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January 26, 2021

Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog

Follow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico's Sesquipedalian Sybarite. 1201 Restaurant Reviews, More Than 11,700 Visitor Comments…And Counting!

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Chinese

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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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 / 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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Asian / Chinese / Closed in 2018 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Sushi

528 Sushi & Asian Cuisine – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

April 20, 2018July 14, 2018 - 11 Comments.

“No lady likes to snuggle and dine accompanied by a porcupine.” “He lit a match to check gas tank. They call him skinless Frank.” “A man, a miss, a car, a curve. He kissed the …

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Albuquerque / Chinese / New Mexico

Rising Star Chinese Eatery – Albuquerque, New Mexico

April 2, 2018October 13, 2018 - 3 Comments.

Let’s get one thing straight. General Tso’s chicken is not some weird cold war Chinese one-upmanship response to Colonel Sanders’ Kentucky Fried Chicken. In other words, China did not deliberately seek to outdo the United …

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Albuquerque / Chinese / Closed in 2020 / Gone But Not Forgotten / New Mexico

The Birds Paradise Hot Pot – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 12, 2018November 11, 2020 - 4 Comments.

It was 2:15AM on a workday, a full four hours before my dreaded alarm clock was set to utter a tone surpassed for annoyance only by the screechy prattle on The View. Inexplicably my brain …

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Albuquerque / Asian / Chinese / Dog Friendly / National Chain / New Mexico

P.F. Chang’s China Bistro – Albuquerque, New Mexico

December 9, 2017July 7, 2018 - 8 Comments.

“Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will …

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Albuquerque / Chinese / Dim Sum / Rated 24

Ming Dynasty – Albuquerque, New Mexico

August 4, 2017October 13, 2018 - 9 Comments.

The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) was renowned as one of the greatest periods of governmental and societal stability in the history of mankind. At its peak, the Ming dynasty made China a global superpower, influencing the …

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Albuquerque / Chinese / New Mexico

Pop-Up Dumpling House – Albuquerque, New Mexico

June 23, 2017July 8, 2018 - 8 Comments.

“And her dumplings were so light they would float in the air and you’d have to catch ’em to eat ’em.” ~Author: Fannie Flagg Think you know dumplings? Believe you’ve tried almost every type of …

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Albuquerque / Chinese / Dim Sum / Dog Friendly / Sushi

Amerasia & Sumo Sushi – Albuquerque, New Mexico

May 27, 2017July 8, 2018 - 11 Comments.

Carpe Diem Sum–“seize the dim sum” at AmerAsia, the Alibi’s perennial selection for best dim sum in the city honors (diem sum, as spelled on AmerAsia’s menu is also a correct spelling). Dim sum, a …

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Chinese / Closed in 2018 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Rio Rancho

Tao Chinese Bistro – Rio Rancho, New Mexico (CLOSED)

February 24, 2017November 9, 2018 - 18 Comments.

It’s highly unlikely ancient Chinese philosophers ever intended the concept of Tao to be used as an approach for the serial seduction of women, but that was the premise of the 2000 movie The Tao …

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Albuquerque / Chinese / Rated 25

Budai Gourmet Chinese – Albuquerque, New Mexico

August 7, 2016July 12, 2018 - 66 Comments.

“The true gourmet, like the true artist, is one of the unhappiest creatures existent. His trouble comes from so seldom finding what he constantly seeks: perfection.” –Ludwig Bemelmans By definition, gourmets are connoisseurs, taking food …

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Albuquerque / Chinese

ABC Chinese Restaurant – Albuquerque, New Mexico

April 6, 2016July 14, 2018 - 2 Comments.

Hungry sojourners venturing east on Menaul between Wyoming and Eubank will discover two of the dining options on this stretch are among Albuquerque’s elder statesmen in the Duke City’s Chinese restaurant community. You’ll first espy …

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Albuquerque / Chinese / Rated 23

Chopstix – Albuquerque, New Mexico

October 2, 2015July 15, 2018 - 11 Comments.

And I find chopsticks frankly distressing. Am I alone in thinking it odd that a people ingenious enough to invent paper, gunpowder, kites and any number of other useful objects, and who have a noble …

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Albuquerque / Asian / Chinese / New Mexico

China City – Albuquerque, New Mexico

July 9, 2015July 15, 2018 - 3 Comments.

The Claw: Actually the only girl we want is Princess Ingrid. Maxwell Smart: Then why did you abduct the others? The Claw: Unfortunately, Mr. Smart, all Americans look alike to us. ~Get Smart Leave it …

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Albuquerque / Burgers / Chinese / New Mexico Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail: 2009 / New Mexico Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail: 2011

Lucky Boy – Albuquerque, New Mexican

March 11, 2015July 15, 2018 - 10 Comments.

During its seventh season, the X Files television series in which FBI agents investigated paranormal phenomena featured an episode in which a ravenous Lucky Boy employee in California struggled against his craving for human brain …

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Albuquerque / Chinese

Chin Shan Chinese Restaurant – Albuquerque, New Mexico

July 24, 2013July 16, 2018 - 9 Comments.

According to the trade magazine Chinese Restaurant News, as of January, 2007, there were 43,139 Chinese restaurants in the United States. That’s three times the number of McDonalds franchise units and more than the total …

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Albuquerque / Chinese

China Luck – Albuquerque, New Mexico

May 18, 2013September 1, 2018 - 8 Comments.

You can’t accuse Americanized Chinese food of being subtle.  Brash, gaudy and maybe even over-the-top, but never subtle. In fact, the flavor profile of Americanized Chinese food is generally so gunked up with MSG, sugar, …

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Albuquerque / Chinese

Yummi House – Albuquerque, New Mexico

December 15, 2012July 17, 2018 - 7 Comments.

Years ago, I had the misfortune of working with a technical writer who couldn’t spell his way out of a paper bag.  His punctuation was pathetic, his vocabulary vacuous and his writing peppered with malapropisms …

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Albuquerque / Asian / Chinese / Closed in 2015 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Thai

Sengdao Bar-B-Q Asian Cuisine – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

March 28, 2012July 17, 2018 - 2 Comments.

Despite my (then) near eidetic memory and a sesquipedalian lexicon, it was my bumpkinly naivete my friends in Boston found most surprising (and amusing) about me.  By having absorbed Encyclopedia Britannica (before the internet and …

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Albuquerque / Chinese / Closed in 2016 / Gone But Not Forgotten

Hua Chang – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

February 6, 2012July 18, 2018 - 3 Comments.

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 …

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Chinese / Fusion / Las Vegas, Nevada / Mexican / Rated 25

China Poblano – Las Vegas Nevada

November 11, 2011July 18, 2018 - 1 Comment

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 …

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Albuquerque / Asian / Chinese / Closed in 2016 / Gone But Not Forgotten

China Best – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

November 7, 2010July 19, 2018 - 9 Comments.

In the United States Navy and Coast Guard, no one is as revered, respected or admired as a sailor promoted within the enlisted naval ranks to Chief Petty Officer.  The “Chief” is expected to be …

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American / California / Chinese

Chuck’s Restaurant – Placerville, California

June 13, 2010July 19, 2018 - 1 Comment

In 2009, James Beard Award-winning food journalists Jane and Michael Stern published a terrific tome entitled 500 Things to Eat Before It’s Too Late. Despite the ominous (some might say fatalistic) name, the book is …

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Albuquerque / Buffet / Chinese / Closed in 2011 / Gone But Not Forgotten

Evergreen Buffet – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

June 28, 2009July 22, 2018 - 8 Comments.

America held hostage!  That was the aptly named title of an ABC late-night news program anchored by Ted Koppel from November, 1979 through January 20, 2001.  For 444 days, the mighty United States of America …

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Albuquerque / Chinese / Closed in 2018 / Gone But Not Forgotten

Best Lee’s – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

April 13, 2009March 9, 2019 - 18 Comments.

When John Lucas, Elizabeth Eisner Reding and Mike Reding, three trusted gastronomes who frequent this blog, heartily recommended I try Best Lee’s, my initial reaction was, “they’ve got to be kidding.”  Our sole visit to Best Lee’s …

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Chinese / Las Vegas, Nevada

Amlee Gourmet Restaurant – Las Vegas, Nevada

May 31, 2008July 22, 2018 - Leave a Comment

There’s a Cantonese saying that translates to “anything that walks, swims, crawls, or flies with its back to heaven is edible.” The Chinese diet counts as delicacies some things which would repulse the more sensitive …

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Chinese / Las Vegas, Nevada

Ping Pang Pong – Las Vegas, Nevada

May 27, 2008July 22, 2018 - 2 Comments.

The complaint I hear most often about the Duke City dining scene is that we have a lamentable lack of quality Chinese restaurants. This is a sentiment that’s been echoed ad-infinitum on Chowhound and other …

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Chinese / New Mexico / Rio Rancho

Best Lee’s – Rio Rancho, New Mexico

January 19, 2007September 1, 2018 - Leave a Comment

When does confidence become audacity? Is there a point at which a claim becomes braggadocio? To what extent can you trust a review on a hometown magazine? These were all questions we sought to answer …

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Albuquerque / Chinese

Great Fortune Chinese Restaurant – Albuquerque, New Mexico

December 22, 2006September 1, 2018 - 1 Comment

According to the Chinese Restaurant News, a respected trade publication, there are now approximately 36,000 Chinese restaurants in America.  That’s nearly three times as many Chinese restaurants as there are McDonald’s franchises.  That’s more than …

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Albuquerque / Buffet / Chinese / Closed in 2011 / Gone But Not Forgotten

Yen Ching – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

February 24, 2006July 23, 2018 - 3 Comments.

Have a yen for Chinese or Korean cuisine? Can your appetite be sated only by the nasal-clearing, smoldering heat of Szechwan style cooking? Are the cravings that consume you affixed on succulent sushi and eye-watering …

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Chinese / Closed in 2015 / Dim Sum / Gone But Not Forgotten / Las Vegas, Nevada

Cathay House – Las Vegas, Nevada (CLOSED)

November 21, 2004October 22, 2019 - 2 Comments.

There are two things I rail against which might classify some of my restaurant reviews as a bully pulpit. One is the incursion of chain restaurants, a pitiable parade of mediocrity that has largely resulted …

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Most Recent Visits

M’Tucci’s Twenty-Five – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 23, 2021January 25, 2021

Urbano Pasta Kitchen – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 18, 2021January 22, 2021

Marigold Cafe – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 13, 2021January 16, 2021

Dragon House – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 9, 2021January 13, 2021

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

January 6, 2021January 10, 2021

Bibo Bar & Grille – Bibo, New Mexico

January 5, 2021January 6, 2021

Nena’s Food – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 2, 2021January 22, 2021

Red or Green: New Mexico’s Food Scene Was On Fire in 2020

January 1, 2021January 6, 2021

Gil’s “Best of the Best” For 2020

December 30, 2020January 8, 2021

Haus Murphy’s – Glendale, Arizona

December 27, 2020January 10, 2021

Richardson’s Cuisine of New Mexico – Phoenix, Arizona

December 26, 2020January 10, 2021

Fat Ox – Scottsdale, Arizona

December 25, 2020January 18, 2021

DeFalco’s Deli: Italian Eatery & Grocery – Scottsdale, Arizona

December 24, 2020January 10, 2021

Barrio Cafe – Phoenix, Arizona

December 23, 2020January 10, 2021

Cornish Pasty Company – Scottsdale, Arizona

December 22, 2020December 24, 2020

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