Since as early as I could chew, my grandma indoctrinated me with her personal food-ology that a meal doesn’t qualify as true meal if it lacks at least one meat dish. So she might have been disappointed with my choice for my first meal in Mongolia.
Anticipating that I'd be on a very meat-heavy diet during my journey across the desert and steppe, I
hoped to go easy on my stomach with some local vegan food before it began the next day. Luna Blanca, a highly-recommended restaurant serving vegan interpretations of classic Mongolian dishes, seemed to be a promising option.
Using landmarks I had taken mental note of to guide me, I retraced my steps back to the large, white stupa that stood by the entrance to the Buddhist meditation center that I had passed twice before while circling the city. Once I spotted it, I walked onto the property to find Luna Blanca, which was located within. The restaurant was on the ground floor of the building
The great thing about traveling with companions is being able to order and sample a variety of dishes at a restaurant. But alone and unable to decide between "Flour Power" and the Mongol combo plate, I had to order both. "Flour Power" is Luna Blanca's vegan take on tsuivan, a Mongolian noodle dish typically made with mutton (which had been substituted with soy protein). The Mongol combo plate arrived with vegan buuz (steamed dumplings) and kuushuur (fried dumplings), both of which are also commonly prepared with a mutton filling (which was replaced with a vegetable/mushroom filling). Mutton, I would soon learn, is a staple of the Mongolian diet that I would have to eat in some form or another for every meal to follow on this trip.
Left: Flour Power (tsuivan) - wheat flour noodles stir-fried with soy protein, carrots, cabbage, red pepper, basil, soy sauce
Right: Mongol Combo Plate (buuz / kuushuur) - steamed and fried dumplings with vegetable/mushroom filling
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