"Stir It Up..."

If you’ve read my previous blogs about restaurant ordering, you know that I can be a server’s nightmare. I often change what’s listed on the menu to eliminate the extra calories and fat from sauces or certain preparation methods. I’ll usually substitute a vegetable for a high carb side and dressing for my salad is always “on the side”. Usually this isn’t too much of a problem at many of the restaurants I frequent, but in the world of “fast-casual” restaurants, you usually can’t have it your way.

However, since my family has been on board with healthy eating, and since I don’t like to cook EVERY week night, we’ve discovered a great fast-casual restaurant that lets us have our meal EXACTLY like we want it!

At Genghis Grill you can create your own stir-fry bowl using a variety of meats, poultry, seafood, vegetables, sauces, and spices. The many proteins include chicken, steak, shrimp, crab, fish, turkey, and even scallops along with seasonal items. The veggies are fresh and crisp (I am very particular about my veggies, so if I say they’re fresh, they are!) and refilled on a regular basis. They have a huge selection from broccoli to cabbage and carrots, onions, peppers, baby corn, mushrooms, and water chestnuts or snap peas.

As you go through the line, you choose how much of each item to put into your bowl, then you choose a seasoning or two, a sauce or two and give it to the chefs to cook on the grill. They call it “an interactive style of exhibition cooking modeled after a centuries-old legend". Based on this "legend," Genghis Khan and his warriors used their shields not only for protection but for preparing their meals. It seems during lulls of battle, their shields were used as a grill by placing food on them and positioning them over open fires on the battlefield. At the restaurant, instead of shield, they have a huge grill.

After handing over your bowl, you return to your table where a server brings you your food when it’s ready. The stir-fry is served over your choice of white, brown, or fried rice, udon or spiral noodles, or even tortillas. On their website, there’s an awesome nutrition calculator, so you can figure the calories of your bowl ahead of time by clicking on http://www.genghisgrill.com/byo_bowl.php
Since we were following a lower carb eating plan, we started ordering our brown rice on the side. I ask for light oil and have them cook it well-done. With a protein or two, lots of veggies, a sauce and some brown rice, the bowl usually adds up to about 350-400 calories for a filling and delicious dinner. I save about 150 calories if I leave out the starch.

And the nice thing is, you don’t feel like you’re eating fast food. They have a great selection of wines and beers and often have special prices on specific brands. You can eat a healthy dinner, and not spend a lot of money. Bowls are usually $9.99 (or $12.99 for unlimited refills, but that kind of defeats the purpose of eating healthfully). They have kids bowls at kid-sized prices and , for now, they're running a promotion where kids eat free on Tuesday nights. And local newspapers often have a coupon for a buy one, get one free bowl or $20 for two bowls and two drinks. They also have a loyalty card, and after you’ve gotten six bowls, the seventh one is free. We’ve been going there at least once a week for the past few years, so I think we’ve taken advantage of our card!

The chain began in Dallas, and they have locations all over the country. If you click on http://www.genghisgrill.com/locations.php ,you can find the one closest to where you live. In the St. Louis area, Genghis Grill has one location in Ellisville, right next to Lifetime Fitness at 15819 Fountain Drive. The owner and general manager, Brian Durbin is usually there making sure that everything is making his customers happy (tell him Fitness Barista sent you). So, if you’re hungry after a workout or just ready to enjoy a healthy, fresh meal made the way YOU want it, stop in. I promise you, you’ll go back for more!