Dreaming of a summer barbecue, and torn between a Korean or Chinese grill-at-the table barbecue but can't decide which one?
Perhaps it's time you tried a Thai-style winter mookata - a dining style that's a cross between Korean barbecue and Chinese hot pot.
Those who have eaten one of these hot-pot barbecue cross in the streets of Bangkok will certainly be craving for them.
Mae Nam Khong BBQ in New Lynn, opened last August, remains the only Thai eatery offering mookata eat-all-you-want buffet style, and has been attracting local Thais because it reminds them of home.
Mookata translates to mean "pork skillet" - but the offerings are a whole lot more than just pork and the buffet offerings include everything from premium beef, lamb, pork and chicken cuts as well as moo deng minced pork, beef rib in black pepper, beef tongue and fresh pork liver.
The meat is grilled on top of a dome in the middle of the pan that surrounds a broth in which you can add other ingredients such as vegetables, fish balls, clam meat, whole prawns and mushrooms similar to Chinese hot pot.
Help yourself to must-have cooked dishes, where the selection includes the melt-in-your-mouth tender kha moo (braised pig feet), tom zap pork soft bones and beef slices, crumbed crabclaws and crispy deep fried chicken skin.
Mae Nam Khong BBQ's winning formula has to be its jaew dipping sauce, that pairs so well with the mookata dinner. The other dipping sauces known as nam chim include the sukiyaki sauce, seafood sauce, mookata sauce, ponsu sauce and mala powder.
Dinner is also a whole lot more fun with interactive food stations, and here you get to make your own som tum (papaya salad) - with the chef happy to guide you along to help you get to your perfect level of fiery kick, tang and crunch. There's also the shaved ice at the dessert station where you get to build your own ultimate sweet, icy treat.
Mookata, which arrived in New Zealand only a year ago, is a Thai creation where early street vendors saw the popularity of Chinese hot pot and Korean barbecue and combined them into this tabletop experience.
This authentic staple of Thai street food culture is often enjoyed in an all-you-can-eat buffet style, which is what the owners of Mae Nam Khong, Kit and Cherry, are keen to recreate.
Family-owned Mae Nam Khong has six outlets, but there is only one that offers this mookata buffet.
"If you think you're ready to embark on this Thai culinary adventure, join us at Mae Nam Khong where each meal is a celebration of connection, culture and exceptional taste," Kit said.
"We're excited to serve you and be part of your next delicious dining experience."
Holders of ChowLuckCard will also get to eat more and spend less at Mae Nam Khong BBQ - one person gets to eat free when you dine in groups of four or more.
MAE NAM KHONG BBQ 1 McCrae Way, corner of New Lynn Station Memorial Drive, New Lynn Lunch (12pm-3pm) $38.90 Dinner (3pm-close) $43.90 | Student Price $35 Ph: 027 8905118
