You hear it very time a seismic event or devastating conflagration strikes California. Doomsayers seem to come out from under the rocks to proclaim it “divine castigation.” That’s also their argument when the Golden State’s elections don’t go as they would like. These very same people don’t seem to like much about California. Such negativity makes me wonder if these fatalists have ever spent much time in this fabled land of opportunity and adventure. There’s got to be a reason California is the most populous state in the union. Surely the forty-million residents would be leaving in droves if it was that bad.
Although the Air Force took me to most of the contiguous states in the country, it was Intel which first sent me to California. Back when Intel was flush with cash, I was dispatched to Santa Clara for weeks at a time. These business trips were not only highly productive, they introduced me to the uniquely wonderful “California cuisine” and its emphasis on fresh, local and seasonal ingredients. As a movement, California cuisine’s embrace of diverse culinary cultures and innovative approaches reflected the state’s own diversity and commitment to high-quality, sustainable and healthy foods.
Asian restaurants are plentiful in the Santa Clara and San Jose area, particularly in the Korean and Vietnamese arenas. Most of my initial experiences with Korean and Vietnamese cuisine were at the homes of Air Force colleagues who married women from those nations. Being invited to their homes was not only a introductory experience, it was the start of a lifelong addiction to exotic cuisines heretofore new to me. At the time Asian restaurants across the Duke City were largely limited to Chinese and Japanese eateries. What a joy it was to discover the delicious embarassment of riches in the Bay area.
Among the most staggering discoveries (literally and figuratively) I made in the Santa Clara area was the sheer number of Korean restaurants offering an all-you-can-eat (AYCE) opportunity. As an avowed trencherman and gastronome, the challenge was not only to enjoy hearty portions, but to prepare my meal at my table on a tabletop grill called a hibachi. Cooking comes easy for me, but results are often mixed because of my propensity to experiment with disparate ingredients. Fortunately, the proprietors of my favorite Korean AYCE restaurant were a patient lot. On more than one occasion when they witnessed my heretical choice of ingredients to grill, they politely took over and prepared a better meal than I could have.
Over the years a number of Korean and Asian restaurants showcasing tabletop hibachi grills have popped up across Albuquerque. To my recollection none offered an AYCE option. Visiting I Grill Korean BBQ & Hotpot on Albuquerque’s burgeoning westside triggered fond memories of delightful meals at similar venues in the Santa Clara area. An Albuquerque Journal article by Nakayla McClelland titled “Grill brings the fun, but not always the flavor” reminded me that not all my experiences on the hibachi rendered uncooked meats and veggies into desired deliciousness.
I Grill Korean BBQ & Hotpot has an Ellison address (3700 Ellison Dr NW Suite C) our GPS seemed to consider as difficult to find as a Subaru in Santa Fe sporting NRA stickers. Eventually we found it ensconced in the megalithic complex that has housed several short-lived restaurants. Previous tenants at this spot include Desert Valley Brewing. Few, if any, vestiges of that previous occupant remain. As Nakayla observed the restaurant is “decorated with bright neon colors that make it feel more like a club than a dining establishment.” At least flashing strobe lights and rotating mirror disco lights didn’t hang from the ceiling. Better still, the restaurant is still bright enough for diner to see what they’re doing.
If you’re new to the concept, you won’t necessarily get much more than basic instruction from the affable wait staff. Even worse, the numerous trays of sauces and condiments aren’t labeled so if you’re not intimately familiar with Korean sauces and marinades, you’re taking your chances. In keeping with the restaurant’s feeling of modernity, you’ll be presented a tablet with which to place your order. The basic AYCE menu is priced at $24.95 per person as of this writing. An option offering “premium” meats is somewhat more pricy. Within minutes after selecting your desired meats, employees ferry out your selected proteins–tangles of red and pinkish meats, some leaning to a shade or orange because of the marinade for which spicy Korean barbecue is renowned.
Similar to other AYCE restaurants, I Grill Korean BBQ & Hotpot has a 90-minute time limit and charges for uneaten food. You can’t take home any remaining food. In addition to the Korean barbecue portion of the menu (and just as promised on the menu), the restaurant features “Hotpot.” Korea’s version of hot pot is called Jeongol which is made by putting meat, mushroom, seafood, seasoning, etc., in a stew pot, adding broth, and boiling it. Yet another Korean hot pot dish is made with large dumplings. As with the Korean barbecue, you’ll prepare your hot pot meal at your table. If you’ve ever visited Albuquerque’s Zu Hot Pot on Eubank, you’ll be familiar with the concept.
Undoubtedly the Korean dish most acculturated into the American culinary culture is bulgogi. Bulgogi, which translates from Korean to “fire meat” consists of thinly sliced, marinated beef or pork that is typically stir-fried or grilled. The marinade usually includes soy sauce, sugar or honey, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger, often with Asian pear for tenderizing If you like your American barbecue on the sweeter side, this dish will appeal to you. If you’re a fire-eater, there’s a “spicy” version which amps up flavors though it’s not even as piquant as most self-respecting New Mexico chiles.
One example of how a little explanation would have helped is when we were offered “soup,” we weren’t told that the soup (a delightfully fiery spicy Szechuan soup) was really intended to be the “base” for a hot pot dish. I should have been instructed to add vegetables and noodles to the soup. Good as it was, it would have been transformative with the right additions. The menu lists seven soups from which you can “construct” your hot pot. There are six noodle choices (including vermicelli, udon, ramen and even pho noodles). Vegetable choices range from bak choy to king oyster mushrooms and everything in between. The notion that this mad scientist could have created a burbling, bubbling bowl of hot pot still rankles me.
During our inaugural visit, we indulged in “the usual suspects”–beef bulgogi, spicy beef bulgogi and galbi (marinated beef ribs). Inexplicably, the restaurant had run out of pork, a more common protein for bulgogi. Writing for the Journal, Nakayla summarized her experience as “fun” but “a little underwhelmed by the food.” During visits on consecutive days (my Kim had left her glasses, perhaps as an excuse for returing), I’m inclined to agree with Nakayla. Though good for New Mexico, it didn’t impress me nearly as much as similar experiences in Santa Clara. Several of the other “non-spicy” proteins–beef belly, premium ribeye steak and garlic chicken, for example–are either not seasoned or greatly underseasoned (and when is the last time you visited an AYCE restaurant in which everything isn’t salted to the nth?).
Self-service stations for sauces and sides were well-stocked, but without proper labels, it’s a crapshoot as to what you’re having. This is especially true of the sauces. My Kim had to ask a server which of the multitudinous sauces was “sweet and sour.” She was directed to a ponzu sauce which did the trick for her. For me, the spicy chili sauce was a dream fulfilled. It had plenty of bite and personality. Even better was the kimchi, a fiery cabbage dish not for the mild of taste buds. Among the sides are egg rolls, crawfish, sesame balls, dumplings and so much more. If only they were labeled….
Overall my favorite protein was the spicy baby octopus though it elicited “baby killer” comments from my Kim. Look closely at the photo of the baby octopus and you’ll see a fully-formed (albeit delicious) cephalopod mollusk. Though I may not have been over the moon with some aspects of our experiences at I Grill Korean BBQ & Hotpot, it did my heart good to see that many of the diners were young. Eater recently published an article declaring that younger generations cherish unique dining experiences. I Grill certainly does offer that.
I Grill Korean BBQ & Hotpot
3700 Ellison Drive, N.W., Suite C
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(505) 808-3918
Website |
LATEST VISIT: 10 August 2025
1st VISIT: 9 August 2025
# OF VISITS: 2
RATING: 21
COST: $$$ – $$$$$
BEST BET: Spicy Beef Bulgogi, Beef Bulgogi, Galbi, Spicy Baby Octopus, Kimchi, Egg Roll, Spicy Szechuan Soup, Beef Belly, Spicy Calamari, Premium Ribeye Steak
REVIEW #1782