PROFILED BY DEGROOTS MEDIAGenghis Khan restaurant was the pioneer of Mongolian barbecue houses in Adelaide. Today, some may see it as daggy and old fashioned, others humble and authentic. Whichever way you look at it, this restaurant has an unassuming charm that welcomes feasting and fun. Proprietor Fon Lau ensures everyone is well fed – and entertained. A marine aquarium soothes diners through Adelaide summers while a plasma screen fires up footy fans through winter. On any given evening, everyone is cheered by the Victory Feast. The cooking technique at Genghis Khan is entertainment within itself.
The conqueror’s grill cooks your feast in sizzling seconds, with the flames burning inside for as long as your hungry tummy returns for more. The chef deftly moves food around the hotplate with the biggest pair of chopsticks you’ll ever see. They are elongated to replicate the tree branches that warriors used to manoeuvre food on their heated shields (which the round grill is modelled on). You decide what you want to watch dance on the hotplate. Peruse the chilling-cabinet of meats and select from pork, beef, chicken, lamb or kangaroo. Choose several to play with if you wish. Move on to the produce cooler of vegetables and fruit and pick whatever takes your fancy from pineapple, capsicum, zucchini and carrot. Add onion, cabbage, bean sprouts and celery to the mix and put the crowning glory on your feast with sauces and condiments. Experiment with parsley, soy, ginger and garlic sauces for a variety of combinations. Vinegar, sesame oil, cooking wine and hot pepper oil will get things moving for a feast that would satisfy a warrior’s appetite.
Roz Taylor, April 2008
