Tina's Twitter

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Feng Mao Mutton Kebab

Do-it-yourself dining? You be the judge.




















Have you ever been in a situation that you thought was a cool idea and it seemed OK in the moment however once it was over you said to yourself “What the @#LL was that?” Well, that’s how my dining experience was at Feng Mao Mutton Kebab. Each table of four is equipped with a charcoal grill.









Upon arriving we immediately were served boiled peanuts, Kimchi and pickled cucumber.


It started out as a good concept but it died pretty fast. The kebabs came out within minutes starting with the mutton which, I have to admit were good. Then the meat kebabs came out but as we were cooking both they seemed to have the same taste. After a few minutes I couldn’t tell one from the other. Next were the chicken wings along with the chicken kebabs that had no seasoning.
The only flavoring they provided was the petri dish of Feng Mao spices.


The Soungi Mushroom were plain and when grilled became cardboard like.
I suspect it was because there was no kind of lubrication brushed on. Before I got there I was excited to read that there would be a basket full of garlic and shallots but the shallots were nowhere to be seen. I was able to grill the garlic which was really good. This is a great novelty place and the concept seems unique but don’t let that fool you. Our clothes and hair wound up smelling like smoke and our table was a mess. The metal skewers were never picked up and there was no place to put them so they kept cluttering the table. Also, we had a party of 8 but in order for everyone to experience the D.I.Y grilling we had to split up in two tables because one side of the table was not fitted with a grill. I totally understand the D.I.Y kebab concept but at the very least the service should be excellent because we are not only the customers but also the chefs as well. It’s not as if they have to worry about a busy kitchen in the back. We had to keep flagging down our server to refill the water and provide more napkins. From now on, if I have to cook my own meals, I’ll do it at home and save the gas and mileage on the car. When I had read a review about Feng Mao Mutton kebabs I was excited and eager to try because I had never experienced cuisine from Jilin Province which borders the north-eastern part of China with Korea to the south and the Soviet Union to the east. After, my meal I can’t say that I experienced anything unique. It tasted like any other kebabs that I’ve had in the past which really made it disappointing


3901 W Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90019
(323) 935-1099

Feng Mao on Urbanspoon

No comments: