I visited Ulaan Bataar for two nights early this week, a trip that was too short to even have a general impression of an otherwise interesting place. I was not there for a shoot, but some other business that was mostly spent inside the Resident Mission office of the Asian Development Bank.
Often served as an eat-all-you-can buffet, Mongolian barbecue is a popular fare in Manila. With only a few hours of free time to spare exploring the city, I was determined to try authentic local food. I walked a few blocks around the main business district looking for a place to eat around lunch time. After a few minutes, I started to get the impression that it's difficult to find a Mongolian restaurant in the capital of Mongolia. My search only yielded a large proliferation of places for European, Korean and Japanese food . I was cold and hungry so I settled for the Genghis Kahn Irish Pub. I ordered pasta with meatballs and washed it down with a bottle of Heineken.
Later that evening, my travel companion suggested that we head out for dinner at the Modern Nomads, an authentic Mongolian restaurant according to a tip given by an expat. When we arrived, I noticed that we were the only foreigners, and non-smokers. It was inspiring. We ordered roasted lamb chops, a plate of assorted dumplings, paired with milk tea. The lamb was awesome, done with nothing else but salt and roasted slowly until it was cooked in its own melted fat. The dumplings were larger than the Chinese Dim Sum, with more meat packed into it. The milk tea helps cut the taste of lamb fat that solidifies around your lips as you eat. After going through whole menu, I could not find the Mongolian Barbecue that they served in Manila. Something tells me that one isn't really Mongolian.
The following morning, I had 4 hours before I had to leave for the airport, so I went out hoping for a quick shoot. The temperature was -10 degrees Celsius, and there was ice on the side walk. I walked a block, snap a few shots, and decided to just head back to the hotel. It was just too cold for my Pinoy blood.
