Recently I was asked to do a review on HuHot Mongolian Grill in Missoula. Not wanting to tell my publisher the embarrassing fact that I am the most finicky person I’ve ever known, I simply said yes. The plan was to bring at least a friend or two to give me more accurate information on the cuisines that I would be trying. Yet, what happened was unexpected. In the end, the person who ended up enjoying the meal the most, was me. The pleasant experience started with the atmosphere and gained momentum throughout the meal. By the time dessert was served, HuHot and its employees had won me over.
Inviting is the one word that best describes the atmosphere at HuHot Mongolian Grill. This is evident within the first few footsteps into the buffet-style restaurant. A décor of Asian-themed artwork compliments the new-age windows and lighting that surround the restaurant, blending historical aspects of the East with the more modern style of the West. A theme that is noticeable throughout the entire HuHot experience. Just glancing around the restaurant you can see examples of eastern-influenced artwork. A huge mural with Mongolian warriors adorns a wall adjacent to the lounge, while a statue of a similar soldier watches all that are dining. The serious, yet very artistic and warm atmosphere is soothed by music just loud enough to enjoy, yet quiet enough to block out for those more interested in conversation. And, for those who need a little less background noise, HuHot offers two partially concealed rooms that seat up to 15 people. Even for larger groups, you can expect to be treated courteously by the HuHot staff.
The service at HuHot is casual yet attentive. An early greeting can be expected when entering HuHot. If you have to wait for a table, it’s no problem as cushioned bar stools are kept next to the entrance. Once seated, a variety of drinks and appetizers are available before you make a pilgrimage to HuHot’s main attraction – the grill.
Yet, before visiting the grill, the customers must first circle it, finding the desired ingredients for the night’s meal. That’s because the buffet aspect of HuHot comes in the raw, literally. A selection of fresh meats, veggies, noodles and sauces surround the epicenter of HuHot. Circling the grill, the customer has many choices. A variety of thin-sliced meats are presented to the customer as its first choice. Beef, chicken and sausage are among the favorites that are offered for the taking. HuHot also has a decent selection of seafood as well. Don’t worry, if you can’t just choose one ingredient, then don’t. Any of the ingredients can be mixed and matched for the customers liking. So is the same with the vegetables, noodles and all other ingredients. HuHot pretty much has any vegetable you can think of with a good selection of vegetarian items, like tofu and black beans. It’s virtually a cornucopia of stir-fryables. Accompanying HuHot’s vast selection of meats and vegetables are the sauces in which your dishes are mixed with.
Choosing a sauce to cook the meats, vegetables and noodles in is the most important choice before having the HuHot cooks prepare your meal. A large selection of sauces is available for the trying. Some, like the ‘kung pao… yow’ can power up your entrée. While the ‘samurai teriyaki’ and the ‘not-so-sweet and sour,’ can give your dish a unique flavor, sparing your taste buds some of the fire created by many of the hotter flavors. However, I have to admit that I enjoyed the hotter sauces at HuHot. With HuHot’s extremely large water and soda glasses, a little heat is not a problem.
The same rules apply to finding sauces as do for finding meats and vegetables. Anything goes. The customer can mix and match any flavor, customizing to personal preferences. Once all the work is done (choosing the right combination of meats, noodles, vegetables and sauces), the customer then has a chance to enjoy the show.
The main event involves multiple cooks, double-fisted with spatulas, surrounding one giant circular grill. The grill at HuHot is the heart of the restaurant. This is where your ingredients of choice are mixed, chopped, teased and eventually served. The cooks, who provide the best entertainment at the restaurant, circle the grill while preparing each customer’s specific main course. While watching the cooks, the customer can sense a feeling of pride and care that is infused into each dish. After a couple minutes of anticipation, the show is over. The cook hands the customer a plate of customized goodness, and it’s back to the table where the final product will soon be tasted.
Although the culinary entertainment is over for the time being, a new experience is soon to follow. Grins and laughter are not unusual to see at the tables where people are just sitting down to eat. Questions of how everyone’s food tastes seem less polite and more sincere. And if you don’t like how your personalized mixture of ingredients tastes, then don’t eat it. Instead, just go back up to the grill and try something new. Choice is what gives HuHot its niche. Even picky eaters can find something good to eat; I learned this first hand. However, try not to eat too much—not because you might get a bellyache, but because dessert is a must.
If you want to have a little fun and a rush of nostalgia, try the sweet victory s’mores. S’mores are something that any kid who has been camping would be able to tell you about. The dessert consists of the simplest ingredients: two chocolate bars, eight graham crackers and eight marshmallows, accompanied by skewers and an extremely miniature, yet very real, fire pit. A rush of childhood memories is almost guaranteed with this dessert.
“You really can’t beat this,” one of my guests said as he was pressing two grahams over a toasted marshmallow and chocolate. “It’s definitely the highlight of the meal.”
After stabbing the last marshmallow, the customers can expect to find a clean bathroom to wash away the remnants of the sticky dessert. Now the only choice left to make is whether to go home or whether to go to one of the two movie theatres within walking distance from HuHot, a decision influenced by how much money the customer has left. You can expect to pay $6.95 for a lunch between the hours of 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays and $8.95 on weekends. At 4 p.m. every night of the week, dinner starts at HuHot with more ingredients to choose from. But with the added ingredients comes an added price, which will run you $10.95 per plate.
So if this dinner experience sounds appetizing to you, check it out. Those who are curious can find the HuHot Mongolian Grill located at
3521 Brooks St. in Missoula, right next to the Cine 3.