The name says it all. Gobi Mongolian Grill & Hot Pot is two restaurants in one with a Mongolian grill (like the HuHot that was once in the same location) and a place for hot pot. Both give you a lot of food for the price you pay.
For the all-you-can-eat Mongolian Grill ($14.99), the items are laid out under brighter lighting than HuHot and Flat Top Grill ever had. Also, instead of using sticks to mark your food, here, you use clips on your tray.
I enjoyed the larger choice of items, including lamb, udon noodles, eggs and tofu, and service was fast. As a bonus with your buffet, you may order potstickers, spring rolls, French fries, edamame and fried sesame balls from the menu, and ice cream cups also are included.
I thought the potstickers, which were filled with vermicelli noodles, were pretty bland and not worth getting. The strawberry ice cream was a welcoming contrast to end the meal.
Believe it or not, the Mongolian grill, appetizers and ice cream all come with the hot pot ($19.99), so that’s a tremendous value.
With the hot pot, you get your choice of one or two broths. Instead of plain water, I chose tomato and tonkatsu, and both were excellent choices. Then you get to select from various meats, vegetables, grains and seafood items (the waiter told me you can typically order about six items at a time).
Here’s what I tried:
- The ramen noodles obviously went very well with the tonkatsu broth, which is why I ordered it.
- I loved the lobster balls, which were not as fishy as the typical fish balls you can order with hot pot.
- I overcooked the octopus, mainly because I was trying to get it to absorb more of the flavor of the broths.
- The fatty beef was outstanding, but I know it’s not for everyone.
- I was unsuccessful at getting the tripe tender enough despite how long I cooked it.
- The soft tofu was so soft that it kept falling apart in the broth, making it a bit of a hassle to scoop out.
- The shrimp paste was delicious. Don’t let the name scare you: it’s minced shrimp formed into a ball.
- The quail eggs were good but didn’t soak up much flavor from the broths.
Gobi Mongolian Grill & Hot Pot is open for lunch and dinner every day.
