{"id":127,"date":"2007-06-24T04:54:17","date_gmt":"2007-06-24T03:54:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=127"},"modified":"2018-08-31T08:25:04","modified_gmt":"2018-08-31T14:25:04","slug":"banana-leaf-rio-rancho-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=127","title":{"rendered":"Banana Leaf &#8211; Rio Rancho, New Mexico (CLOSED)"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure style=\"width: 455px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 455px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 455\/342;vertical-align: middle; margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px; border: 4px solid black;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/nm\/asian\/Images\/Banana01.jpg\" alt=\"Banana Leaf Restaurant in Rio Rancho\" width=\"455\" height=\"342\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">Banana Leaf Asian Cuisine in Rio Rancho<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\">Banana leaves, although completely inedible, are used for slow, moist cooking of tough meats as well as for quicker steaming, baking or grilling of delicate ingredients such as chicken and fish. Used while still fresh and green, they lend a very moist quality to any food prepared in them and also imbue foods with a delicious herbal flavor. <\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\">While Southeast Asian nations have used banana leaves in food preparation for generations, only recently have innovative American chefs begun to explore their infinite possibilities. It&#8217;s no wonder there are so many Asian restaurants named for this utilitarian, albeit inedible food ameliorant. <\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">Rio Rancho&#8217;s Banana Leaf restaurant opened in January, 2005 to some popular acclaim. Bringing you the culinary cuisine of Southeast Asia kitchens to your table, it features Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese items on a diverse, multi-page menu. <\/span><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">What it doesn&#8217;t feature is any items prepared with the item for which it is named (bummer). <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\">Owned and operated by a Vietnamese family which also operates restaurants in Roswell, New Mexico as well as in California, it is another sign that the &#8220;city of vision&#8221; has arrived with a flourish. <\/span><\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 455px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 455px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 455\/342;vertical-align: middle; margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px; border: 4px solid black;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/nm\/asian\/Images\/Banana02.jpg\" alt=\"Wonton chips and sweet-and-sour sauce\" width=\"455\" height=\"342\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">Wonton chips and sweet-and-sour sauce<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\">Complementary <em>wonton chips<\/em> are brought to your table while you peruse a menu that will have you hard-pressed to select from among many delicious sounding options. The slightly salty chips are great when dipped into the restaurant&#8217;s piquant sauce. Good appetizer options abound. <\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\">The <em>imperial rolls<\/em> (crispy fried Vietnamese egg rolls) with ground pork and shrimp are an excellent start and served with a plum sauce that&#8217;s emboldened with chilies that made the sauce sweet, tangy and piquant. <\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\">The peanut dipping sauce accompanying the <em>chicken satay<\/em>, is not as cloying as offered at many Thai restaurants and it&#8217;s got more chile than most. Still, you won&#8217;t want to cover up the wonderfully marinated chicken skewers which are redolent with the intoxicating aroma of yellow curry. <\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\">The Banana Leaf&#8217;s <em>chicken wrap<\/em> features minced chicken, black mushroom, scallion, onion, basil leaf, silver noodle, chopped peanuts and sesame seeds served with iceberg lettuce. It&#8217;s as good, if not better than the wraps at the Americanized Chinese dynasty, P.F. Chang&#8217;s.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 455px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 455px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 455\/342;vertical-align: middle; margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px; border: 4px solid black;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/nm\/asian\/Images\/Banana03.jpg\" alt=\"Chicken satay\" width=\"455\" height=\"342\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">Chicken satay<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\">If you&#8217;re a fan of Vietnamese style spring rolls, the misnamed &#8220;<em>cool and crisp salad rolls<\/em>&#8221; feature lettuce, mint, cucumber, bean sprout, vermicelli and shrimp wrapped in rice paper. They&#8217;re not quite as good as you&#8217;ll find at May Hong, but when ameliorated with that peanut sauce, are a taste treat. <\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\">Among the entrees, it&#8217;s always difficult to pass up curry, but the <em>Tama Cod<\/em> <em>Fillet<\/em>, a grilled Alaskan cod, is a great alternative. Two half-inch fish slabs are decorated with cilantro, scallion and onion in a tamarind chile sauce. There is no &#8220;fishy&#8221; taste in the cod which is of surprisingly high quality. <\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\">When you can&#8217;t pass up curry (as is usually the case for me), the <em>Thai yellow curry<\/em> is a welcome departure from curry which is sometimes served nearly dessert sweet at some Thai restaurants. Although coconut milk figures into this curry, it&#8217;s in subtle quantities that don&#8217;t overwhelm the curry. <\/span><\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 455px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 455px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 455\/342;vertical-align: middle; margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px; border: 4px solid black;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/nm\/asian\/Images\/Banana05.jpg\" alt=\"Yellow Curry\" width=\"455\" height=\"342\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">Yellow Curry<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\">Served with either fried rice or standard white rice, this curry dish is constructed with potato, bell pepper, onion, carrot and sweet basil. Portion sizes are enormous so you&#8217;ll definitely have left-overs for dinner. If anything, curry tastes even better when reheated. It must have something to do with its complex flavors permeating the other ingredients even more than when first prepared.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\">The <em>Vietnamese Beef Vermicelli<\/em> salad with a chile vinaigrette is a refreshing mix of contrasting and complementary ingredients: lettuce, mint, cucumber, bean sprout, egg rolls and vermicelli. Served in a huge bowl, it is an excellent entree when you&#8217;re in the mood for something filling and delicious that&#8217;s also relatively healthy. <\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\">Banana Leaf doesn&#8217;t serve the de rigueur Thai dessert of mangoes with sticky rice, but it does serve several other alternatives that might make you forget what is probably your favorite Thai post-prandial offering.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 409px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 409px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 409\/342;vertical-align: middle; margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px; border: 4px solid black;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/nm\/asian\/Images\/Banana06.jpg\" alt=\"Decadent dessert option\" width=\"409\" height=\"342\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">Decadent dessert option<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\">One of the more popular dessert choices and one not seen in many Thai restaurants in New Mexico provides a variety of tastes. At first glance, this dessert (pictured at right) looks like donut holes you might find at Dunkin Donuts covered in powdered sugar and honey, but one bite will tell you this is something else entirely.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\">Inside the donut-hole like exterior are nuggets of sweet corn and coconut and the topping drizzled atop isn&#8217;t honey, but a caramel sauce. Despite appearances, it&#8217;s not especially sweet, but it is quite good.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\">It&#8217;s uncommon for a single restaurant to be categorized as the best Chinese, best Thai and best Vietnamese restaurant in town, but Banana Leaf probably holds that distinction. It&#8217;s a restaurant with many surprises, but what doesn&#8217;t ever come as a surprise are the unfailingly fresh ingredients in every menu item, the impeccable service and the variety of a menu which treats you to a taste of Asia.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\"><strong>Banana Leaf<\/strong><br \/>\n355 Rio Rancho, S.E.<br \/>\n<strong>Rio Rancho, New Mexico<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>LATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 24 June 2007<br \/>\n<strong># OF VISITS<\/strong>: 4<br \/>\n<strong>RATING<\/strong>: 17<br \/>\n<strong>COST<\/strong>: $$<br \/>\n<strong>BEST BET<\/strong>: Tama Cod Fillet, Imperial Rolls<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Banana leaves, although completely inedible, are used for slow, moist cooking of tough meats as well as for quicker steaming, baking or grilling of delicate ingredients such as chicken and fish. Used while still fresh and green, they lend a very moist quality to any food prepared in them and also imbue foods with a delicious herbal flavor. While Southeast Asian nations have used banana leaves in food preparation for generations, only recently have innovative American chefs begun to explore their infinite possibilities. It&#8217;s no wonder there are so many Asian restaurants named for this utilitarian, albeit inedible food ameliorant. Rio Rancho&#8217;s Banana Leaf restaurant opened in January, 2005 to some popular acclaim. Bringing you the culinary cuisine of Southeast&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48846,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[277,708,262,141,265],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asian","category-closed-in-2018","category-closed","category-new-mexico","category-rio-rancho"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Banana Leaf - Rio Rancho, New Mexico (CLOSED) - Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=127\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Banana Leaf - Rio Rancho, New Mexico (CLOSED) - Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Banana leaves, although completely inedible, are used for slow, moist cooking of tough meats as well as for quicker steaming, baking or grilling of delicate ingredients such as chicken and fish. Used while still fresh and green, they lend a very moist quality to any food prepared in them and also imbue foods with a delicious herbal flavor. While Southeast Asian nations have used banana leaves in food preparation for generations, only recently have innovative American chefs begun to explore their infinite possibilities. It&#8217;s no wonder there are so many Asian restaurants named for this utilitarian, albeit inedible food ameliorant. Rio Rancho&#8217;s Banana Leaf restaurant opened in January, 2005 to some popular acclaim. Bringing you the culinary cuisine of Southeast&hellip;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=127\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nmgastronome\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2007-06-24T03:54:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-08-31T14:25:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Banana01.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"506\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"380\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Gil Garduno\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Gil Garduno\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=127#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=127\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Gil Garduno\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf\"},\"headline\":\"Banana Leaf &#8211; Rio Rancho, New Mexico (CLOSED)\",\"datePublished\":\"2007-06-24T03:54:17+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-08-31T14:25:04+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=127\"},\"wordCount\":922,\"commentCount\":1,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=127#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2007\\\/06\\\/Banana01.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Asian\",\"Closed in 2018\",\"Gone But Not Forgotten\",\"New Mexico\",\"Rio Rancho\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=127#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=127\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=127\",\"name\":\"Banana Leaf - Rio Rancho, New Mexico (CLOSED) - Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=127#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=127#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2007\\\/06\\\/Banana01.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2007-06-24T03:54:17+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-08-31T14:25:04+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=127#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=127\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=127#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2007\\\/06\\\/Banana01.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2007\\\/06\\\/Banana01.jpg\",\"width\":506,\"height\":380,\"caption\":\"Sierra Exif JPEG\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=127#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Banana Leaf &#8211; Rio Rancho, New Mexico (CLOSED)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\",\"description\":\"Follow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico&#039;s Sesquipedalian Sybarite.  1,522  Restaurant Reviews, More Than 14,900 Visitor Comments...And Counting!\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"\",\"contentUrl\":\"\",\"caption\":\"Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf\",\"name\":\"Gil Garduno\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg\",\"caption\":\"Gil Garduno\"},\"description\":\"Since 2008, the tagline on Gil\u2019s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog has invited you to \u201cFollow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico\u2019s Sesquipedalian Sybarite.\u201d To date, more than six million visitors have trusted (or at least visited) my recommendations on more than 1,300 restaurant reviews. Please take a few minutes to tell me what you think. Whether you agree or disagree with me, I'd love to hear about it.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/%20\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/nmgastronome\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/nmgastronome\\\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Banana Leaf - Rio Rancho, New Mexico (CLOSED) - Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=127","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Banana Leaf - Rio Rancho, New Mexico (CLOSED) - Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","og_description":"Banana leaves, although completely inedible, are used for slow, moist cooking of tough meats as well as for quicker steaming, baking or grilling of delicate ingredients such as chicken and fish. Used while still fresh and green, they lend a very moist quality to any food prepared in them and also imbue foods with a delicious herbal flavor. While Southeast Asian nations have used banana leaves in food preparation for generations, only recently have innovative American chefs begun to explore their infinite possibilities. It&#8217;s no wonder there are so many Asian restaurants named for this utilitarian, albeit inedible food ameliorant. Rio Rancho&#8217;s Banana Leaf restaurant opened in January, 2005 to some popular acclaim. Bringing you the culinary cuisine of Southeast&hellip;","og_url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=127","og_site_name":"Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nmgastronome\/","article_published_time":"2007-06-24T03:54:17+00:00","article_modified_time":"2018-08-31T14:25:04+00:00","og_image":[{"width":506,"height":380,"url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Banana01.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Gil Garduno","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Gil Garduno","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=127#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=127"},"author":{"name":"Gil Garduno","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/person\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf"},"headline":"Banana Leaf &#8211; Rio Rancho, New Mexico (CLOSED)","datePublished":"2007-06-24T03:54:17+00:00","dateModified":"2018-08-31T14:25:04+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=127"},"wordCount":922,"commentCount":1,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=127#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Banana01.jpg","articleSection":["Asian","Closed in 2018","Gone But Not Forgotten","New Mexico","Rio Rancho"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=127#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=127","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=127","name":"Banana Leaf - Rio Rancho, New Mexico (CLOSED) - Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=127#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=127#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Banana01.jpg","datePublished":"2007-06-24T03:54:17+00:00","dateModified":"2018-08-31T14:25:04+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=127#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=127"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=127#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Banana01.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Banana01.jpg","width":506,"height":380,"caption":"Sierra Exif JPEG"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=127#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Banana Leaf &#8211; Rio Rancho, New Mexico (CLOSED)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/","name":"Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","description":"Follow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico&#039;s Sesquipedalian Sybarite.  1,522  Restaurant Reviews, More Than 14,900 Visitor Comments...And Counting!","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#organization","name":"Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"","contentUrl":"","caption":"Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/person\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf","name":"Gil Garduno","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg","caption":"Gil Garduno"},"description":"Since 2008, the tagline on Gil\u2019s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog has invited you to \u201cFollow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico\u2019s Sesquipedalian Sybarite.\u201d To date, more than six million visitors have trusted (or at least visited) my recommendations on more than 1,300 restaurant reviews. Please take a few minutes to tell me what you think. Whether you agree or disagree with me, I'd love to hear about it.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/%20","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nmgastronome\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/nmgastronome\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=127"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49516,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127\/revisions\/49516"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/48846"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=127"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}