FOOD & DRINK Yorkshire Portions

RESTAURANT REVIEW Robert Cockroft at Temujin, Sowerby Bridge

Take a wokon the wild side

CALL me unreconstructed, but I'd never reg¬istered Genghis Khan as a pussycat.

At school, he was painted as a bit of a thug, the sort who'd cheerfully behead an enemy or two before breakfast, then play polo using their heads as pucks. How wrong one can be. Those Millwall supporters who venerate his macho image may need to look elsewhere for a marauding role model. Genghis, or Temujin, to use his birth name, was a closet gastronome, a medieval Jamie Oliver who liked nothing better than swapping recipes with the boys in the cavalry. Massacre? Conquering? No time for violent pursuits like that, if the menu here is to be believed.
He and the lads were far too busy devising the Mon¬golian BBQ and bickering among themselves about who had cut the daintiest slices. These men would stop at nothing! Hang the slashing and burning, there was fish to be filleted, carrots to be pared, shields to be heated up. What? The menu indeed assures us that his warriors "would cook thinly-sliced meat, spices and vegetables on upturned shields in between battles. This form of cooking has become an everyday part of the nomadic Mongolian people's way of life and it is with traditions in mind we bring you this unique, healthy and exciting way of cooking," it says.
Not too many mongol hordes roam over Sowerby Bridge, of course. There is, however, an old cobbled canal wharf and this restaurant occupies the top floor of one of its warehouses. It's tempting to say that it isn't the sort of thing you'd expect, though with a Javanese restaurant across the road, a bistro only yards away and a useful dining pub across the valley, there's no lack of innovative cooking hereabouts.
Even so, this is not routine. Mongolian hot-pot once featured in a Chinese restaurant in Leeds and London can offer Mongolian cuisine - but this is high excite¬ment for Calderdale, especially when the chef lets rip with the gas and sends flames skywards. Now, that Genghis would like. This is, you see, a stir-fry, rather than a grill barbecue. Culinary DIY. Never a dull moment for the punters. You select your meat, fish or vegetables from a chilled bank of open containers, tong it on to a plate then hand it to the chef who has half-a-dozen industrial-size woks at his disposal.
Then come more decisions. You've picked the raw material - pork, chicken, beef, lamb, venison, mussels, squid, fish, tofu - what sort of oil do you want it fried in? They've got sesame, chilli, garlic, ginger or Castrol. No, not Castrol. So that's it? Not quite, because just as the chef, a young lad in a bandana with a Halifax accent, swirls the oil in the pan and threatens to torch the place with his gas-burner, he wants to know what sauce you want: curry, sweet and sour, oyster, chilli, black bean, or lemon and lime? Choice will be the death of consumer society. This arrangement already creates more permutations than McDonald's could dream of.
As the clatter of manic of stirring subsides, the face under the bandana emerges from the smoky haze. Now it wants to know what garnish you'd like: basil, coriander or parsley? Tip: If you've had the chilli oil and the chilli sauce with the added fresh green chillies, the parsley's academic. Then it's back to the table to try this stuff in an unexceptional room made memo¬rable by good views of a narrow-boat populated canal basin, and sensational ones of Wainhouse Tower, ever spiteful in a halo of lurid green. And so the dilemma continues. More soul-searching questions. Was it a good idea to team the chicken with the red peppers, leeks, sesame oil, curry sauce and basil? Would the tuna with broccoli, ginger oil, oyster sauce and coriander have been a more tantalising mix? And look, that table has put tomatoes with its lamb. If only caring sharing Genghis and his pinnied-warriors were here to advise. But, hey, if you don't like what's on the plate, there's no one to blame but yourself. This opens up exciting new opportunities for the customer care industry.
Excuse me, waiter, but I'd like to complain about my own bad taste and flawed judgment and I'd like to know what you plan to do about it."
That apart, it's good, harmless fun. For the serious of mind, there are decent fresh raw materials which can simply be stir-fried; the flaming removes any excess fat. And for the seriously hungry, or seriously dis¬turbed, there's no limit on the number of times you can go round. Downside: The wok operator seems to fry to for¬mula. Where an experienced hand would fry the items in texture-preserving sequence, items like tuna, mus¬sels and squid are bunged in all at once with onions and noodles. Sometimes, too, the frying process is too long. The line between caramelisation and carbonisa¬tion is perilously fine.
Generally, flavours sit up well, the service is good-humoured and patient, and for an evening with friends or with children there's the cheerful element of theatre. There's a wine list, but call for drinks beforehand at the Moorings pub next door where draught beers are first rate.

HALIFAX COURIER

TEMUJIN @ SOWERBY BRIDGE

Just a short drive away in the Calderdale town of Sowerby Bridge is a restaurant that promises something very different. Temujin Restaurant, situated in the town's impressive canal basin, specialises in the Mongolian BBQ style of cooking.
Run by Dave Johnston, it offers a buffet style of eating where diners can combine various seafood, tofu or quorn with a variety of vegetables. After choosing the oil, sauce and garnish, simply take your plate to the chefs and watch it be stir-fried before your eyes. With an open kitchen diners can witness their own meal being cooked, often with a variety of starters before going on to experience a main course as never before.
Temujin is the birth name of the mighty Genghis Khan who ruled the great Mongol empire for 45 years from 1182AD. He developed one of the strongest cavalries the world has ever seen, which also gave rise to Mongolian BBQ style cooking.
His warriors would cook thinly sliced meat, spices and vegetables on upturned shields in between battles.
This form of cooking has become an everyday part of the nomadic Mongolian people's way of life. With these traditions in mind, Temujin Restaurant brings local people this unique healthy and exciting way of cooking.
Food is stir-fried on 'upturned shields' to replicate the original methods of cooking. Open both lunchtimes and evenings, Temujin always welcomes families and encourages children to try a range of meats, seafood, vegetables etc.
An early bird menu is now available on Friday and Saturday evenings from 5.30pm to 7.30pm and is ideal for families with young children.
A range of English inspired desserts are available to round off the meal and include a lime and coconut parfait, traditional strawberries, a decadent chocolate fudge cake and many more.
A range of beers, wines and spirits is always available and combination menus for two or more people, along with daily specials are also popular. The 75-seater restaurant, opened four years ago, has built up a reputation locally for offering something different.
Why not try it for yourself? Temujin is only a short drive from Huddersfield and parking is available in the cobbled canal basin area which is currently enjoying a revival.
For a restaurant that promises a new eating experience, try Temujin

"Upturned Shields" forma unique style of Mongolian cooking

TEMUJIN, the name chosen for the area's only Mongolian restaurant, is one of great historical significance.

Before being crowned Ghenghis Khan in 1206 the mighty leader of the great Mongol empire was called Temujin.
While ruling the Mongol empire for almost half a century he established Mongolia as one of the strongest nations the world has ever seen and it was during this time that a very specific style of cooking developed.
Temujin's warriors would cook thinly spliced meat, spices and vegetables on their upturned shields in between battles and this form of cooking, known as Mongolian barbecue, has become an everyday part of the Mongolian peoples' way of life.
These traditional dishes are now available right here in West Yorkshire at the Temujin Restaurant, at the canal basin, off Wharf Street , Sowerby Bridge .
After whetting the appetite with excitingly named starters such as Warriors' Spears or Temujin's Fiery Revenge, customers can visit the "Upturned Shields" buffet as many times as they wish.
Diners are invited to choose from selection of pork, lamb, beef, venison, mussels, squid, fish, tofu or quorn protein and vegetables. Then there is a choice of garlic, sesame or ginger oils and stir-fry spices including curry, sweet and sour, oyster, chilli, black bean or garlic and lemon.
Garnishes include basil, coriander or parsley.
Take these ingredients to the row of "upturned shields" and watch them being stir-fried right before your eyes. Advice is on hand from the experienced staff who advise customers to experiment but also to leave room for dessert.
Temujin also caters well for vegetarians and vegans and offers a varied choice of dishes to suit these tastes.
Booking is advisable at all times bit is vital at weekends and the restaurant can cater for business lunches and any small function, even outside normal opening hours if necessary.
There is a varied bar with numerous choices including two Chinese beers and an extensive wine list.
Clearly Temujin Restaurant offers a unique gastronomic experience which not only brings new and exciting dishes but also a taste of history.

EATING OUT Yorkshire Post

Ghenghis would love this one

Temujin is part of the changing canal scene in Sowerby Bridge where visitors now come for pleasure as tourists rather than for work as traders.

Described as a Mongolian barbecue, the experience is just as much about cooking as eating.
Temujin is the birth name of Ghenghis Khan and just as his cavalry cooked sliced meat, spices and veg­etables on their upturned shields between battles so do the diners at Temujin, selecting the raw ingredients from a salad-bar style buffet.
The upturned shields are replaced by huge woks in the hands of experi­ enced barbecue chefs who stir-fry the selection.
Customers can eat as much of the barbecue course as they wish. The trick is to go for small amounts care-fully selected to suit your own tastes. For example, pork cubes with mushrooms, spring onions, pineapple, bean sprouts with garlic oil, oyster sauce and coriander is a delicious mix.
From raw ingredients, including beef, Iamb, venison, mussels, calamari, fish, tutu and quorn with a vari ety of seasonal vegetables and oils of llemon or lime and herbs, basil, coriander and parsley there is the possibility of more than 4,000 dishes on offer.
With careful planning many of these meals can be subtle and spicy, crisp and sensual. More use of herbs could be an added bonus but cer­tainly speedy and thorough cooking method means essential healthy nutrients are conserved in every dish.
Starters echo the Mongolian theme with Temujin's Fiery Revenge, pork balls with lemon grass, Warriors Spears, vegetable kebabs with peanut sauce, and the Golden Horde, corn cakes with spicy relish.
Diners are shown to their tables and the menu is explained. Rice, which is included in the Upturned Shields course, is served with drinks and desserts by the friendly staff.
The restaurant's first floor location and uncurtained windows allow views over the canal to Wainhouse Tower and other hill-top landmarks in Calder Valley .
A combination menu for two people with choice of starter or sweet, the barbecue, a carafe of red, dry or medium white wine and tea or filter coffee costs £ 36, but the as much- as you-like upturned Shields option is £6.95 at lunch and £11.50 in the evenings.