mX Newspaper Review

May 31 2007

Genghis Khan 30A Lime St King St Wharf Ph: 9290 1818

Diners with a fierce appetite are best suited to this fast food version of Mongolian.

The restaurant is renowned for it’s all-you-can-eat buffet, where you can pick up and choose ingredients.

There’s a mixture of crispy vegetables and meats (chicken, pork, beef, lamb) available, which you pile into a bowl, covering the contents with your choice of the 10 sauces.

The best part is watching the chef toss the bowl of food across a giant wok, which engulfs it in flames.

It’s quite a skilful cooking move and the meal is ready in about two minutes.

Chain Expands
I’ve had this option before at the restaurant’s Chatswood chain, which has been up and running since 1984.

It’s expanded to this King St Wharf restaurant since then, which has a touch more class across from some of the finest eateries around here.

And this Lime St restaurant has entrees included in the buffet options and some more choices in contents, with noodles an addition to the menu here.

Tonight we opt for some after-work drinks across the road before heading across for a meal.

We’re not overly hungry, so are going to order from the main menu instead of going for the all-you-can-eat, ($25.80), which is great value for money.

Healthy Dishes
There’s a couple of ravenous men sitting beside us who have taken advantage of this deal.

They’ve had two bowls while we’re ordering and are about to go back for a third.

Not that they should feel guilty, you can make your dish as healthy as you like.

The waitress is very welcoming, making sure we understand the menu and brings out our vegetarian spring rolls ($7.20) within minutes of ordering.

These are steaming hot, the majority of the filling mushrooms and some noodles. They’re very tasty and we fight over the last roll as dinner is being brought out.

Chilli Calamari

We’ve decided to try the chilli calamari ($21.80). It is on a hot plate and has just the right amount of spice to it.

Accompanied with onions and shallots, the calamari is well textured, not too chewy.

Our Mongolian barbecue king prawns ($22.80) live up to all expectations, seasoned with a flavoursome sauce on a bed of barbecue vegetables.

Also on the list is a tasty-looking pork dish ($16.90) which the person next to us has ordered. By now we are full and wishing we had time to fit in some deep fried ice-cream.

But instead we relax with our bottle of wine in this inviting setting.

KARINA DUNGER

Sunday Telegraph Sunday Magazine Review

September 3 2006

Genghis Khan Mongolian BBQ Restaurant 30a Lime St King Street Wharf.

A trip to a Mongolian barbecue is arguably more about the experience than the food. Not to say our dinner at Genghis Khan wasn’t delicious, it was – the meat was tender, the vegetables crisp and the sauces piquant – but there’s so much more to it than that.

Seated at our table with a good view of the barbecue, we ordered a bottle of wine and a Seafood Mixed Entrée of tempura scallops, prawn and calamari ($12 per person) and settled back to enjoy the hullabaloo.

The Mongol leader Genghis Khan ruled East Central Asia in the 13th Century. After battle, his troops would sit down to a victory dinner (they always won) of sliced meat, barbecued on their metal shields and tossed with slender branches from nearby trees. And no, I don’t just know this stuff: it tells you on your placemat.

There’s also a step-by-step guide (with illustrations) to the barbecue process, but the waiter was alert to my slightly panic stricken stance and guided me through my first round, selecting meat and vegetables, handing them to the man at the hotplate, and sprinkling on the sesame seed garnish. “All rather marvellous for the low-carbers,” my companion noted as we sat down to steaming bowls of (me) lamb and chicken and (he) beef and pork – plus beansprouts, noodles and vegies ($25.80 per person for as much as you can eat; $19.80 for children).

By our second round we were old pros, tutting at dawdlers and selecting sauces with a practised flick of the wrist. By my third visit, the novelty was starting to wear off, although that certainly wasn’t the case for everyone. My companion covertly pointed out one lady who was making her eighth round trip. Now that’s value for money. FIONA JOY.

Where Magazine Review

July 14 2006

Genghis Khan Mongolian BBQ Restaurant, King Street Wharf, Shop 15-16, 30a Lime St, Sydney 2000 NSW, Phone: (02) 9290 1818.

If you’re looking for a fun night out with family and friends where you can mix and match your food, then Genghis Khan is for you.

And no, I’m not referring to the 13th century Mongolian military strategist Genghis Khan (who conquered two thirds of the known world and was crowned “emperor of all emperors”) but to the spacious new Mongolian BBQ restaurant down near Sydney’s hip King Street Wharf.

You’ll recognise it by the stern-looking statues standing guard around the interior and the two large metal round plates (war shields in Genghis’ day) on which the food is barbecued.  These are the centrepiece of the house speciality – The Mongolian BBQ – which offers fabulous value for money. For just $25.80 you can choose between an assortment of thinly sliced meats (beef, lamb, chicken and pork), freshly sliced vegetables (carrots, cabbage, capsicum, bean sprouts, celery, tomato and onion) and seven different sauces (soy, chilli, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, shrimp and sugar water) then stand back and watch as the chef skilfully barbecues your food, tossing and flipping it over and onto your plate amidst plenty of steam and fire. The Mongolian BBQ price also includes soup and salad from the salad bar and best news of all is that you can keep going back for more. As the menu states, you can “Live like Genghis himself and help yourself as many times as you like!”

Watching the chefs is great theatre and it’s also good to know that you have some control over what goes into your dish – if you don’t like garlic or ginger, you don’t have to add any or if you love chilli, you can just add extra (though you might have to watch out for those groups of Genghis –wannabes having chilli contests).

Being a family friendly restaurant there’s also a children’s special BBQ price (with unlimited servings) of $19.80.

However if you’re not feeling creative, you can choose from an extensive range of dishes on the ‘a la carte menu’. We ordered the Mixed Entrees ($8 per person) which included deep-fried spring rolls, stuffed chicken wings and war tip prawns (deep-fried pieces of toast topped with prawns and ham) and the tasty Sizzling Mongolian Beef ($19.80) served with onions, capsicums and shallots. We didn’t have room for the Seafood Supreme ($24.80), a popular dish which combines king prawns, scallops and calamari with brocolli, snow peas and mushrooms nor for the very popular sang choy bow ($9) on the entrees. For dessert, the fried rice cream ($7), banana fritters ($8) and strawberry pancakes ($9) are winners.

Genghis Khan is licensed and offers a few wines by the glass and you can rest assured that even fussy eaters will end up with a meal they enjoy here. SHERIDAN ROGERS.