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by John Gessner

"Mongo magic" is coming to Burnsville.

bd's Mongolian Grill, which coined the phrase to describe its lively atmosphere and fanciful approach to stir-fry, will open in late October at 1025 W. County Road 42 West.


Located next to Burnsville Center, the building is the former home of Romano's Macaroni Grill. The restaurant will rent the building from mall owner CBL & Associates Properties Inc., said Mike Niznik, Senior Vice President of Operations for bd's Mongolian Grill, whose corporate office is at 12281 Nicollet Ave. in Burnsville.

"We're very excited about it. The mall is a huge generator," Niznik said.

Burnsville will be the most northerly location of bd's Mongolian Grill, which has 12 corporate restaurants and 23 franchise locations in 11 states.

"It's about creating your own stir-fry," Niznik said. "When we talk about 'Mongolian grill,' 'Mongolian' doesn't refer to the type of food, but rather to the style of cooking."

Diners load up on their own meats, vegetables and sauces buffet-style before handing their bowls over to grillers who slice and stir-fry the food in front of them.

Grillers use "swords" to prepare the food on a 6-foot grill that simulates the upturned shield of a Mongolian warrior in the days of Genghis Khan.

"A lot of them do tricks with their swords," Niznik said. "They fling them up in the air. Some of the guys do it blindfolded."

In bd's Mongolian Grill parlance, folks manning the smoky grill are "Grillerz in the Mist." Kitchen staffers wear T-shirts with the slogan "Mongo Man is our BFF." The servers' T-shirts say "Hot Hot Hot." The signature drink at the full bar is the "Mango Madness."

"A little irreverent fun," Niznik said. "We try not to be stuffy and corporate. We want the servers and the grillers to demonstrate their own personality."

In addition to stir-fry, which is also available in tortilla and lettuce wraps, bd's Mongolian Grill offers finger foods including three styles of wings.

About 135 employees have been hired for the Burnsville location, Niznik said.

John Gessner is at burnsville.thisweek@ecm-inc.com.

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