Khan's Mongolian Garden
135
Bedford Street
Stamford, CT 06902
(203)975-0209
I first heard about this place through friends who would wax rhapsodic, as they went into dreamy reveries about the "Mongolian Barbecue" and "Spicy Special Sauce". I was, however, unable to visit, because I moved to New Haven, just before it opened, and due to one reason or another, was unable to join my buddies as they organized sortie after sortie, descending on the restaurant "en masse", sheer gustatorial greed glinting in their eyes. To my eventual delight, I got a new job in Stamford, within walking distance! I have been a converted devotee, ever since. The owner, who's name is Chillo Hwang, has managed a first class restaurant.
You have got to try the "barbecue" here. It works like this: you walk up to the line, and fill a bowl with any of a variety of meats and vegetables and some noodles. You then present this to a cook who asks you what sauce you want (I recommend #5- Special spicy sauce - a strong hit of ginger characterizes this sauce with a lot of character, but needs more spice, in my opinion. You can add garlic and chili paste from the ingredients bar before you hand it over to be cooked, however... YUM!). the cook takes it and throws it on the most unusual cooking device I have seen (outside of the "Meriden Steamed Hamburger Grill" - don't ask). This is a 4 foot in diameter, chest high flat circular metal drum. Using 2 foot long chopsticks, the cooks grill up your food, neatly scoop it into a clean bowl, and hand it back to you. Go back as often as you like, it is "all you can eat"! The ingredients are always fresh, and the whole place is impeccably clean.
It says in the menu that the cooking style of "mongolian barbecue" came from Gengis Khan's Mongol Horde's habit of cooking mutton on their shields over a fire, for want of other coking devices. I can see how the Wok might evolve from this, as well.
The rest of the menu, is good, but not exceptional. They have a fairly standard array of appetisers, and other menu items. The prices are very reasonable, with the "All you can eat" buffet at around $8.00, and other menu items and appetizers a good value as well.
This is HIGHLY recommended.