GK Mongolian BBQ, located in Roseville, CA, is one of two Placer County links in a chain of ten - soon to be eleven - Mongolian barbecue restaurants in Central and Northern California. The restaurant is located in the TJ Maxx Plaza, and serves custom-made Mongolian barbecue every day of the week.
As you enter the restaurant, you'll be greeted by a friendly hostess, and invited to turn the corner, glance at the menu, grab a bowl, and start choosing what you want to enjoy for your meal.
Thee dining room is quite spacious, clean and modestly decorated. Patio dining is available just outside the front door, and it's shared with three other restaurants. The small bar, which serves soft drinks, beer and wine is to the rear, and the grill and buffet line-up is to the left. The dining room is very comfortable and inviting.
You grab a bowl, and choose your lunch from the buffet, when it comes to service, this is a "sit down" restaurant, as the friendly staff will bring your sides, drinks and appetizers to your table, and when you're finished dining, they'll bring you your check.
The "buffet line-up" is in the shape of a large "U," as you start by picking up a bowl. and work your way around clockwise until the last stop, where you give your bowl to the grill chef, and he'll grill your meal. Disposable plastic gloves are provided to make this very sanitary, and all food items are placed in your bowl using tongs or ladles. No "hands on" in this restaurant!
If you're not familiar with the way a Mongolian barbecue works, it's basically a "you choose what you want and the grill chef cooks it." You pick up a bowl, and you start with the meat, and you work yourself around, clockwise, adding what you want to your bowl. You can put as much of anything and everything in your bowl, with the only limitation that it must all fit in your bowl. Truly, you get to enjoy your meal YOUR WAY!
If you're certain of what you want, you can always take a look around the line to see what's available before placing it in your bowl. As per contemporary health practice, once you put something in your bowl, it stays there.
When your bowl is filled, you hand it to the grill chef, and he'll place the contents on the sizzling-hot grill, sizzle it for a couple minutes, and when your food is grilled, he'll scoop it up, place it in another bowl, and then you're ready to enjoy your amazing lunch.
I chose pork and lamb for my meat, which were thinly sliced and made for perfect grilling. Mongolian barbecue reminds me of stir frying on a griddle, as all items you choose, including your sauce, are placed on the oiled grill and cooked together, over high heat. It's similar to the way street venders grill carne asada on the streets of Mexico.
Besides meat, I went with noodles, copped white onion, chopped cabbage, diced green onions, baby corn along with chow mien noodles for texture and a bit of "crunch." For sauce, I chose Mongolian sweet and sour, and I added sesame oil to the mix. The grill chef asked if I wanted garlic salt, and I replied with a bit YES!
The meat was amazing tender, juicy, and made this a robust, filling lunch. The beef and lamb were simply delicious, but the lamb stole the show, as with every bite, I could taste lamb. I ADORE lamb... I think next time, I'll simply go with lamb for my meat. The veggies were amazingly fresh, and cooked perfectly tender, but not mushy, as the corn still had a bit of "snap" to it. The Mongolian sweet and sour sauce held the whole dish together, and made each bit consistently delicious. Naturally, you just can't have Mongolian barbecue without noodles, and the noodles didn't disappoint. Finally, the chow mien added a bit of "crunch" to the meal and added a rich, "nutty" taste.
GK Mongolian BBQ serves delicious barbecue! This restaurant is truly among the best Mongolian restaurants that I've enjoyed during the 25 years I've been a Roseville resident. Friends, this is SOLIDLY DELICIOUS barbecue!
The meat and vegetables are fresh, and locally-sourced when possible, the sauce is amazing, the grill is very "Mongolian," the staff is friendly, and the food is simply delirious! You get to taste the wonderful cuisine of Mongolia, without ever leaving Roseville, when you enjoy fine dining at GK Mongolian BBQ. read more