Mongolian Stop

Alvin, our Company driver had asked for a vacation today. He went over to his family in Bicol for his usual coming home schedule as it takes about 10 hours by bus just to reach the place where he took up residence.

We decided to have our lunch at RCBC Plaza as it was a walking distance from our office. We trooped out early as Maidette had early afternoon meetings. Me and Rene meet up with Mimi at the RCBC Tower lobby as she was at UCPB bank earlier. Maidette and Chay went ahead to withdraw money from the bank as well.

Upon seeing most of the restaurants were full with diners, we decided to have our lunch at Mongolian Stop. Mongolian Stop is the franchised version of the origina Mongolian Barbecue, a joint that serves eat-all-you-can mongolian food. Mongol food is a combination of rice, noodles, vegetables, meats and spices and sauteed in very hot oil and served in a deep bowl. A diner can choose how to spice up his food, by adding more chili, sugar, garlic, ginger or the mongolian hot suace or the sweet and spicy sauce. It is one truly simple meal where all the ingredients are dumped into one dish and one can savor the melange of flavors infused in one great meal.

I ordered the mongolian bowl single, where I had the freedom to choose what food ingredients goes into my meal. I chose a spoonful of rice, some heap of vermicilli noodles, egg noodles, chinese pichay, cabbage, young corn, a good amount of carrots, some shallots, ginger and garlic. I also added some chicken meat, beef and what remained of the sliced squid meat. The lady who assisted me asked for my flavor and seasoning, so I told her to make mine, sweet and spicy. She took care of adding the different spices and seasonings to make it sweet and spicy as I took my place in a nearby vacant table.

We all got settled down and my food was served first, freshly cooked from the kitchen. The clear soup with noodles was bland but, this one was served on the house. My Mongolian food came and I thought it was too sweet for my pallet. I guess, their standard for adding sugar was a bit more than what my serving should have considering that I only took too few of the cooked rice. I don't want to add more rice in my bowl, hence, I was not complaining anymore for the sweeter taste than what I had expected it.

Mimi relayed her reunion practice the other day where some jubilarians, especially those celebrating their Golden Anniversary were septuagenarians already. She told us the concept of their presentation where the older ladies will be singing and dancing on the Alphabet song with words all associated with later years in life. For instance, A will stand for Arthritis, while B will be for Bones and C for Cancer, etc. These ladies even have Hot flashes for H, imagine that, at that age, they still experience hot flashes, or may be imagining it altogether, hehehe.

I paid Php145.00 for my meal today.