Gee, who goes to Sweden for Mongolian barbecue? (...looks around timidly). Me, I guess. So understand that Jamie W. and I had to weigh the dining options around our hotel when there was a long-term, torrential downpour. There were several dimly lit places within a couple of blocks to get meat and potatoes, and of course, there are the American fast food chains that have contaminated Stockholm to no end. Whopper anyone? However, I did notice this spot as Jamie W. and I were walking back to our hotel from Gamla Stan (the Old Town). I suggested it since it was about a five-minute walk, granted the wettest five-minute walk since Noah boarded his ark. With pants and socks soaked, we arrived.
The big ticket item is clearly the 189 KR Mongolian BBQ Buffet which allows you to eat as much grilled meat as you want with the cook at the ready. Most of the other customers were piling their plates high every ten minutes or so. Jamie and I decided to contain ourselves since we were fully a bit bloated from our vacation indulgences. For a rainy night antidote, I immediately went for the 65 KR Wonton Soup which had a bounty of dumplings though the thinnest of broths (photo: http://bit.ly/23GEG0r). I followed that up with the 165 KR Fried Pork with Mixed Vegetables (Wokad Fläsk Blandade Grönsaker) which was a fairly generic take on a stir-fry with very little spice to give it a kick (photo: http://bit.ly/1X05Q22).
Jamie didn't fare much better with his selection, the 125 KR Fried Noodles with Chicken (Stekt Nudlar Kyckling), which was chow mein more or less and a bland version at that (photo: http://bit.ly/1T5gPm1). Funny thing was that we kept watching the very young and skinny Asian staff having their dinner at a nearly table, gorging on the leftover food in the buffet. I'm talking about a pile of noodles that could serve an orphanage. Where do they put it away, and how do they speak what sounds like impeccable Swedish? Anyway, I'm not sure I'd be that enthusiastic to tell my fellow travelers to come dine here, but if they want to have a taste of the Far East in the midst of a Nordic rainstorm, they could do worse.
FOOD - 3 stars...just middling Mongolian and frankly closer to takeout Chinese in quality
AMBIANCE - 2.5 stars...feels like it was once an Italian bar with the plastic grape vines, not sure there was any decor to evoke Mongolia
SERVICE - 2.5 stars...seemed more intent on getting ready to close
TOTAL - 3 stars...Mongolian food in Sweden?...well, sorta read more