Why go to a restaurant to make your own meal? It seems to defy logic, but a microtrend of do-it-yourself eateries in town is catering to the hands-on crowd.
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Next up are the oils (olive, sesame, and garlic), sauces (black bean, sweet-and-sour, teriyaki, mustard, barbecue, and wine), and spices (curry, cayenne, dill, garlic, ginger, and other seasonings). Your first temptation might be to toss them all in. Don’t. The house wisely recommends two ladles of sauce and one of oil per bowl, though I went heavier on both garlic oil and black-bean sauce for most of my concoctions. I also went heavy on the cayenne and curry.
After filling your bowl to the brim bring it to the griddle, a five-foot, circular black-iron sheet–a modern version of the shields the ancient Mongol armies cooked on. A grill chef empties your bowl, stirs and tosses its contents a few times with a canoe paddle, then deftly swipes it all back into the bowl. Our party made more than a dozen trips and never had a dish undercooked or overdone.
My particular fondue fondness is the main course, a selection of beef tenderloin, chicken breast, lobster, sea scallops, shrimp, and veggies, alone or in any given combination. A pot of oil heats over the flame; you jab a piece of meat, fish, or vegetable and simmer it quickly. The waiter briefs you on cooking times.
The Mongolian Barbecue is located at 3330 N. Clark, 325-2300; Do Your Own Thing is at 2815 N. Broadway, 472-2100; Geja’s Cafe is at 340 W. Armitage, 281-9101; and the Butcher Shop is at 358 W. Ontario, 440-4900.
