Mazalae Mongolian Restaurant9216 Waukegan Rd, Morton Grove
Opens at 11 but they were not ‘up and running’ at 12:15. Meal ran around an hour. Complementary cookies (fried bread brushed with sugar water) and hot water for tea, Instant coffee.
In the time we were there two other tables filled with compatriots. One with heaping plates of Huushuur and the other with big bowls of soup.
Staff extremely friendly, welcoming us and thanking us for visiting. Mom turned over waitressing duties to her daughter when she became available. Apologized for not being ready and for the wait with items coming out. Dad in the kitchen. Mongolian music videos on the TV which they turned on and down when we arrived.
Sriracha and soy sauce on the table. Cold water and in a carafe.
Crunchy Flatbread (Gambar) - Not as crunchy nor flaky as I might of expected, chewy. Very good nonetheless.
Dumplings (Buuz) (steamed not fried (also available)) - Very tasty! Wrapper a little thick, full of broth (nice big squirt on bite).
Empanadas (Huushuur) - Also tasty! Flat, not flaky. Came with a side of sweet and sour sauce.
Stir Fry Noodle (Tsuivan) - Always one of my favorite style of dishes. Tender meat.
Milk Tea Dumpling Soup (Banshtai Tsai) - Same dumplings as the entree but smaller. Mild flavor to the broth. Not too milky as I expected.
Cabbage Salad - Not too tangy, fresh and crunchy. Nice sized serving.
Cookies - Described above. Served refrigerator cold.
Potato Salad - Not mayonnaise based. A little lacking in flavor. A sprinkle of salt helps.
Tea and Maxim Instant Coffee (sweetened with cream in the package) - Tasty! Intended to be mixed in 6 oz of water so I made a double.
All in all a very nice visit with great and plentiful food and wonderful hosts.
I did my research and there are several authentic Mongolian items on the menu with several borrowed from other countries. The Mongolian names associated with ‘other’ dishes appear to be made up as descriptive.
Mazalae (or Mazaalai) is the only desert bear. The Gobi Bear is almost extinct with only 30 left.
"Very good... but not my favorite." ~ Johnny Depp as Roux the Gypsy in Chocolat