9:21 AMAuthor
@chic, i am glad that you liked it too. I would not endorse something that does not suit my taste.
Amie03/08/2009 at 11:59 PM
Hmmmmm…ang sarap! picture pa lang Bariles nakakagutom na.
I’m craving for mongolian barbecue tuloy. Tama talaga si Daxi
Weida. Pero I don’t think I could find a place near us na
nagse serve ng mongolian barbecue…yum! yum!
Amies last blog post..Life Beyond
bariles03/11/2009 at 9:22 AMAuthor
@Amie, come to think of it, it is easy to prepare. Mix lang ang meats and veggies. The secret however is in the sauce. There are recipes scattered all over the Internet which you may want to check out.
Rhey Bacani03/09/2009 at 8:31 AM
Agang kay gutom.hehehhe
bariles03/11/2009 at 9:26 AMAuthor
@Rhey Bacani, hehehe!
@gensanite, i first got to like Japanese food after having it at the former Nimoshobe and Abi’s Oriental which Alan Sanidad owns. Now I go wherever he puts up a new eating venture.
@Jinky, take me with you, don’t forget.
@Nate Marx, you have to try everything.
gensanite03/09/2009 at 11:40 AM
tasteful interiors… i bet there’s good food in there… i agree with SIR ORMAN… the owner has something up in his sleeve when it comes to the food business… kudos to this new addition to gensan’s gastronomic get-aways…
jinky03/09/2009 at 12:25 PM
wow, nice naman ng post na to. . .
I really missed Mongolian BBQ, years back kasi halos every week meron nito sa Casa Luisa.. .
Gusto ko na pumunta ngayon doon he he he
Nate Marx03/09/2009 at 7:40 PM
Yehey a buffet with shrimps….for sure ako puro shrimps lang talaga ang dish ko and some spices of course…
@Rammyboi lapit lang talaga nyan sa inyo ah… hehehe…. libre…! kiddin…
Nate Marxs last blog post..The final bow of Siegfried and Roy?
blackmeat03/10/2009 at 1:10 PM
Sir Avel,
RRMC’s Bing Cariño lagi? RMMC’s Bing Cariño cguro.. Hala ka.. tug-an taka kay Sirjojo. Ahehehe! Panglibre dire be.. cge lang si marz.. Ahehe!
Regards..
jes03/10/2009 at 1:24 PM
mapuntahan nga ito. isasama ko si mother bear! hahaa.
dimple03/10/2009 at 1:28 PM
naglaway ang akung bana..hihi..
anynomouse :)03/10/2009 at 5:17 PM
@blackmeat – ababababa (ni aiai delas alas)! naunahan mo ako ah. ajejeje
pati ajejeje ko ginawa mong ahehehe
marami ka pang rice cooker na gagamitin bago mapuno ang salop. ajejeje
you’re nothing but a second-cat, hardly trying, copy-rate! ajejeje
eniwey, keep going ha. ingat lang …. sa atong comments. World Peace! ajejeje
anynomouse
s last blog post..Gusto nyo makita ako?
bariles03/11/2009 at 9:29 AMAuthor
@blackmeat, anynomouse junior ka nga.
@anynomouse, very good. Very, very good.
@jes, and brother bear too para mas maraming mag-appreciate.
@dimple, why not try it as soon as you can? At P150, solved na kayong dalawa.
FSC03/10/2009 at 11:12 PM
ngano kamo man lang??? apila pud mi oi wahehehehehe
blackmeat03/11/2009 at 9:15 AM
@anynomouse
– pag sure oy.. kaon-kaon pud..
dimple03/11/2009 at 10:31 AM
yeah boss… well trying it out with some friends this weekend..
Osh03/26/2009 at 4:31 PM
Definitely, I will not miss this one when I get home in April! Ilang tulog na lang! The problem is sa dami ng magagandang resto na na-feature mo di ko alam kung alin uunahin. Mega-food trip and dating nito!
Osh03/26/2009 at 4:34 PM
Plus!!! This reminds me of our barkada’s favorite hang-out during my college days yong Mongolian Barbecue sa me Amorsolo.
Blogie03/29/2009 at 5:00 PM
I can’t wait to try this place out!!
karl of generals brew03/31/2009 at 9:51 AM
punta me jan one of this days pag di na ako bz..hehehehe..sarap nga cguro jan..i love mongolian dish pa naman
karl of generals brews last blog post..Hong Kong Columnist calls Philippines “nation of servants”
Bobby Z09/24/2009 at 1:12 AM
Hey Kuya Alan S & Kuya Alan L (ngits),
Didn’t know you’ve became partners!. Congratulations and more power to you! Hope to visit you soon.
bariles09/24/2009 at 6:21 AMAuthor
@bOBBY Z, they are not partners. Magkatabi lang mga establishments nila. Dingding lang ang pagitan.
Bobby Z09/24/2009 at 12:02 PM
Ooopps, sorry kuya. Akala ko partners sila. Thanks for your reply. Please send my regards to both of them in case you see both of them again.
Bobby Z09/24/2009 at 12:03 PM
Teka, mali yata ingles ko. puro “both of them”. Sorry ulit.
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