"In Mongolia, the food is poor!"

We hear this often, but ultimately it depends on your tastes. We can assure you that Mongolian cuisine is not bad, but it is simple and lacks variety, consisting primarily of meat (mutton and goat), flour (used for pasta, dumplings, bread, and signature dishes like khuushuur or buuz), rice, and potatoes. As for vegetables, you'll find cabbage, carrots, and onions. Dairy products are also widely consumed during summer months.

Our approach is to blend flavors as much as possible, and we maintain our own kitchens in Ulaanbaatar, where Miga, our head chef, and his team prepare more Western-style dishes rich in vegetables, which we vacuum-seal for our tours. This system also allows us to accommodate vegetarian and gluten-free meals. That said, it's clear that the longer the itinerary or the more autonomous trekking involved, the more limitations this approach faces—we simply cannot preserve such dishes for, say, the 18th day of your journey. We therefore rely heavily on preserved foods, starches, rice, and pasta (children are generally quite happy in Mongolia, we promise—no spinach!). For fruit, similarly, we use canned fruit and compotes extensively, but whenever we pass through a town, the guide or cook stops at the market to restock with meat, vegetables (cucumbers and tomatoes for salads, carrots, cabbage, and potatoes), and fresh fruit.

Breakfasts are traditional, featuring tea, coffee, pastries and cakes, jam, honey, spreads, cereals for children, and more.

Beyond that, if you have particular dietary needs or requests, we can accommodate almost anything (oysters notwithstanding!).

As a general rule, a cook is present on itineraries with tent nights requiring a minimum of four participants, and on itineraries with only ger nights requiring a minimum of eight participants. In all other cases, the guide takes charge of meal preparation.

During treks—both walking and horseback—it can quickly become challenging for the guide to manage meals, even with just two or three of you; your helping hand will be greatly appreciated.

For private tours with four to six participants, you can choose to forgo a cook's services for cost reasons. In that case, the guide will coordinate meal preparation, and you'll need to participate actively. Note, however, that with six people, if you do hire a cook, you'll also need a second vehicle, and the resulting cost increase is substantial.

Conversely, you can also opt for greater comfort by hiring a cook even if you're traveling as just one, two, or three participants. Miga, our head chef, also leads our luxury circuit tours—serving exceptional meals by candlelight in the heart of the steppe.

Restaurants in Ulan Bator

Ulan Bator's dining scene has expanded rapidly in recent years, and the city now boasts excellent gastronomic restaurants and cuisines from around the world: Italian, Indian, Mexican, Japanese, Lebanese, and of course Korean. Unfortunately, chains like KFC and Pizza Hut have also made their appearance.