Genghis Khan :: 71 E. Main Street, Smithtown

Genghis Khan sits next door to the Frame Center on the corner of Main Street and Landing Avenue in the heart of Smithtown village. It is self-proclaimed Pan-Asian cuisine, with tastes of Koren and Japanese fare. Take-out options and “Free Delivery” are advertised in the front window.

Jennifer ate:

Hotstone Bowl – vegetables and egg only, no meat ($8.95)
Small House Salad ($1.95)

Designed primarily for takeout, the few, small tables and wobbly floor give Genghis Khan a decidely “fast-food” feel.

Walking through the front door, we were greeted by a small, empty dining room and a friendly, eager staff. After being seated we explored a 2-sided, plastic-laminated menu and ordered drinks — water and diet coke — which were served in a bottle and can, respectively. Not what you’d expect while sitting at a table. This was our first indication that Genghis Khan is primarily designed to be a take-out eatery.

The wait staff was eager to explain the variety of offerings on the menu. I needed assistance to come up with a vegetarian option, and I went with the Hotstone Bowl with vegetables and rice, served with a spicy sauce on the side. (He also asked to make sure we were comfortable using chopsticks (we are) and would have offered to either give us forks or show us how.) The standard miso soup appetizer was served in styrofoam bowls with plastic spoons, our second indication of GK’s take-out focus.

The house salad was basic iceberg lettuce with a few pieces of purple cabbage and carrot strings and a watery dressing that was flavorful enough but not remarkable. The salad was also served in a styrofoam bowl. When the Hotstone Bowl showed up, it was indeed hot! The rice and vegetables were sizzling and steaming as it sat on the table, and an egg yolk sat in the center. I was informed that I was supposed to mix everything together, then add the spicy sauce to taste.

Overall, the meal was good, not great. The vegetables were sparce (more were needed for flavor), mostly rice and fairly bland. The spicy sauce added some flavor, but there was a little bit too much oil for my tastes. Not sure I’d eat at Genghis Khan again, especially with the lack of vegetarian options available.

The bottom line:
Hotstone Bowl with vegetables over rice – Decent Asian-American cuisine. Not quite a unique blend of flavors, rather bland.
Overall rating: You might want to try some of their take-out, they have a variety of options. However, if you’re looking for something unique, there are better options in Smithtown.

Chuck ate:

Spicy Chicken Bento Box ($8.95)

Genghis Kahn certainly conjures up an interesting mental image when seeing and hearing the name. I imagined GK himself standing in front of an hibachi with a “Kiss the Cook” apron holding a spear in one hand and tongs in the other. Alas, the Kahn was nowhere to be found, he did however, leave me with a nice lunch.

I say “nice” because GK was a little unexpected. First, it was small with small 2-seater tables. The service was exceptional though and very helpful. I was, however, expecting a more high-end dining experience — e.g. actual utensils and tableware (not Styrofoam and plastic) and at the very least, a glass with ice. Now, that being said, the food was good. The Miso soup was good, though the Styrofoam bowl was a buzzkill. My Bento Box arrived in Japanese-box-lunch-shaped black plastic (obviously a take out item — reminiscent of the plates at Boston Market). It included a salad, tempura veggies, a dumpling, spicy chicken, 3 California rolls, Wasabi, and a healthy scoop of rice with sesame seeds. The tempura vegetables where tasty, the spicy chicken was spicy (but not too), the salad was fine, the rice was bland, the dumpling and the rolls where both tasty. I was actually unable to finish the lunch, so the portions where good.

The bottom line:
Spicy Chicken Bento Box: Good variety, not bad.
Overall rating: If you have a hankering for some Asian and want to eat in, by all means, give GK a call, have them deliver or get take-out.