Asian Archives - Page 17 of 21 - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog

Albuquerque Asian Closed in 2012 Gone But Not Forgotten

Pacific Rim Asian Bistro – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

Gil GardunoMarch 10, 2012July 18, 20185:52 PM

In 1520, after sailing past South America’s Tierra del Fuego and through a perilous strait which he named for himself, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan laid eyes on the expansive South Sea. At the time, the waters were calm and peaceful. He renamed it the Pacific Ocean (from the Latin Mare Pacificum which means “peaceful sea.”) Magellan vastly underestimated the Pacific, thinking he would be able to cross it in a matter of days to reach his goal, the Spice Islands. For most of Magellan’s four month crossing, the waters of the Pacific did little to belie the name he had bestowed upon it. During that crossing, however, Magellan and his men suffered terrible hunger. They ran out of fresh food…

Albuquerque Chinese Closed in 2016 Gone But Not Forgotten

Hua Chang – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

Gil GardunoFebruary 6, 2012July 18, 20183:21 AM

1943’s Best Picture Academy Award winner Casablanca is replete with memorable quotes and scenes. Toward the end of the movie, reluctant hero Rick Blaine helps the beauteous Ilsa Lund and her husband, underground leader Victor Lazlo, escape to Lisbon. In a tearful farewell, Rick tells Ilsa she would regret it if she stayed. “Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life.” Having been tipped off to the escape, Major Strasser of the Luftwaffe drives up and tries to prevent it. Rick shoots and kills him. When the police arrive, the opportunistic French police Captain Renault tells them to “round up the usual suspects,” saving Rick’s life. “Round up the usual suspects” seems to…

Albuquerque Asian Japanese Rating: N/R (Not Rated)Sushi

Mr. Tokyo – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil GardunoDecember 22, 2011April 6, 202611:15 AM

In a 2011 interview, Green Bay Packers Superbowl winning quarterback Aaron Rodgers revealed that during the National Football League season, the comments he hears most often from fans and the questions they ask him most have to do with Fantasy Football: “Is Jermichael (Finley) playing this week?” “Who’s starting at running back?” Until rather recently, the questions most frequently asked this humble blogger were “what’s your favorite (restaurant or food)?” and “what restaurant would you recommend for a (birthday, anniversary or special event)?” Those questions have been supplanted by curiosity about Bob of the Village of Los Ranchos (BOTVOLR), the most prolific (126 comments as of this writing) commentator to this blog. “What’s Bob like?” “Where does Bob get his…

Chinese Fusion Mexican Nevada Rating: N/R (Not Rated)United States

China Poblano – Las Vegas Nevada

Gil GardunoNovember 11, 2011April 6, 202610:38 PM

Mexican history and folklore recount the story of a remarkable woman who would come to be venerated as a holy woman and prophetess. Born to nobility in India and possessing remarkable beauty, she was kidnapped as a young child and brought to Mexico, an intended gift to the Viceroy of Mexico whose personal harem of gorgeous women was known far and wide. When she arrived in Acapulco on a Chinese ship, people were in awe of her breathtaking appearance and exotic ensemble, detailed with dazzling sequins and complex embroidery. Her stye would come to be imitated far and wide by Mexican women who called it and her China Poblana which translates literally to “Chinese Pueblan.” At the time, China was…

Albuquerque Closed in 2018 Gone But Not Forgotten Japanese Sushi

I Love Sushi – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

Gil GardunoOctober 29, 2011October 2, 20183:49 AM

According to the US Census Bureau, more than half (49.3) of all Americans reported they did not “dine out” between Fall, 2009 and Fall, 2011. That’s the lowest percentage since 2007 and could be indicative of the pervasive economic malaise or perhaps of the uncertainty as to what constitutes “dining out.” The Census Bureau did not define the term so it’s conceivable “dining out” was interpreted as a meal at a “fancy restaurant” with table service and a wine menu as opposed to say, a meal at a fast food restaurant or picking up a burger from a food truck. One data point the Census Bureau did not research is the percentage of people who don’t like sushi. A sushi…

Albuquerque Closed in 2020 Gone But Not Forgotten Korean Rating: Excellent

Fu Yuang – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil GardunoOctober 20, 2011March 31, 20265:12 PM

“I’ve eaten a river of liver and an ocean of fish! I’ve eaten so much fish, I’m ready to grow gills! I’ve eaten so much liver, I can only make love if I’m smothered in bacon and onions” ~ Hawkeye Pierce MASH 4077, Korea FROM THE FU YUANG FACEBOOK PAGE: Our Dear Fu Yuang friends, we closed the doors for business on Saturday, November 21st, 2020. 😢 Mia is no longer able to meet the physical demands of operating the restaurant. We tried to sell the restaurant to many prospective buyers, with no luck due to COVID-19. We want to thank everyone for their kindness, dedication, & support over the past 26 1/2 years. We will truly miss you all.…

New Mexico Rating: Good Rio Rancho Vietnamese

Viet Rice – Rio Rancho, New Mexico

Gil GardunoJuly 29, 2011April 5, 20263:41 PM

In Vietnamese, “an com”‘ translates as “eating rice,” but it’s a phrase that more accurately implies the act of partaking of food. At Viet Rice, they know rice and they make the act of partaking of food a memorable one! The motto “We Know Rice” is declared on the menu and it’s part of the restaurant’s logo. It’s even on the restaurant’s entrance. More importantly, it’s obvious in the way Rio Rancho’s very first Vietnamese restaurant operates. True to its name, well crafted rice dishes are a specialty, but there’s so much more than rice at this small gem operating out of a sprawling shopping center. Viet Rice is one of the more visually appealing Vietnamese restaurants in the Duke…

Arizona Rating: Very Good Thai United States

Malee’s Thai Bistro – Scottsdale, Arizona

Gil GardunoJune 1, 2011April 6, 20261:47 AM

Many a time have I luxuriated in the pleasures of a memorable repast at a restaurant outside of New Mexico and found myself thinking “if only these tastes were available back home.” I typically then fantasize about bringing those tastes to the Land of Enchantment myself. Alas, lofty intentions, a profuse lack of culinary talents and the absence of the capital necessary to realize my fantasies subsume those dreams and I instead yen for future visits to restaurants whose incomparable tastes have captured my reality. In Deirdre Pain, I found someone through whom I can live vicariously. An aficionado of Thai food, she became disillusioned with most Thai restaurants, many of which lacked wine lists and whose wait staff struggled mightily…

Albuquerque Rating: Excellent Thai

Thai Cuisine – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil GardunoMay 11, 2011April 4, 202611:36 PM

In my old haunt of Boston, television commercials proclaimed Wednesdays as Prince spaghetti day. They depicted spry youngsters dashing home excitedly for their weekly repast of pasta products made by the Prince Spaghetti company. In Albuquerque, Thursdays were–until April 25th, 2008–green curry day at Thai Cuisine. Thursday was the day of the week in which patrons could excitedly look forward to the restaurant’s Thai cuisine lunch buffet offering incomparable green curry among other incomparably delicious attractions. On that ignominious April day, Thai Cuisine stopped serving their daily buffet, citing food wastage as a concern. Thai Cuisine’s buffet was reminiscent of a baseball team’s pitching rotation, meaning some of the restaurant’s best entrees took turns on the menu’s rotation, usually a…

Albuquerque Closed in 2012 Gone But Not Forgotten Japanese Vietnamese

Hakata Asian Cuisine & Grill – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

Gil GardunoApril 28, 2011July 19, 20185:37 PM

“Grrr! What’s wrong with those Vietnamese?” That’s not a bad bowl of pho prompting a xenophobic rant on my part. Those were the words of my friend Huu Vu when I told him a new Vietnamese restaurant by the name Hakata Asian Grill had opened up on Albuquerque’s west side. A proud native of Vietnam, Huu wasn’t upset at the launch of another restaurant showcasing the cuisine of his homeland. He was unhappy about the name. Hakata Asian Cuisine & Grill is the third restaurant featuring Vietnamese food to open in the seven month period which ended in April, 2011. That’s great news for all adventurous Duke City Diners, and you would certainly think my pho fanatic friend would be…

Albuquerque Japanese Rating: N/R (Not Rated)Sushi

Japanese Kitchen – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil GardunoJanuary 29, 2011April 6, 20269:05 AM

For generations, traditional New Mexican food as it had been served for generations by Hispanic families in Northern New Mexico was surprisingly rare in restaurants throughout the Land of Enchantment. Many restaurants throughout the state served “Mexican” style food similar to what our neighbors in Arizona and Texas offered. That meant insipid chile lacking the flavor and piquancy which has become a hallmark of New Mexican cuisine. Once restaurants such as Rancho de Chimayo began serving traditional New Mexican food, the genre immediately made tremendous inroads, quickly usurping the popularity of the interlopers. Though tradition has certainly not gone by the wayside, New Mexican food has both grown and evolved over the years largely through the influence of “Santa Fe…