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February 28, 2021

Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog

Follow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico's Sesquipedalian Sybarite. 1208 Restaurant Reviews, More Than 11,700 Visitor Comments…And Counting!

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Japanese

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 / 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 / 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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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 / 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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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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Japanese / New Mexico / Ramen / Rio Rancho / Sushi

Nori Ramen & Sushi Bar – Rio Rancho, New Mexico

November 25, 2017October 13, 2018 - 1 Comment

From our home in northeast Rio Rancho, it’s about thirteen miles to the Nori Ramen & Sushi Bar on Southern Boulevard. It would have been safer to run with the bulls at Pampalona than it …

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Albuquerque / Asian / Closed in 2018 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Japanese / New Mexico

Aya’s New Asian Japanese Cuisine – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED: 2018)

November 6, 2017July 7, 2018 - 7 Comments.

There’s an unspoken reciprocal arrangement between restaurant guests and the restaurant personnel with whom we interact. As guests, we show our appreciation for a dining experience well executed by tipping generously and maybe complimenting the …

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Albuquerque / Asian / Dog Friendly / New Mexico / Sushi / Thai

Fareast Fuzion – Albuquerque, New Mexico

July 16, 2017July 8, 2018 - Leave a Comment

A Journal of Consumer Research study published in 2012 revealed that consumers equate eating meat with their concept of masculinity. To the dismay of spinach-lovers like Popeye, respondents indicated meat has a more masculine quality …

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

Mogu Mogu – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

April 17, 2017June 1, 2020 - 10 Comments.

In the 1970s, comedian Norm Crosby based his schtick on the use of malapropisms (the mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one, often with unintentionally amusing effect). The “master of the …

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Asian / Closed in 2018 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Japanese / Korean / Ramen / Vietnamese

Nanami Noodle House – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

February 11, 2017August 1, 2018 - Leave a Comment

If Chinese superstitions have any credence, some of us may not be long for this world. Chinese superstitions posit that long noodles symbolize a long life. Ostensibly, if you cut your noodles, you’re cutting your …

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Albuquerque / Lao / Sushi / Thai

Sakura Sushi Thai & Laos Cuisine – Albuquerque, New Mexico

December 22, 2016July 9, 2018 - 9 Comments.

Opinions vary as to what the next “hot” cuisine in America will be. As an independent observer of the New Mexico culinary condition, I’m more interested in how long it will take for that heat …

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Albuquerque / Japanese / New Mexico / Ramen

Naruto – Albuquerque, New Mexico

April 23, 2016July 14, 2018 - 5 Comments.

During a 2015 episode of the Travel Channel’s Delicious Destinations, glaborous host Andrew Zimmern articulated what may be the very best–or at least most comprehensive–definition of comfort food ever. “Comfort food,” he explained, “makes us …

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Albuquerque / Japanese / Rated 23 / Sushi

Magokoro Japanese Restaurant – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 5, 2016July 15, 2018 - 36 Comments.

Emeril Lagasse, the jovial master of the culinary catchphrase, has been known to exhort his studio audience to “feel the love” as he adds a dash or two of something special to a dish. Indeed, …

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Albuquerque / Asian / Closed in 2015 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Japanese / New Mexico / Sushi / Thai / Vegetarian/Vegan

Loving Vegan – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

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

My adovada adoring amigo Ruben likened the irony to an episode of Seinfeld. Two weeks into his experiment with an ostensibly healthier vegan diet, he was craving sushi and needed his sushi-specific pangs of hunger …

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Albuquerque / Japanese / New Mexico / Sushi

Nagomi Japanese Restaurant – Albuquerque, New Mexico

May 8, 2015July 15, 2018 - 1 Comment

Everyman philosopher Homer Simpson once posed the profound existential question “Donuts. Is there anything they can’t do?” One thing at which donuts seem especially adept is ensnaring the hearts and affections of youth—and not just …

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Albuquerque / Japanese / Sushi

Ichiban – Albuquerque, New Mexico

September 13, 2014July 15, 2018 - 8 Comments.

In an episode of Friends, Joey Tribbiani starred in a commercial released only in Japan for Ichiban men’s lipstic. His friend Chandler’s response upon viewing the commercial: “he really is a chameleon.” In Japanese, the …

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Albuquerque / Japanese / New Mexico / Sushi

Gen Kai Japanese Restaurant – Albuquerque, New Mexico

May 23, 2014July 16, 2018 - 6 Comments.

In Japan, ramen is so revered that diners line up, sometimes for hours, at ramen houses for homemade noodles tangled with such ingredients as dried fish, pork and chicken. Connoisseurs make pilgrimages to a popular …

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Japanese / Santa Fe

Izanami – Santa Fe, New Mexico

May 5, 2014July 16, 2018 - 8 Comments.

“Do not the most moving moments of our lives find us without words.” ~Marcel Marceau When the Spaniards first gazed upon the setting sun as it hit the towering snow-capped mountains and appeared to bathe …

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Buffet / Closed in 2015 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Japanese / New Mexico / Rio Rancho / Sushi

Ahh! Sushi – Rio Rancho, New Mexico (CLOSED: 2015)

January 20, 2014July 16, 2018 - 4 Comments.

The year was 1997. Recently thawed from a thirty year cryogenic state, Dr. Evil addressed the United Nations about his diabolical scheme to hold the world ransom: “ In a little while you’ll notice that …

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American / New Mexico / Sushi

Clancy’s Pub – Farmington, New Mexico

December 31, 2013July 16, 2018 - Leave a Comment

Characterized by writer Tom Wolfe as the “Me Decade” and derided by cynics as the “Disco Era,” the 1970s witnessed an explosion of copycat fast food chain restaurants and the birth of innovative fusion cuisine …

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Albuquerque / Fusion / Japanese / Sushi

Sushiya Asian Fusion Cuisine – Albuquerque, New Mexico

July 13, 2013July 17, 2018 - 16 Comments.

“I don’t eat anything that a dog won’t eat. Like sushi. Ever see a dog eat sushi? He just sniffs it and says, “I don’t think so.” And this is an animal that licks between …

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Japanese / Sushi

Sushi Xuan Asian Grill – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 19, 2013September 28, 2020 - 4 Comments.

Nay-saying economic analysts who perpetuate the notion that even neighborhood monopolies would take advantage of a captive market don’t know Carter, chef-owner of Sushi Xuan Asian Grill. Rather than taking an oligopolous stance as owner …

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Albuquerque / Asian / Japanese / Sushi

Mr. Tokyo – Albuquerque, New Mexico

December 22, 2011July 18, 2018 - 7 Comments.

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 …

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Albuquerque / Closed in 2018 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Japanese / Sushi

I Love Sushi – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

October 29, 2011October 2, 2018 - 4 Comments.

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 …

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Albuquerque / Closed in 2012 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Japanese / Vietnamese

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

April 28, 2011July 19, 2018 - 9 Comments.

“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 …

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Albuquerque / Japanese / Sushi

Japanese Kitchen – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 29, 2011July 19, 2018 - 2 Comments.

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 …

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Albuquerque / Japanese / Korean / Sushi

Sakura Sushi & Grill – Albuquerque, New Mexico

April 10, 2010July 19, 2018 - 3 Comments.

In describing “food porn,” The New Yorker once wrote, “The point is to get very close to what you are filming, so close that you can see an ingredient’s “pores” which then triggers some kind …

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Closed in 2010 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Japanese / New Mexico / Rated 24 / Rio Rancho / Sushi

Noda’s Japanese Cuisine – Rio Rancho, New Mexico (CLOSED)

June 4, 2009July 22, 2018 - 17 Comments.

Note: On December 16, 2010, Noda’s Japanese Cuisine, a Rio Rancho institution for a dozen years, closed its doors.  Owners Masayasu and Setsuko Noda have retired and will be relocating back to Japan.  It was …

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Albuquerque / Japanese / Sushi

Sushi King – Albuquerque, New Mexico

April 24, 2008July 22, 2018 - 1 Comment

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I– I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. – Robert Frost The path to becoming a sushi aficionado is, in some …

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Albuquerque / Closed in 2019 / Gone But Not Forgotten / Sushi / Thai

Jasmine Thai & Sushi – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

August 4, 2007July 20, 2020 - 5 Comments.

Sometimes the most delicate and beautiful things in nature are spawned in conditions that are wholly antithetical to their survival. The delightfully fragrant jasmine flower, for example, is thought to have originated in the Himalayas, …

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S-A Barbecue – Albuquerque, New Mexico

February 22, 2021February 28, 2021

Bamboo Grill – Albuquerque, New Mexico

February 21, 2021February 28, 2021

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February 19, 2021February 25, 2021

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

February 13, 2021February 25, 2021

Ruthie’s Bagels – Albuquerque, New Mexico

February 10, 2021February 20, 2021

Kabab House – Albuquerque, New Mexico

February 9, 2021February 25, 2021

Salty Catch – Albuquerque, New Mexico

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February 3, 2021February 10, 2021

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

February 1, 2021February 10, 2021

Tako Ten – Albuquerque, New Mexico

January 30, 2021February 12, 2021

Upscale Burgers & Shakes – Rio Rancho, New Mexico

January 27, 2021February 10, 2021

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January 18, 2021January 22, 2021

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Dragon House – Albuquerque, New Mexico

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