Despite its name, Mongolian barbecue was developed in Taiwan.
Mongolian barbecue is a Taiwanese stir-fry concept, not a traditional Mongolian grilling style. Diners typically choose sliced meat, vegetables, noodles, and sauces, then hand the bowl to a cook who stir-fries everything on a large, round, flat metal grill.
The dish is credited to Wu Zhaonan, a comedian and restaurateur originally from Beijing who fled to Taiwan after the Chinese Civil War. He opened a food stall in Taipei in 1951. He reportedly wanted to use the name “Peking barbecue,” but political sensitivities surrounding Beijing led to the more exotic-sounding “Mongolian barbecue.”
The name causes two common errors: Mongolia did not develop the dish, and the cooking method is closer to teppanyaki-style griddle cooking than to smoke-driven barbecue. Some restaurants also call related dishes Mongolian beef, another Taiwanese creation that became popular in Chinese-American cuisine.