When it comes to Canberra culinary experiences, there’s a growing gastronomic repertoire to choose from. You can dine in a dome, on a truffle farm, and now, in a real Mongolian yurt.
Last March, restaurateur Mukhbilguun ‘Mugi’ Khishigbayar built a traditional yurt, or ger, for the first time – not in his home country, but out front of Naadam Restaurant in Phillip.
Insulated well enough for freezing climates, it remains toasty-warm during cold Canberra nights.
For Mugi, building the yurt in Australia meant connecting with his roots in a different way. Since starting Naadam in 2022, his goal has been to showcase Mongolia through its unique food and culture.
The core of the menu is Mongolian comfort food. Beautifully plated, with extra Naadam flair, the menu takes diners on an incredible culinary experience unlike any other in Canberra.
As is tradition, Mugi greets his customers with a cup of suutei tsai – a salty savoury milk tea that warms you from the inside out – poured from an ornate decanter.
My dining partners and I tried the Buckle Up set menu ($89pp) and each dish can also be ordered a la carte.
Our first course was Stu-Gen, or ox collagen jelly. A proven health benefit of eating collagen is improved skin elasticity and joint health. While collagen supplements are a lucrative industry in the West, Mongolians incorporate it in their diet straight from the source as part of their time-honoured ‘nose to tail’ philosophy, a key inspiration for the Naadam team in designing the menu.
Naadam beautifully balances the flavour with tangy sundried tomatoes and a creamy milk tea sauce derivative of suutei tsai.
Their signature style of elevating the flavours of traditional Mongolian food is what Mugi calls “modern Mongolian”.
One of our favourite dishes of the night was also Mugi’s top pick, the lamb tartare (honinii tatar), with a sea buckthorn dressing, blueberries, and spinach dough crisps.
Sea buckthorn are the Indigenous berries of Mongolia. Both tart and citrusy, with subtle sweetness, their flavour created a perfect tangy tart for dessert.
Testament to the consideration put into the menu’s design, its main event encapsulates Naadam’s philosophy in a single controversial dish: Mongolian barbecue.
“There are a lot of misconceptions about Mongolian food right now,” says Mugi. “Mongolian barbecue and Mongolian lamb don’t have anything to do with Mongolia at all. It was invented in Taiwan.”
Part of his motivation in founding Naadam was to have Mongolians speak for themselves about their cuisine.
“Everybody else has been using our culture and narrative, so why not do it for ourselves?”
True Mongolian barbecue, or Horhog, is tender lamb briskets served over hot volcanic stones with pan-fried vegetables. Served in Naadam fashion, it’s brought to the table then drizzled with a barbecue emulsion that sizzles for your senses.
Mugi’s goal is to be at the forefront of the “Mongolian boom,” boosting the cuisine’s popularity in Australia, “turning into something that is part of their food lexicon”.
Nadaam Mongolian Restaurant, Corinna St, Phillip. Bookings: 6193 8339, naadam.com.au
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