Trip to Genghis Grill

I recently dined at the newly opened Genghis Grill in my fair suburb. When I first went to the Genghis Grill in Addison several years ago, near my old North Dallas apartment, it was billed as a Mongolian barbecue restaurant. Now, it's apparently called Mongolian stir fry. But the concept is the same: You build your own bowl, piling on any of several raw meats, vegetables, seasonings and sauces, and then the mix is thrown on a big circular metal grill, beaten and mixed with wooden sticks, and cooked until it is done. It's an ingenious business model, because if your meal does not turn out well, you have only yourself to blame for choosing the wrong ingredients.

As I chowed down on my halaal meat-veggie-starch combo, Wendell pointed to a large picture on the wall of several heavily armed warriors on horseback. "Who is that?" Wendell asked. "A group of actors," I answered, pausing briefly before diving back into my bowl. "Oh," my little brother replied. 

"Are the actors supposed to be anyone in particular?" Wendell asked. "Yes," I replied, licking my lips. My bowl was now empty, so I was more inclined to converse. "Genghis Khan and his troops. He was a great conqueror, a leader of men."

"Like you, Mugsy?" Wendell asked.

"Somewhat like me," I said to the young pug. His curiosity and reverence for his Big Brother pleased me. "For nearly 800 years, his exploits have been the stuff of legend. But the humans do not know the full story. They do not realize that he owed everything to the esteemed pug dog."

"Really, Mugsy?" Wendell said, his eyes wide with wonder. "Will you tell me the story?"

"Yes, my brother," I answered, giving my bowl one last lick. "Listen closely to what you are about to hear, for it is our heritage. And our destiny." 

To be continued ...