Mongolian’s @ Ulaanbaatar

Second day in Ulaanbaatar and we need a Mongolian food experience. The concierge recommended this restaurant just next to our hotel.

Mongolian’s Restaurant is located on 4th floor of Shangri-La Mall 200 m away from Sukhbaatar square.  Shangri-La is the only luxury hotel in Ulaanbaatar and most Singaporeans will stay there because it is still affordable despite it being a Shang. (Even the GM was Singaporean.)

Since 2008 “Mongolian’s” serves traditional Mongolian and European cuisine in the museum like atmosphere for a sophisticated dining experience. It is strange that all the Mongolians in the restaurant ordered European cuisine, while we ordered Mongolian.

Бууз (Buzz) – Steamed Traditional Dumpling

/mutton, cabbage salad/

Buuz is a Mongolian dumpling. It is pronounced more like ‘bodz’ and is eaten year round, but is most popular during Tsaagan Sar (Mongolian New Year). During Tsaagan Sar families will make thousands of buuz and then spend three days visiting family and eating all the buuz at each other’s houses.

Buuz is made with mutton meat that is usually high in fat and seasoned with basic seasoning, onion, and garlic. The juice or ‘soup’ inside can be very hot, so be careful when you bite into one. The liquid is mostly fat and it’s like eating a very musky and huge xiaolongbao.

Хонины Махтай Битуу Шел (Khoniny Makhtai Bituu Shyel) – Traditional Covered Mutton Soup

Bituu shul is one of the Mongolian traditional meals. This soup is very tasty and served with a “skin” of dumpling dough covering the bowl. Tasted like a consommé but very oily from the mutton fats used in the preparation. I enjoyed it as it was full of flavours of mutton.

Ухрийн Шарсан Элэг (Ukhriin Sharsan Eleg) – Pan Fried Ox Liver

/mutton tail fat, steamed vegetables, onion, rice/

Ox liver is something that you don’t get often in Singapore. It is full of iron and great for recovery from illness. I find this preparation a bit overcooked, but with all animal organs it is safer to be so.

Монголианс Цуйван (Mongolians Tsuivan) – Mongolian’s Tsuivan

/noodle, beef tenderloin, seared vegetables/

Tsuvian is popular among Mongolian men as it is very filling and has giant portion sizes. Hand-made wheat-flour noodles are stir-fried in a giant pan with strips of carrot, onion and meat. Meat is usually mutton with added sheep’s tail fat, but can also be made with horse meat or beef.

Here it was done in a more gourmet style with strips of beef tenderloin and lots of vegetable. Still a large portion that we shared among ourselves.

This was an incredible place with lot of historical items all over, it was like a mini museum of sorts. There is a small cut-out of a Yurt or Ger that was good to see, and lots of things all over the walls. The food was exotic and tasted excellent. The service also was fantastic. Overall had a great lunch and will highly recommend.

Mongolian’s Restaurant
4th floor, Shangri-La Mall, Olympic Street, Ulaanbaatar 14241, Mongolia
Tel : +976 7010 4682

Visited May 2023