It’s not unusual to go to a restaurant where you go up to the counter, order your food, make your way down the line, picking and choosing what goes into your meal before paying up and picking up your meal. What is unusual is watching your food being cooked to order, just for you, on a big, round, Mongolian grill. NuHu Mongolian Express, the first of its kind, opened in February in a primo spot at the corner of 12th and Broadway, across from the Denver Art Museum, History Colorado Center and the new Art Hotel. Remember that, parents, when you have a hungry kiddo after you have visited the museums or Denver Public Library!

The Denver location of Express is the first, fast-casual offspring of HuHot Mongolian Grill restaurants, located in Colorado and throughout the country. “NuHu” is, therefore, the “New HuHot.” Get it? NuHu Mongolian Express pares down the many, many options of their HuHot restaurants but certainly doesn’t leave one wanting for choices.

Start by choosing your protein: chicken, pork, tofu or veggie or beef or shrimp for a slightly higher cost. Second, choose noodles or rice, then sauces and fresh veggies. I found it interesting that the variety of sauces are intended to all work together well. People are encouraged to add several to their bowl. I was told the only way you could really ruin your created bowl is if you aren’t a seriously spicy food fan and choose a sauce that’s too hot. But the friendly staffers working the line can give guidance. If creating your own bowl is more than you want to deal with, you can choose to trust in the Signature Bowls, tried and true combinations such as the Teriyaki Warrior (zucchini, carrots, napa cabbage, green onions and broccoli with House Teriyaki sauce over rice) and the Genghis Thai (Pad Thai noodles, bean sprouts, broccoli, onions, carrots and green peppers with House Peanut sauce). All bowls run between $6.99-$9.59. Kids meals are priced at either $3.99 or $4.99. 

The real fun of the NuHu Mongolian Express experience, at least for me, was to watch the prepped bowls being emptied onto the large Mongolian grill. Kids will love this, too. Like conducting an orchestra, the staffer works rapidly around the grill, chopping, mixing, tossing and finishing off each person’s meal before scooping it into your bowl. Each bowl is served with a round Roti flatbread, also cooked to order on the grill. Slightly toasty, but just tender enough, each Roti is seasoned with a proprietary blend of seasonings. For a slight up-charge of $2.99, add a drink and either an egg roll, side salad or thick cookie to any bowl/Roti.

NuHu Mongolian Express offers a nice, fresh, flavorful option in Denver, capitalizing on all of the exciting flavors of Asian cuisine. The restaurant is located at 1147 Broadway. 

For other news and reviews of restaurants, travel, theater and movies in Denver and beyond, come visit our “big sister” blog, In Good Taste Denver.