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As of this writing, Jasmine Mongolian BBQ is the newest restaurant in Roseville, California, as they opened their doors just this last Monday morning at 0930. Over the past year, we've been watching this restaurant take shape, and for the past year, we've been anticipating the opening, and finally, being able to enjoy delicious Mongolian cuisine in west Roseville. The delayed opening of this fine restaurant was definitely worth the wait... As with all restaurant reviews I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.
Photo: Jasmine Mongolian BBQ is located next to Bel Air Market, in the "Brickyard Shopping Center," in west Roseville. If the store looks familiar, you might recognize it as the location of the former Panda Restaurant, which closed it's doors last year. Editor's Note: Click on the hyperlink to revisit the restaurant with us. It's just a little past eleven in the morning, Saturday, February 23, 2019, Jasmine has been open since 0930, and I'm ready to enjoy lunch at Roseville's newest restaurant, as of this writing. Note the signage is temporary.
Photo: The dining room is modern, clean, spacious and comfortably decorated. Since the restaurant has only been open six days, you could even smell the "newness" of everything. The food bar is to the left of the photo, nearly out of sight. As the restaurant's web site describes, it's on a "shakedown cruise," as there is more work to be done. Note behind the bar the wok is missing, but no worries, as it's due to be installed next week. From talking to the owner, a larger selection of condiments and On this late Saturday morning, the restaurant was lightly seated, which worked for me, as I was able to chit-chat with the friendly staff and take lots of photos, without annoying others.
Photo: Meet Paul, the super-friendly owner of the restaurant. I walked in the door and waited behind customers in front of me, and when it was my turn to step up to the register, he smiled and greeted me warmly with, "Welcome to Jasmine Mongolian Barbecue. Thank you for visiting us today."
Photo: The menu is as simple as it gets, as you really only have a couple of choices. Like most Mongolian barbecue restaurants, if you're hungry, the menu includes an "all you can eat" option, but I'd suggest you be hungry, as the "Big Bowl" was definitely big enough for me, and unless you're a linebacker, logger, or a professional eater, the "Big Bowl" will be large enough to satisfy your appetite.
Photo: If you've never visited Jasmine Mongolian BBQ, - or any other Mongolian barbecue restaurant - the way things work is very simple. You make your selection from the menu, pay for it, and then you're given a tray, utensils and a large bowl. You make your way down the bar, putting whatever you want into your bowl, and when your bowl is full, or when you've finished, it will be taken to the kitchen to be cooked. You truly get to have it "your way," as you pick out whatever you want. At Jasmine, believe me, there are many choices, in fact there are SO MANY fresh choices, it's almost hard to decide! The bar is divided into three sections: Meat, noodles and rice... vegetables, and garnishes, sauces and oils. The couple in the photo are filling their "Big Bowls" from the vegetable section of the bar.
Photo: The last station at the food bar is the oil, wine and sauce section, where the friendly owner of the restaurant, Paul, is answering questions from the couple ahead of me.
Photo: After I paid for my order, I received my tray, bowl, utensils, and I was ready to go. I'm at the first section of the food bar, which includes rice, noodles, along with four choices in meat: Beef, pork, chicken and lamb. You can mix and match or just have one variety of meat, as it's all up to you. I opted for a mixture of noodles and rice, along with all four varieties of meat, with heavy emphasis on lamb, as I LOVE it! Not shown in the photo is tofu and collard greens. I added a few sticks of tofu to my bowl...
Photo: The vegetable selection contains practically every vegetable selection that you could dream of to add to your bowl, to make a delicious and healthy lunch.
Photo: Paul pointed out to me that all of the vegetables are locally-sourced, and obtained from local growers within a 50-mile radius of Roseville. The organic spinach is grown on a ranch at Riego and Elverta Roads, which is only about 10 miles west of Roseville. That's FRESH!!!
Photo: Close-up of some of the fresh, organic vegetables the salad part of the bar has to offer. All choices are locally sourced from the greater Sacramento area - which is known for the "farm to fork" culture - and some choices, including the organic spinach, is grown just west of Roseville.
Photo: The fresh vegetables nearly cover the meat, rice and noodles I've filled my bowl with. One more stop to go on the food line, then it's off to the beverage section!
Photo: Last stop on the food bar includes water chestnuts, peppers, peanuts, crispy noodles, and a selection of sauces, wine and cooking oil. Note that I've already helped myself to a hearty selection of water chestnuts. After you're finished adding the final touches to your bowl, a friendly staff member will take your bowl to the kitchen, where your meat and vegetables will be cooked perfectly, and when ready, the bowl will be brought to you with a smile. Because the restaurant has been open only six days, the wok isn't yet installed in the large open space, behind the food bar, but according to the owner, Paul, it will be installed in the coming week.
Photo: Last stop before eating is the beverage station, which includes "Frog Fuel" coffee, "Jasmine Honey Lemon Tea," and soft drinks. I'm not much of a fan of exotic coffee or tea, so plain ol' me went with a large glass of Dr. Pepper from the soda dispenser.
Photo: Inez brings out a small bowl of fried rice, as Sara brings my "Big Bowl" to me, hot from the kitchen and ready to enjoy in less than five minutes. These friendly ladies are simply amazing!
Photo: Thanks, Sara, for taking my photo, as I prepare to enjoy my "Big Bowl" at Jasmine Mongolian BBQ.
Photo: My lunch of a "Big Bowl," the small bowl of fried rice, and a Dr. Pepper. Now the only thing left to do is to dig in, pig-out and enjoy... Note the beautiful presentation as my bowl arrived from the kitchen. I went with all four varieties of meat, along with equal portions of rice and noodles, along with a few sticks of tofu for good measure. Veggies included zucchini, cilantro, onion, cabbage, organic spinnich carrot slices, along with water chestnuts. I simply added a small amount of cooking oil, but cooking wine, teriyaki and a variety of other sauces are available. Since this was my first visit to this wonderful restaurant, I wanted to keep things simple, so I could taste the goodness every ingredient. Perfection... simply perfection. The meat was cooked perfectly, as it was juicy and tender, and the flavor was just right. The rice and noodles were perfect, not dry or "gummy" as they tend to be at lesser restaurants. The vegetables were fresh... amazingly fresh, and some of the "snapped" as I bit into them. The kitchen blended it all together, added just enough thickening sauce to make things work, and the whole bowl was a cornucopia of goodness and flavor. You could taste every fresh ingredient, yet the bowl was a symphony of flavor. Delicious!
Photo: Much to my surprise, after my meal arrived, Sara brought out a small bowl of Japanese potato salad. I'd never enjoyed a Japanese variety of potato salad before, and I must add, like the rest of my meal, it was delicious. The "mission" of Jasmine Mongolian BBQ is stated on the menu as "fresh, healthy food," and that is a true statement, as the ingredients are amazing fresh. The food is simply... delicious, and the staff are amazing friendly. West Roseville has been waiting a long time for a superior Mongolian barbecue restaurant, and now we have one, thanks to Jasmine Mongolian BBQ. Welcome to our neighborhood! Jasmine Mongolian BBQ Copyright(c) 2019 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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