By Silva

This is the third edition to my "Best of Fountain City" series, and so far it's been cuisine from Asia. Well, I'm not breaking away yet. My wife and I got a chance to try out Mongo not once, but twice this past weekend. Were the two trips worth it? Jump in to find out.


The fascination with this place started out on a Food Network or Travel Channel special showcasing some of the more different and entertaining places to eat. This establishment was not featured on the show, as it was not even around yet, but the experience was exactly like it. It all revolves around a "Mongolian Fire Pit", or in this case, a large round grill where a number of chefs cook food at the same time.

The restaurant is located on the outskirts of Columbus, GA, on Veterans Parkway, heading toward Calaway Gardens. You'll pass the interstate, Texas Roadhouse, The Harley Davidson shop, and even B. Merrell's. Walking in, you're treated to a very contemporary decor, with lime green and black walls, lots of signage for the restaurant, and a couple of Asian-themed art pieces about. While I was very impressed with what I saw on the walls, the seating could use a bit of sprucing up. Now don't get me wrong, I really don't care about it as I am there for the food, and especially since this just opened in October of '09, but I just hope they can eventually upgrade everything to really pull together the whole picture.

I will say this now: traditionalists, beware. This isn't your typical sit-and-order place. You are truly a part of the dining process. I'll explain.

When you're seated, you're given a small placard on which your server writes your table number, name, and your choice of rice (white, brown, or fried). After this and ordering drinks, you take your card up to a buffet style line, where you grab a tray and three specific bowls made for veggies, meats, and sauce. The trick is, you only get one trip, but whatever you can fit in those bowls, they will cook for you. It's up to you if you want to eat light or hearty. A note to the health-minded: since you're choosing the raw ingredients yourself, it makes the place ideal for healthy Asian food. When you're done, you leave the tray at the end of the counter, and wait for the chefs to do their magic.

When the finished meal was delivered to us by a member of the very friendly and eager to serve staff, we were impressed. They took our bowls full of uncooked heaps of ingredients, and turned them into very delicious-looking stir-fry dishes. And to me, the tastes matched the sights. It was exactly what we wanted and how much we wanted. And the best part? Price. We were able to stay under $20 for the both of us, sodas included (tip brought us just a hair over).

I can't really tell when or when not to go to avoids crowds yet, but based off of a Saturday afternoon and Sunday lunch, it's really not that bad. We had a small wait getting seated on Sunday with a party of 5, but nothing major. I have heard of slowdown though when they are really busy cooking everyone's orders.

Do not let that last statement discourage you from trying this place out. In my opinion, this is one of the more exciting places to eat in Columbus, and if you're tired of the same routine in restaurants, and want to get involved just a little, this is right up your alley.