Mongolian barbecues are ingenious. Present a selection of fresh meat, vegetables, fish, sauces, oils and herbs in a buffet-style arrangement, ask customers to choose their own combinations, cook it for them and tell them they can eat as much as they like. All this for one low price - in the case of Nomads, $158 plus 10 per cent - and everyone thinks they are a winner. In some respects they are. Nomads, with its pleasant (albeit schizophrenic) Tex-Mex-cum-tribal decor and comfy sheepskin chairs, is a casual place full of friendly staff. One can't help but draw comparisons to another Mongolian barbecue place - Nomads is on the site of what used to be Kublai's. The selection of ingredients is more extensive - there's beef, lamb, chicken, prawns, clams, garoupa, mushrooms and tofu together with a good selection of vegetables. Add any of a large number of sauces (such as teriyaki, Mongolian, barbecue, hoi sin, oyster, tomato, chilli), oils (basil, garlic, chilli), nuts and herbs then choose from staples like rice, noodles and tortilla. Hand this to the chef and within minutes - if you have chosen your ingredients correctly - you will have a delicious meal. The down side to this type of restaurant is that they appear cheaper than they are. You are given a fairly small bowl to put your fresh (very thinly sliced) ingredients into and the temptation is to put in it as big a variety as possible. Once it is stir-fried and the chef has added a serving of noodles or rice you end up with a filling plateful of food without much of the more expensive ingredients on it. That said, if you know what to expect, it's still an enjoyable night out. The bill for two with four beers ($40 each) came to $524. 55 Kimberley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Tel: 2722 0733. Open: noon-2.30pm, 6.30pm10.30pm. $$$
