A Balanced Meal

Jim and Nancy do not disclose the fact that they will review a restaurant before they attend, ensuring their reviews are unbiased and uninfluenced by their position with the Sun Day.

It’s been a long, long, time since any of us have been in school. However, if you go to Jiang’s Mongolian Grill which is a “do it yourself restaurant” in the Algonquin Commons, there are a few things you must learn first.

After you enter, the hostess takes you to your table and gives each person a bowl and two laminated number cards. These are required school supplies which will be needed later.

School is now in session, Lesson One: “The All You Can Eat Soup and Salad Bar”. Yes, it is all you can eat, but why burn off the calories needlessly. Save your energy and go once. Do it the Dining Duo way, which is: lettuce first, flat items next (onions and cucumbers), followed by chunky items (olives, hard boiled eggs and carrots). Top off your salad with shredded cheese and then pour your choice of salad dressing on top to glue it all together.

Lesson Two: “The Meat, Seafood and Vegetable Section”. This is what separates the men from the boys. Bring your bowl and one of the number cards. The other card stays at your table. Grab a tray and prepare to use the Dining Duo proven layering method. Start off with your favorites, selecting from the 12 meats and seafood items, filling your bowl 1/2 to ¾ full. Now for the crucial part. Start layering your choices from the 19 vegetables offered, beginning with flat items such as peapods, bean sprouts and carrots until it is almost overflowing. Then take both of your hands and start pressing on the bowl with all of your might as if you were performing CPR. You should be back down to 1/2 to ¾ full. Now for the balancing act. Stack bulky items such as green peppers, onions, baby corn, and broccoli, to name a few, very carefully on top. If you do this correctly, you will effectively double the size of your bowl. Don’t worry if you lose some items on your tray, they are still in play.

Lesson Three: “Sauce Section”. There are 15 sauces to choose from, including Nancy’s favorite, minced garlic. These will be added to your food as it is being cooked. We generally use four sauces for our meal, but we advise you to sample them first with the little tasting spoons before you make a commitment.

Lesson Four: “Starch Section”. Again, the Dining Duo recommended way is to grab a plate and put the peanuts on first so they don’t roll off. Then, choose from either the rice, Chinese noodles, or rice noodles for your starch. Pile it high, and don’t be shy. Then sprinkle generously with sesame seeds so they go into all the nooks and crannies. By now, the items balanced on your tray should resemble something that the “Flying Wallenda’s” would be proud of.

Make your way carefully to their chefs who will cook your food on a giant round grill. Then go back to your table, relax, and let the waitress bring your food by matching the number cards. Wasn’t that easy?!

We went there for lunch and it was $8.99 per person. Our total bill with iced tea was $23.66 including the two sticks of gum that came with our bill. Don’t ask, we don’t get it either…Nancy even has lunch for next week! For dinner the price is $10.99 and for those of you who didn’t pay attention to our lessons, a bottomless bowl is $3 more, but no doggie bags allowed.

FYI: Handicap accessible.

Jim’s take: My recipe is beef and shrimp with these sauces: house spicy garlic, Korean sweet chili, spicy Szechuan and Teriyaki. I had rice noodles with peanuts and sesame seeds.

Nancy’s take: My recipe is all shrimp with these sauces: house spicy garlic, spicy Szechuan, Teriyaki and a whole heaping bowl of the minced garlic. I had rice noodles and Chinese noodles combined with peanuts and sesame seeds.

NEWS FLASH: To view the Board of Health Inspection Report for any restaurant in McHenry County, just go to www.mcdh.info. Happy eating!

Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at thediningduo@gmail.com.

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