While in Ulaanbaatar recently, and before checking into our hotel (after staying at a cheap, cheerful and comfortable hostel for a few days) my friend and I ate at Modern Nomads – a Mongolian restaurant chain – just a few doors down the road from the Tuushin.
Three or four days later we discovered a different side to the Modern Nomads: the Black Burger Factory right beside our hotel and which had opened only a couple of months ago.
It seems black burgers are the newest trend in many parts of the world. “Burger King Japan” first unveiled the “Kuro Burger”—which translates as “black burger”, which features a dark black bun, a slice of black cheese, and the onion-garlic sauce, made with squid ink.
We were thrilled to find it and try their chicken burger: they also have Black Burgers with double beef for meat lovers, Brown Burger for dieters and a Steak Burger for chilli lovers.
‘So what’ I hear you say, well, we voted their chicken burger ‘the best burger in the world’ – and, as my friend lives right opposite one of Los Angeles top burger places, and where I’ve also eaten, our best-in-the-world title is high praise indeed!
So why is a great? It is great because it was delicious, tender, juicy, and because of all those juices, black gloves are provided with each burger to save your hands from the sauce that covers your fingers and runs down your chin and wrists 🙂
While I don’t approve of the waste from the plastic gloves, unless everyone recycles them of course, I understand the need for them – I almost needed a baby’s bib as well.
So, while this is not ‘traditional; Mongolian food, it needs to be on your to-do list while in Ulaanbaatar. Luckily for you it’s only moments from Chinggis Khan Square, an area all tourists will no doubt visit.
Sadly, my photos of Judy, with black gloves on of course, enjoying all the deliciousness of her black bun chicken burger, are not available – as those of you who read my blog will know, However, here is a photo (found on Trip Advisor) of a young woman savouring her burger.
Kiwi Travel Writer talks food, travel, and tips 
Great article Heather…sounds like the food scene has moved on a bit since we were in Ulan 12 years ago!! I remember ordering 5 items off a menu in a cafe that looked like they would be veggie…mashed potatoes, fried vegetable with egg etc and every single one came with some sort of meat in! We were lost looking for our hostel and got directions from a restaurant, turned out it was an American Mongolian BBQ chain who had thought they would become more ‘authentic’ by opening a branch in Mongolia……but they insisted on having the exact same menu as the US restaurants so were air frieghting in broccoli from China!!! They landed up inviting us back for dinner…a somewhat bizarre experience! Looking forward to hearing more from your travels 🙂
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Yes meat is high on the list of foods everywhere. I will write soon about a special meal I was invited to at the Chengis Khan horse statue.
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