Food & Drink
What and where to eat and drink in Huvsgul. Taste local specialities or read how to survive as a vegetarian.
Self-catering
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Plenty of small shops are available in almost all towns, offering basic groceries for eating and cooking, sweets, water and alcohol. In Murun, you can find also several supermarkets and few big department stores.
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A good place to buy fruits and vegetables is the Black Market in Murun, as it might be a problem to find them in other shops (fresh or undried). Shopping at the Black Market is despite of its name legal but mostly very crowded, so be aware of possible pickpockets there.
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Shops are usually open till the night (10 PM, some until midnight)
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Please consider buying supply rather in small local shops, as this is the only source of income for many families. Alhough for big supermarket-fans Murun can offer e.g. :
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Tevkhen – shopping centre, variety of goods available (cosmetics, stationery, clothes). The shop is located in opposite of the 50° 100° Hotel, 100 metres westerly from the Foursquare.
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Anu market – good selection of (western) food, upstairs you can find small shops with electronic stuff, printing laminating options or souvenirs. The green-coloured building is located at the Foursquare.
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Basic words for selfcatering would be:
Water - Uuz \ ус
Vegetables - Nogoo \ ногоо
Rice - Budaa \ будаа
Meat - Makh \ мах
Fish - Zarass \ загас
Milk - Suu \ сүү
Noodles - Gooril \ гурил
Salad - Salat \ салат
Tomato - Ulaan lool \ улаан лооль
Fried potatoes - Sharsan tems \ шарсан төмс
Without meat - Makhguj \ маxгуй
Beer - Shar airag \ шар айраг
Bread - Talkh \ талх
Yoghurt - Tarag \ тараг
Potato - Tems \ төмс
Ajrik - alcoholic horsemilk \ айраг
Dry cheese - Aaruul \ ааруул
Chicken - Takhia \ тахиа
Gluten - Ulaan buudain uurag \ улаан буудайн уураг
Sugar - Elsen chikher \ элсэн чихэр
Lactose - Soonee tshikgir \ сүүний чихэр
Nuts - Saamar \ самар
Restaurants & Gers
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Finding a nice place to dine is not a problem, although you probably will not find a variety of western style food. A selection of the Mongolian food is suitable for a majority of dietary requirements and preferences though. Tasting local food is also part of the cultural experience during traveling and an important element of community-based tourism. Visiting a ger may be an enriching experience also in terms of food & drink, including tasting home-made bread, cheese, butter, milk tea and airag (fermented mare milk).
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A quick bite and take-away food you can find within the Black Market in Murun as well as on main streets at several Mongolian restaurants (guanz), which usually offer basic traditional meals for reasonable prices (khushuur – fried meat dumplings, buuz – steamed dumplings, rice dishes or soups). Basically all meals contain meat (usually mutton)
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In the cities more meat is eaten (on daily basis) than in the countryside. Yoghurt, Cheese, Bread, i.e. is widely available all year round.
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Since about 20% of all european Mongolia tourists are vegetarian, Murun offers one good option: A Vegetarian restaurant in the opposite of the Black Market, is offering a variety of meals, although soups meybe cooked bones. Cooking at home or learning basic mongolian phrases for ordering your meal will keep you surviving without much effort. Some useful phrases are provided below:
би махгүй хоол иддэг \ би ногоон хоолтон \ би мах иддэггүй ("Bi Makhgui hool iddeg ... Bi nogho hoolton ... Bi Makh id deggui") might explain that you do not want to eat meat and want to order vegetables.
та надад загасгүй махгүй хоол хийж өгөөч? ("Ta nadad makhgui hool bolon zagasnii makhgui hoolhiij ogooch?") might enable you to encourage someone to prepare you some vegetarian food.
Some agencies are aware of the fact that people might have special dietary needs and are willing to plan them in for your trip.
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If you need western style food, in Murun you might find it in the restaurants of the bigger hotels (such as 50° 100° Hotel) or Imperial restaurant. White House serves Chinese meals, Naran Ekh also Korean
Click: Overview of the mentioned and further restaurants and their locations
Note:
Most restaurants and hotels also turn into discos/bars/karaoke venues during some days of the week.