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April 17, 2021

Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog

Follow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico's Sesquipedalian Sybarite. 1215 Restaurant Reviews, More Than 11,900 Visitor Comments…And Counting!

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Asian

Albuquerque / New Mexico / Vietnamese

Saigon City – Albuquerque, New Mexico

March 27, 2021April 17, 2021 - 6 Comments.

My brother in blogging Ryan Cook describes his first day in Vietnam: “So, my first stop in Vietnam was the capital, Hanoi. My honest first impressions… what the hell have I let myself in for. …

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Albuquerque / Dog Friendly / Japanese / New Mexico / Sushi

Ikigai ABQ – Albuquerque, New Mexico

March 26, 2021March 26, 2021 - 2 Comments.

While ikigai (pronounced ee-key-guy) may sound like what grade school girls called me many years ago, in Japanese the term ikigai is a Japanese concept combining the terms “iki,” meaning “alive” or “life,” and “gai,” …

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Albuquerque / Dog Friendly / New Mexico / Vietnamese

Bamboo Grill – Albuquerque, New Mexico

February 27, 2021March 4, 2021 - 11 Comments.

In his 30s, curmudgeonly London food critic Jay Rayner who’s been called the “enfant terrible (literally “terrifying child) of the gastronomic scene,” came to the realization that he hated hangovers more than he hated being …

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Albuquerque / Asian / Chinese / New Mexico

Dragon House – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 9, 2021January 13, 2021 - 2 Comments.

Admit it–every time you dine at a Chinese restaurant, you peruse the Chinese Zodiac paper placemats at your table describing the characteristics of people based on their birth year. Every new year of the lunar …

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Albuquerque / Asian / Fusion / Hawaiian / Latin American / New Mexico / Rated 23

Poki Poki Cevicheria – Albuquerque, New. Mexico

December 12, 2020December 16, 2020 - 23 Comments.

Having settled comfortably into middle age (perpetually 39-years old), my favorite participatory sports of basketball and tennis have been replaced by more sedentary, safe and slothful pursuits. Instead of getting my shot rejected (almost as …

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Albuquerque / Asian / New Mexico

Kamikaze Kitchen – Albuquerque, New Mexico

December 5, 2020December 12, 2020 - 4 Comments.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Reese’s Peanut Butter cups commercials consisted of a series of vignettes. Each vignette depicted the collision of two daydreamers–one eating peanut butter and the other eating chocolate. The peanut butter …

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Chinese / New Mexico / Rio Rancho

Heaven Dragon – Rio Rancho, New Mexico

November 22, 2020November 29, 2020 - 14 Comments.

From Norbert, the Norwegian Ridgeback of Harry Potter lore to Smaug, the greatest and most powerful of all dragons in The Hobbit, dragons are a familiar icon in modern literature, movies, music and pop culture.  …

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Albuquerque / Chinese / Dog Friendly / New Mexico

Noodle Works – Albuquerque, New Mexico

September 5, 2020September 28, 2020 - 1 Comment

“To witness the birth of a noodle is a glorious thing. I have listened, spellbound, as an 85-year-old noodle chef in Beijing told me why the act of making noodles helped him make sense of …

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Albuquerque / Asian / Japanese / New Mexico / Ramen

Oni Noodles – Albuquerque, New Mexico

August 7, 2020August 9, 2020 - 5 Comments.

In retrospect, the monsters and bogeymen who frightened impressionable children of my generation were pretty lame. Perhaps the most lame of them all was Frankenstein, a lumbering behemoth who walked around with his arms outstretched …

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Albuquerque / New Mexico / Vietnamese

T & T Gas N Mart – Albuquerque, New Mexico

July 24, 2020July 28, 2020 - Leave a Comment

“Eat here and get gas.”  Even in more naive and innocent times, the connotation of that double-entendre wasn’t lost on adults or children, all of whom giggled when they espied the classic sign on the …

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Albuquerque / Asian / Food Truck / New Mexico

Umami Moto – Albuquerque, New Mexico

June 6, 2020August 23, 2020 - 2 Comments.

In the vernacular of the cannabis culture–as I learned growing up in Northern New Mexico–the term “moto” translates from Spanish to “someone who enjoys “mota,” a slang term for marijuana.”  Visitors to the Duke City …

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Albuquerque / New Mexico / Vietnamese

Pho Kup – Albuquerque, New Mexico

June 5, 2020June 8, 2020 - 6 Comments.

Virtually from infancy, my brother George was a prodigy with Lincoln logs, Erector sets and even Tinkertoys.  He could literally build anything.  That’s when he played indoors.  He preferred being out in the elements where …

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Albuquerque / Dog Friendly / New Mexico / Thai

Thai Kitchen – Albuquerque, New Mexico

April 15, 2020April 19, 2020 - 30 Comments.

“There is no good meat that their stupid cooks do not spoil with the sauce they make. They mix with all their stews a certain paste made of rotten prawns…which has such a pungent smell …

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Albuquerque / Asian / Sushi

Pacific Paradise Tropical Grill & Sushi Bar – Albuquerque, New Mexico

February 14, 2020April 25, 2020 - 4 Comments.

Shangri-La. Eden.  Paradise. Heaven on Earth.  The concept of a remote and exotic utopia, a faraway haven or hideaway of idyllic beauty and tranquility, has long intrigued mankind.  Paul Gauguin, the famous French post-impressionist artist …

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Albuquerque / Dog Friendly / Japanese / New Mexico / Ramen

Kawaii Boba Cafe – Albuquerque, New Mexico

February 9, 2020March 4, 2020 - Leave a Comment

I have a confession to make.  I just don’t get anime…and can’t figure out the pokemon craze.  That’s a rather starting admission for an Information Technology (IT) professional to make.  Maybe I need help?   …

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Albuquerque / Japanese / New Mexico / Ramen

O Ramen – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 6, 2020January 11, 2020 - 10 Comments.

“Food, like a loving touch or a glimpse of divine power, has that ability to comfort.” ~Norman Kolpas According to most online definitions, the term “soul food” defines the cuisine associated with African-American culture in …

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Albuquerque / Vietnamese

Saigon Far East – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED*)

December 13, 2019November 12, 2020 - 14 Comments.

NOTE: In November, 2020, Saigon Far East closed its doors and relocated to 25 The Way where it is now called Saigon City. Breaking a paradigm. That’s a modern corporate buzz phrase that essentially means …

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Albuquerque / Food Truck / Korean

Soo Bak Seoul Bowl & Soo Bak Foods – Albuquerque, New Mexico

November 16, 2019August 23, 2020 - 2 Comments.

Announcer: “The story you are about to read is true. The menu has been changed to showcase the delicious mashup of Korean and Mexican cuisines. Roy Choi: “This is the city: Los Angeles, California. I …

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Albuquerque / Japanese / Korean / Sushi

Sushi & Sake – Albuquerque, New Mexico

October 23, 2019October 25, 2019 - 13 Comments.

“If white wine goes with fish, do white grapes go with sushi?“ – George Carlin A reader once asked Washington Post humorist Gene Weingarten what he was a snob about. His reply, “I am also …

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Albuquerque / Japanese / New Mexico / Ramen

Iron Cafe – Albuquerque, New Mexico

October 11, 2019November 16, 2019 - 4 Comments.

“Ramen is a dish that’s very high in calories and sodium. One way to make it slightly healthier is to leave the soup and just eat the noodles.” ~Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto America may be …

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Albuquerque / Japanese / Korean

Asian Pear – Albuquerque, New Mexico

October 8, 2019October 11, 2019 - 10 Comments.

“Careful Father, this stuff will melt your beads.” ~Lt Colonel Henry Blake, MASH 4077 Just as Hogan’s Heroes helped establish the perception many Americans (at least of my generation) had about German food, the television …

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New Mexico / Rated 23 / Rio Rancho / Vietnamese

Saigon 2 Restaurant – Rio Rancho, New Mexico

September 27, 2019September 30, 2019 - 4 Comments.

In Chinese and Vietnamese cultures, numerology is very important. If you’ve traveled extensively, you may have wondered why the term “Pho” followed by a number is so commonplace. Often these numbers are considered lucky–and not …

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Albuquerque / Chicken / Dog Friendly / Fusion / New Mexico

Happy Chickenzz – Albuquerque, New Mexico

September 19, 2019September 21, 2019 - 12 Comments.

“And believe me, a good piece of chicken can make anybody believe in the existence of God.” ~Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Two things came to mind when my friend …

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Albuquerque / Asian / New Mexico / Vietnamese

Viet’s Pho – Albuquerque, New Mexico

September 10, 2019September 11, 2019 - 3 Comments.

“”Vietnam. It grabs you and doesn’t let you go. Once you love it, you love it forever.” ~ Anthony Bourdain Most of us have never been to Vietnam. It’s possible, maybe likely, that most of …

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Albuquerque / Asian / New Mexico / Ramen

Fun Noodle Bar – Albuquerque, New Mexico

September 5, 2019September 8, 2019 - 5 Comments.

By definition, many, if not most noodles are fun.  No, not fun as in luxuriating in a tub filled with ramen (albeit non-edible, synthetic noodles) with real tonkatsu (pork bone) broth.  Yeah, that really is …

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Albuquerque / New Mexico / Thai

Thai House – Albuquerque, New Mexico

August 5, 2019March 3, 2021 - 9 Comments.

American fashion designer Zac Posen observed that “Chefs have the ego of an actor and fashion designer combined.” In comparison to private cooks, however, chefs are as modest as a cloistered nun.  In a recent …

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Albuquerque / Hawaiian / Japanese / New Mexico / Sushi

Ohana Hut – Albuquerque, New Mexico

August 3, 2019July 22, 2020 - 1 Comment

In horse racing, the Triple Crown signifies winning all three of the sport’s most challenging thoroughbred horse races—The Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. This is considered the greatest achieved in thoroughbred racing, a …

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Albuquerque / Chinese / Dim Sum / New Mexico

It Dim Sum – Albuquerque, New Mexico

June 17, 2019June 23, 2019 - 5 Comments.

Shortly after “moving on up to the east side, to a deluxe apartment in the sky,” George Jefferson was uncharacteristically late returning home.  Knowing George had gone to a Chinese restaurant after work, his dutiful …

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Albuquerque / Rated 23 / Vietnamese

Saigon Restaurant – Albuquerque, New Mexico

May 23, 2019June 1, 2019 - 18 Comments.

According to some stereotypes, when you eat Chinese food, you’ll be hungry an hour later.    That stereotype is known as the “Chinese food paradox.”   One of the culprits behind that stereotype is rice, a …

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Albuquerque / Closed in 2019 / Gone But Not Forgotten / New Mexico / Vietnamese

Pho 505 – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

April 19, 2019July 8, 2019 - 5 Comments.

“Eating slowly is good for the stomach; plowing deeply is good for the fields.” ~Vietnamese Proverb Imagine if the village of Hatch was granted a trademark that awarded it exclusive rights to the name “chile.”  …

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Albuquerque / Asian / New Mexico / Thai

Thai Heritage & Vegan – Albuquerque, New Mexico

April 12, 2019April 13, 2019 - 6 Comments.

Who among us hasn’t learned at least one thing about Thai culinary heritage from The Big Bang Theory? In a 2011 episode, for example, we learned that according to Thai tradition the last morsel of …

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Albuquerque / Asian / Dog Friendly / Fusion / New Mexico / Vietnamese

Spring Rollin’ – Albuquerque, New Mexico

March 23, 2019March 25, 2019 - 4 Comments.

Reclusive American poet Emily Dickinson insisted a light exists in spring that’s not present at any other time of year. If you’ve ever spent a winter in the Northern Hemisphere at a latitude of 42° …

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Albuquerque / Asian / Closed in 2020 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Korean / National Chain / New Mexico

Bonchon – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

February 28, 2019May 21, 2020 - 8 Comments.

Hawkeye Pierce had a very unique (and very sarcastic) take on the Korean War: “I just don’t know why they’re shooting at us. All we want to do is bring them democracy and white bread. …

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Albuquerque / Asian / Filipino / New Mexico

Bubblicitea Cafe – Albuquerque, New Mexico

February 6, 2019February 9, 2019 - 9 Comments.

According to the United States Census Bureau, by 2016 the Asian American population–including those of multiracial, Hispanic and Latino ancestry–had reached nearly 21 million, constituting about six-percent of the Fruited Plain’s total population.  As the …

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Albuquerque / Rated 25 / Vietnamese

CAFE DALAT – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 24, 2019January 26, 2019 - 14 Comments.

While the term “Vietnamese cuisine” is broad and overarching, any attempt to pigeonhole this very diverse and eclectic culinary culture is a failure to consider its complexities and nuances.  Even when culinary taxonomists compartmentalize Vietnamese …

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Albuquerque / New Mexico / Vietnamese

Pho Kobe – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 5, 2019January 8, 2019 - 4 Comments.

Jim Millington, a long-time friend of this blog, contends that “there must be a bad Vietnamese restaurant somewhere on this wide earth but I have never found it.”  If the Albuquerque metropolitan area is a …

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Most Recent Visits

Rustico Italian Kitchen – Albuquerque, New Mexico

April 17, 2021April 17, 2021

Poppy’s Pizzeria & Italian Eatery – Albuquerque, New Mexico

April 13, 2021April 17, 2021

Ms. Gennie’s House of Chicken – Albuquerque, New Mexico

April 11, 2021April 11, 2021

Mighty Mike’s Meats – Albuquerque, New Mexico

April 1, 2021April 3, 2021

Red or Green–New Mexico’s Food Scene is on Fire: March, 2021

March 31, 2021March 31, 2021

Saigon City – Albuquerque, New Mexico

March 27, 2021April 17, 2021

The Whole Enchilada – Albuquerque, New Mexico

March 26, 2021April 5, 2021

Ikigai ABQ – Albuquerque, New Mexico

March 26, 2021March 26, 2021

Gyros Mediterranean – Albuquerque, New Mexico

March 20, 2021April 5, 2021

M’Tucci’s Moderno – Rio Rancho, New Mexico

March 11, 2021March 19, 2021

Comet II – Santa Rosa, New Mexico

March 7, 2021March 17, 2021

Delvin’s Restaurant & Catering – Amarillo, Texas

March 6, 2021March 17, 2021

It’s A Punjabi Affair – Amarillo, Texas

March 6, 2021March 17, 2021

The Big Texan Steak Ranch – Amarillo, Texas

March 5, 2021March 13, 2021

The Golden Light Cafe & Cantina – Amarillo, Texas

March 4, 2021March 10, 2021

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