BY CAROLE ROSNER
I’ve been eating at Mongolian BBQ restaurants since I was a kid growing up in L.A. I remember these places not for the décor or even for the food, but for the “experience.” It was fun to serve myself and watch the “chefs” cook my overflowing bowl of meat and veggies on their giant circular iron griddles.
Stir-frying the Mongolian barbeque.
With the one exception of Mogo’s in Sherman Oaks, most of the Mongolian BBQ places of my youth are long gone. Times have changed, as have my taste buds, so you can imagine how thrilled I was to find Gobi Mongolian BBQ House in Silverlake. This recently opened, very popular restaurant is perfect for a quick, healthy lunch, lively happy hour or family dinner out.
Although the concept at Gobi is what you’d expect from a teppanyaki-style place—help yourself to a variety of proteins, veggies, noodles and sauces and watch it being cooked in front of you–the quality of ingredients and taste sets Gobi apart.
The veggies here are fresh, unique, seasonal and abundant. I’ve seen green cauliflower, baby corn, pea pods, asparagus, shitake mushrooms, butternut squash, eggplant and spinach. The protein choices include thinly sliced lamb, chicken, rib eye steak, pork and tofu. Shrimp is available for $3 more.
Veggie choices are more varied than traditional Mongolian eateries.
The selection of MSG-free sauces is a step above at Gobi. There are three traditional sauce blend recipes that you can mix yourself with flavorings like lemongrass, Asian pesto, smoked oyster sauce (which tastes like BBQ potato chips) and green curry. You can also mix and match your own sauce since there are at least nine different choices.
Unique sauces lik Asian Pesto.
This isn’t an all-you-can-eat place, but that’s okay. The bowls are huge and you can really load them up. However, if you do want seconds, it’s an extra $4 for lunch and $6 for dinner. Don’t forget to save a bit of room for the homemade puffy sesame rolls that also come with the meals.
It's in SilverLake.
Gobi has a large selection of wines, artisan ales, sake and cocktails and a limited selection of appetizers. Desserts include Gelato and Sorbetto from co-owner Mike Buch’s other restaurant, Pazzo Gelato, that’s down the street.
Create your own stir-fry
Gobi doesn’t take reservations for small parties but for a $9.95 lunch or $13.95 dinner, it’s worth any wait. There is a coupon on their website www.gobimongolianbbq.com for $1 off lunch and $2 off for dinner until May 31.
Gobi Mongolian BBQ House 2827 W. Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026 213-989-0711 www.gobimongolianbbq.com
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11:30am-10pm Friday-Saturday open until 11pm. Happy Hour Monday to Friday 4pm-7pm.
Gobi interior.
Carole Rosner is a native Valley Girl who took the school bus with Michael and Janet Jackson and worked at the Sherman Oaks Galleria in its heyday. She likes to spend her free time finding bargains at Crossroads Trading Company, eating Chinese chicken salad at Stanley’s and admiring the view from Fryman Canyon. Check out her new blog: www.anythinggoodlately.blogspot.com – reading, watching and eating.
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