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Take Control At Mongolian Grill

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By JOHN W. ALLMAN, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 6, 2007

OLDSMAR - Who remembers the suicide fountain drink?

You know, the one where you moved down the line, mixing a little blast of each delicious carbonated beverage, minus the yucky diet ones, into a big cup.

Then you drank it.

Sometimes it tasted like day-old spit. Other times, though, that magical mystery concoction made us tingle in ways that, as children, we didn't understand.

Some restaurants make me happy like that - especially places that allow you to create your own experience.

One such place is bd's Mongolian Grill.

Instead of ordering from a menu, you pick out your food raw and take your piled-high bowl to a large circular grill, where you watch it prepared by an ever-changing cast of colorful cooks.

The fate of dinner (or lunch) rests solely on your shoulders, determined by the choice of ingredients you make.

Lest I sound too dire, you should know that bd's is not the kind of place that takes itself too seriously.

This is a casual and low-key place with a healthy appreciation for kitsch courtesy of the restaurant's riffing on Genghis Khan and the ancient dining ways of Mongol tribes.

It's a restaurant filled with words and instructions written in bright, almost cartoonish letters throughout the spacious dining area.

"Take Khantrol," for example. Or "bdifferent." It's almost overwhelming, but only because I love wordplay as much as eating.

Khan you handle it? I asked my wife. Yes, I'm that guy.

Even getting your food is fun. Arrows and signs point you around the four large serving areas. For anyone that has ever read "The Family Circus," it's like following Jeffy or Billy's footsteps as they run through the neighborhood chasing the dog.

The menu isn't expansive, but it definitely offers enough to satisfy even the picky gourmet, running the gamut from cool appetizers (the make-your-own lettuce wraps with chicken or steak is recommended) to a basic salad bar with two soup options (which comes as a stand-alone meal or an add-on).

The main course, though, is where the appetite meets its match.

Raw meats range from chicken, shrimp and two kinds of steak to gourmet fare such as duck, lamb and calamari. Veggies go from ordinary (peppers, onions, tomatoes, potatoes) to upscale (fresh cilantro, pea pods, water chestnuts, tofu).

There are 16 sauces, from mild to scorching. We tried shiitake mushroom (flavorful but mild), Mongolian ginger (flavorful but unremarkable) and my favorite, Asian black bean (bam! - it's like a ninja sauce whose spicy kick attacks post-bite without warning).

Servers work the room, rarely stopping, making sure fresh cooked rice and warm tortillas are waiting as soon as you return from the grill.

And, in the age of health-consciousness, bd's goes the extra mile by offering brown rice, low-fat and gluten-free sauces and tortillas that contain no trans fat.

For Tampa appetites that remember the similarly themed Dish in Centro Ybor, just take a short drive west into Oldsmar to experience creative culinary control.

I hate to say it, but for the money and quality, other restaurants just - wait for it - khan't compete.

DINING REVIEW

bd's Mongolian Grill

BOTTOM LINE: Raw meat. Big grill. Good eats. 'Nuff said.

WHERE: 3140-B Tampa Road, Oldsmar

HOURS: Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

CREDIT CARDS: All major

RESERVATIONS: No

CHILDREN'S MENU: Yes

ALCOHOL: Full bar and wine list

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes

PRICE RANGE: $7.49 to $13.99

CALL: (727) 785-0300

Tribune reviewers eat anonymously. John W. Allman can be reached at (813) 259-7915 or jallman@tampatrib.com.

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