A new dining experience in UB

Greg and I decided to dine-out last night. This is a rare treat for us as I very much enjoy the entire process of cooking and am reluctant to give up an opportunity to indulge my obsession. However, after going out with a friend Saturday afternoon to a new vegetarian (new to us) restaurant I decided that we should explore more of the culinary options that Ulaanbaatar has to offer. As an aside; the vegetarian restaurant was a disappointment. The beans in the daal were still slightly hard and the other dish I tried was singularly uninspired. Kelly's tofu stir fry was good but as I pointed out, I could easily replicate and improve upon their recipe at home, so really, what's the point?

But I digress. Greg is great about listening to my 'suggestions' and nearly immediately acting upon them. We agreed upon his suggestion of trying out "The Square" in the Central Tower Building, a.k.a. the Louis Vuitton building Tuesday night. The atmosphere was cozy yet upbeat with an understated chic vibe, there was also a great third floor view of Sukhbaatar Square. The service was excellent. We started with onion rings for Greg that were fried to golden crisp perfection. I had an interesting take on the classic Greek Salad, a rampant offering in UB, but this version sported savory sundried tomatoes and a simple olive oil vinaigrette. I also had Udon soup with perfectly tempura shrimp and veggies served on the side. The stock was comprised of a strong mushroom base and a bit of seaweed; a bit too salty but decent nonetheless. Greg had pork chops that he seemed to enjoy; all in all, an enjoyable culinary experience. I will definitely go back.

I did encounter an interesting reference to a Mongolian cultural practice. When I visited the restroom (referred to as the toilet), I noticed a sign on the inside of the stall door with directions for how to use the actual toilet properly. There was no writing, just pictures. One of the pictures depicted a person squatting on the rim of the toilet with a big red slash running from left to right through the picture. I asked Greg about it and apparently it is a habit or custom for people in the countryside to stand on the toilet seat while squatting to use the facilities. This simple fact explains so much to me in terms of the state of public restrooms I've been unfortunate enough to visit. Quite often the seats are broken off and they are quite...messy. Now I understand why.

We stayed home for dinner tonight. I made a roasted vegetable-pasta soup, salad and sauteed chicken breast. Just simple, healthy food. I am planning proscuitto-swiss panini's for Friday night with fresh melon, Asian pears and a spinach salad. God, I love to cook. On Sunday I experimented with homemade apple turn-overs...truly amazing. I was looking for a new go-to dessert for when we entertain and I think this one will work quite nicely.