Mongolian BBQ History Taiwan - Created by a Chinese Comedian 1951

Photo Update (June 10 2020) 
Source - 'Remembering Taiwan' Facebook Group

Mongolian BBQ mobile vendors in the late 1950s on the east bank of Tamsui River 

Credit to Mr A Zoraster who stationed at Taipei Air Station from Aug 64 until Dec 66 

Credit to Mr A Zoraster who stationed at Taipei Air Station from Aug 64 until Dec 66 

“In Mongolia, you won’t find Mongolian Barbeque.  But, you do in Taiwan.  It’s just as you won’t find Fuzhou Noodle in Fuzhou.  But, you do in Taiwan.  Neither would you find Sichuan Braised Beef Noodle Soup in Sichuan.  Again, you do in Taiwan.  They are created by Taiwanese food industry to reflect the chefs’ imaginations of the regions and creativities.”

In my forthcoming book with Steven Crook “The Culinary History of Taipei” Chapter 6: Supplying the Consumer (Taipei’s Markets). We included an anecdote of Mongolian BBQ mobile vendors in the late 1950s on the east bank of Tamsui River : “…… and that cooked in the open air on overturned woks”.

Interestingly, a Taiwanese friend and long-term New York resident, posted not long ago her experience of Korean BBQ in her city and commented on the ‘strange looking’ wok-lid like BBQ grill. I curiously checked with the anecdote author who now lives in Boston and he confirmed it was indeed very similar to the gigantic overturned woks in his experience, except that his wasn’t DIY.

E-wei and I recently had a lunch at “Tank Kung (Tang Palace) Mongolian Bar B Q”. It is one of the few left in Taipei. But one I most recommend as it made a point to keep its 1970s deco and style. Good for someone who enjoy a more authentic atmosphere as well as good quality and variety of meat and what else come with it. Excellent sesame flatbread – to note.

Thanks E-Wei for the piece work and the video! 

Source: Jiao, Tong “On Mongolian BBQ” (WorldJournal.com, June 08 2012)

Translated and Edited by Tao, E-Wei  

"In Mongolia, you won’t find Mongolian Barbeque.  But, you do in Taiwan.  It’s just as you won’t find Fuzhou Noodle in Fuzhou.  But, you do in Taiwan.  Neither would you find Sichuan Braised Beef Noodle Soup in Sichuan.  Again, you do in Taiwan.  They are created by Taiwanese food industry to reflect the chefs’ imaginations of the regions and creativities. 

Mongolian Barbeque is in fact not a barbeque.  It’s a stir fry.  The cook uses a pair of elongated chopsticks to fry the meats and vegetables seasoned with condiments of your choices on an extremely hot flat pan.  The white smoke and aroma fill up the entire room.  While the cook skilfully waves the long chopsticks on the hot plate, the meat forms a line and falls into a bowl.  The precision, poses, and techniques recall martial art skills.

“Mongolian Barbeque” in Taiwan was created by a Chinese standup comedian, Wu, Zao-Nan.  Sixty years ago, Wu founded “Kao Rou Xian” (the literal translation is “The Aroma of BBQ”) with a few veteran soldiers at Yin Qiao and end of Tong An Street.  It’s the founding place of Taiwanese Mongolian Barbeque.  He hand-sketched the big frying plate then hired craftsmen to create an iron plate that had a diameter as long as an open arm.  This pioneering work created the cookware of Mongolian Barbeque.  Furthermore, a wide selection of condiments including soy sauce, sesame seed oil, garlic, chili peppers, lemon juice, and pineapples, meats such as beef, lamb, chicken, pork, and venison, and vegetables on a self-serving bar.  Mongolian Barbeque was then launched.

It was 1951.  Wu recalled in an interview that Mongolian Barbeque was indeed his creation.  He had a small tea house at the bank of Dan Shui river and Yin Qiao selling barbeque.  At first, he wanted to name it “Beijin Barbeque” but afraid it might sound like a Chinese spy.  “Beipin” wasn’t a good choice either.  So, he decided to call it “Mongolia.”  The farther from Beijin, the safer.  

It was an era when Taiwan was under strict martial law.  The sentiment of feeling homesick could not be revealed in public.  That year, several “Chinese spies” were executed.  Provincial government announced Conscription for the first time.  The United States Department of Defense officially sent military consultants to Taipei to commence their work there.  That year, Fisheries Research Institute strongly promoted Tilapia farming.  Taiwan had a big earthquake…  

When the business first started, each type of meats was NT$3 charged by the plate.  No customers were interested in.  Thus, he changed the price to US$1 (it was about NT$34) and all you could eat.  It opened up the barbeque market in Taipei and became the first all-you-can-eat restaurant.  

At its peak, government high officials, successful businessmen, and diplomates were his patrons.  Dan Shui river bank was filled with limousines and luxurious cars.  Customers passed through a stone-stairs hidden in the wild grass and dined under the moonlight at the riverside.  Wu also had a dog named Harry who’s responsible for carrying a lantern leading the customers to their seats.  Later, the owner of The First Hotel Taipei, Mr. Xu, invited him to relocate the business to the top floor of his hotel.  It was the tallest building in Taiwan back then with a height of 10 floors.  Celebrity Li, Hwa Li was the special guest at the opening ceremony.  It was the most popular place since it had been opened.  Moreover, people dressed up after midnight to the top floor for night view.  It was even on Taipei’s sightseeing tour guide as a touristy highlight.    

Since its launch until now, Mongolian Barbeque has been serving as the all-you-can eat style.  At its peak, Taipei has more than 30 Mongolian Barbeque restaurants.  Now, there are only a handful.  The famous ones are “Tang Gon Mongolian Barbeque Restaurant,” “Shuan Ba Fang Mongolian Barbeque,” and “Genghis Khan Mongolian Barbeque.”  They are still my favorite places. 

Mongolian Barbeque and Chinese traditional stand-up comedy almost had a parallel development path.  Yin Qiao is not only the founding place of Mongolian Barbeque but also the origin of Chinese traditional stand-up comedy in Taiwan.  Ma, Ji-Liang who’s the father of Ma, Zi-Ling, the current Chairman of Yuanda Group, founded Yi Qiao Le Yuan.  At first, they performed stage plays.  It wasn’t very popular.  So, he partnered with Wu to perform Chinse traditional stand-up comedy.  One month later, Wu recalled, all 30 plots they knew were performed.  They decided to recruit new blood.  Then, they had Chen, Yi-An and Wei, Long-Hao on the team.  They were invited to radio shows.  It began the era of Chinese traditional stand-up comedy.   

Wu, Zao-Nan’s Chinese traditional stand-up comedy art is the aggregate memory of those who were born in the 60’s and 70’s in Taiwan and has added humor onto the authoritarian society.  He used his Chinese accent to write-up Taiwan’s Chinese traditional stand-up comedy history.   

The imagination of Taiwanese Restaurant Industry includes operating styles.  Mongolian Barbeque always combines with Sour Cabbage Meat Ball Hot Pot.  They probably think both Mongolia and northeastern part of China are equally far.  One is at the north and another one at the northeast; both shouldn’t be that much different.  So, the two were combined.  

For more than 30 years, Tang Gon has been packed with customers.  When Bin-Huai accepted the teaching post at University of San Diego in California, we went to Tang Gon for Mongolian Barbeque and Sour Cabbage Meat Ball Hot Pot paired with their uniquely homemade biscuits and Jin-Men Kao-Liang liquor.  I liked the loud noise in the restaurant because it concealed my parting sorrow.  Before my first daughter Shan-Shan left for London for school, we also had Mongolian Barbeque and Sour Cabbage Meat Ball Hot Pot at Shuan Ba Fang.  Why are there so many parting events in life? 

Mongolian Barbeque is an implication for sizzle.  It’s the taste of home for the Chinese in Taiwan.  It’s a Beijin native’s barbeque fancy in a foreign land.  It’s a quasi style fill with diaspora.  The Mongolian Barbeque he created wasn’t the real Beijin barbeque.  It’s the outcome of a collage of memories, a symbol of rebuild, and a poetic imagination to present the sentiment of home.   

Wu, Zao-Nan is a Beijin native.  He came to Taiwan in 1949 and became a Chinese traditional stand-up comedian in 1952.  In 1973, he emigrated to the US.  His sojourn life tangles with racial suffering.  I sense his anti-obliviate sentiment and anxiety of cultural birth cord cut-off.  Through the making of food, he strengthened his cultural-ruin base and rebuilt his home.  This concept is reflected in his barbeque as well as in his Chinese traditional stand-up comedy performance.  In the fading accent from his hometown, he used taste and native accent to solace his lonesome and desolation."

(Note - The comedy act  is 相聲 Xiangsheng – a Peking two-man comedy routine.  Wu and Wei mentioned in the article were the most popular duo at that time）