In an ideal world, the
culinary connotation of the term "Eurasia" would be a fusion
of the distinct cuisines of both continents available all under one roof
under which culinary adventurers would be like Venetian explorer Marco
Polo tasting all the Silk Road has to offer. We should have
realized that while the continents of Europe and Asia may be connected
as a land mass (certainly not geopolitically), an Albuquerque restaurant
featuring the cuisine of both continents is still far too novel a
concept.
While Eurasia turned
out to be a misnomer, this contemporary Japanese restaurant may turn out
to be one of the better, albeit more expensive restaurants launched in
2005. Situated on the site of the now defunct Minato restaurant
(closed in October, 2004), Eurasia is, in almost every way, a
radical departure its predecessor. Where Minato facilitated dining
intimacy (including tatami rooms for private dining), Eurasia features
an open dining room painted in a serene pallet. Two ceiling panels
on either side of the industrial ductwork showcase the twinkling of the
night sky on an ebony canvas (although nothing can compare to the night
skies in Northern New Mexico.)
While Eurasia's menu
may be considered traditional, it includes several high-end items (such
as Kobe beef) which generally appear only on menus at the very finest
Japanese restaurants. Kobe beef is a special grade of beef from
spoiled rotten cattle raised in Kobe, Japan. These cattle are
hand-massaged with sake and are fed a daily diet Homer Simpson would die
for that includes large amounts of beer. The result is meat that
is extraordinarily tender, finely marbled, full-flavored and extremely
expensive. Eurasia features a Kobe beef tenderloin steak,
charbroiled and served with brown mushroom sauce, for $60. An
extra rare Kobe beef sashimi, served seared and sliced, is available as
an appetizer for the mere pittance of $18.
A less expensive
appetizer option is gyoza, Japanese-style dumplings in which minced
pork, cabbage and other ingredients are wrapped into a thinly rolled
piece of dough and served with a "spicy gyoza sauce" which
isn't very spicy at all. The only European sounding appetizer is
"Ceviche de Eurasia."
Three different bento
box options--chicken teriyaki, beef teriyaki and king salmon
teriyaki--are available for lunch. Bento is an all-in-one
"lacquered lunch box" with separate compartments for different
entrees. As functional as they are, bento boxes are also known for
their beautiful presentation of multi-colored entrees of various
textures. The star of the beef teriyaki bento is most assuredly
the beef which is tender and flavorful even without the teriyaki sauce.
The thinly-sliced, lightly-battered and perfectly seasoned tempura
vegetables (yams, onions, carrots) with the restaurant's signature sauce
were exceptional, likely the best tempura we've had in Albuquerque.
An accompanying salad with a pungent ginger dressing and Japanese red
rice rounds out the bento box.
If the Nigiri Sushi
dinner is any indication, Eurasia's sushi chefs are obviously well
practiced at their craft. Nigiri sushi is made of vinegared rice
combined with a raw, cooked or marinated topping or filling of fish,
seafood, vegetables, or egg. A combination of mouth-watering
nigiri and maki (roll) style sushi will decorate your plate with fish
and shrimp of various shapes and hues. Alas, it may take an entire
dollop of the restaurant's insipid wasabi to water your eyes if that's
your inclination.
We enjoyed the Nigiri
dinner so much that we also ordered the restaurant's most expensive maki
roll, appropriately named the "Yummy Yummy Big Roll."
This multi-hued creation features shrimp tempura, crab, cucumber,
avocado, and kanpyo (dried gourd strips) and is sliced into eight
pieces, four of which are covered with Day-Glo colored fish eggs and
four which are covered with almost luminous green fish eggs. It
truly lived up to its name.
Eurasia is situated
near some of the city's most expensive real estate (Tanoan and High
Desert to name but two) and some of us may need to scrimp and save to
dine there, but while your wallet will be lighter as a result, you'll
experience an excellent meal.
