Okay, we’ve taken The Lonely Planet’s on where to go for Mongolian food… and this place looks really nice! The atmosphere is great: long amber-like hanging lights, art on the walls, table runners, menu with dishes like whole sheep’s head…
Yeah, let’s not order that.
But let’s have some real buuz! Steamed the traditional way!
A plate of eight arrives, circled around a saucer of kimchi. Each is round, a few centimetres across, and twisted on top like a little treasure. Take my knife and fork and cut…
Bad idea. Cutting a buuz, just like cutting a jiaozi, only makes it fall apart.
Oh well, spear some up on the fork.
The wrapper is soft and elastic, much more delicate than the one I had in soup. Pretty much your standard Asian dumpling dough. It’s fairly tasteless – just a vehicle for the ball of mince, onion and garlic – but when a little of the oily juice from the mince is cradled in it it suddenly becomes divine!
The white pastry comes away from the meat ball too easily, they’re almost separate dishes. The lamb mince is not too fatty but with the odd bit of gristle. It’s flavour is strong and robust, just enough juice to keep it moist.
I wasn’t hugely sold on my first one, but when I pick them up and eat them whole, so much more of the oily liquid is captured into my mouth. Even though the pastry hardens and dries as they cool, they seem to get better and better as I acclimatise!
Sorry, college cafeteria. You’ve been out-buuzed.
Rating:
Specifics: Steamed buuz from Nomad Legends Монгол клуб
Steamed Buuz
Okay, we’ve taken The Lonely Planet’s on where to go for Mongolian food… and this place looks really nice! The atmosphere is great: long amber-like hanging lights, art on the walls, table runners, menu with dishes like whole sheep’s head…
Yeah, let’s not order that.
But let’s have some real buuz! Steamed the traditional way!
A plate of eight arrives, circled around a saucer of kimchi. Each is round, a few centimetres across, and twisted on top like a little treasure. Take my knife and fork and cut…
Bad idea. Cutting a buuz, just like cutting a jiaozi, only makes it fall apart.
Oh well, spear some up on the fork.
The wrapper is soft and elastic, much more delicate than the one I had in soup. Pretty much your standard Asian dumpling dough. It’s fairly tasteless – just a vehicle for the ball of mince, onion and garlic – but when a little of the oily juice from the mince is cradled in it it suddenly becomes divine!
The white pastry comes away from the meat ball too easily, they’re almost separate dishes. The lamb mince is not too fatty but with the odd bit of gristle. It’s flavour is strong and robust, just enough juice to keep it moist.
I wasn’t hugely sold on my first one, but when I pick them up and eat them whole, so much more of the oily liquid is captured into my mouth. Even though the pastry hardens and dries as they cool, they seem to get better and better as I acclimatise!
Sorry, college cafeteria. You’ve been out-buuzed.
Rating:
Specifics: Steamed buuz from Nomad Legends Монгол клуб