{"id":49002,"date":"2018-07-28T18:12:14","date_gmt":"2018-07-29T00:12:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=49002"},"modified":"2019-07-08T12:41:36","modified_gmt":"2019-07-08T18:41:36","slug":"cafe-nom-nom-albuquerque-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=49002","title":{"rendered":"Cafe Nom Nom – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
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Cafe Nom Nom on Monte Vista<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“Nom nom.” It sounds innocent enough. Parents–yes, including parents of four-legged fur babies–utter it in baby talk intonations to get our children to eat something, especially when that something is \u201cgood for them\u201d but doesn\u2019t actually look or taste good. Nom nom was, of course, the favorite expression of Sesame Street\u2019s Cookie Monster (Hi Darren) as he ravenously devoured a plate or six of cookies, a fusillade of crumbs flying from his chewing mouth.\u00a0 Grade school teachers use nom nom as an example of an onomatopoeia, a word that imitates a sound.\u00a0 <\/span>My friend Michael Gonzales, the dynamic owner of Rio Rancho’s Cafe Bella<\/strong><\/a> uses it to describe great new restaurant finds. <\/span>English majors recognize it as an expression used to convey pleasure at eating or at the prospect of eating.\u00a0 It’s also a verb meaning “to eat something, typically with great enjoyment.”<\/span><\/p>\n

See anything wrong with the term nom nom?\u00a0 Though it may never grace Gil’s Thrilling… in a descriptive manner, I don’t see anything wrong with it either.\u00a0 So, if it sounds innocent and innocuous enough, why does the Huffington Post<\/strong><\/a> rank the word nom nom with “moist” as “the worst offender of words when it comes to food or the English language in general<\/em>.”\u00a0 How can it possibly creep out anyone that much?\u00a0\u00a0 While the Huffington Post declares “when it comes to the use of nom nom, and our bubbling hatred for it, we almost feel like we don\u2019t have to explain ourselves<\/em>,” explain themselves they do.\u00a0 “Nom nom is what the Cookie Monster says. And while we have a soft spot for this cookie glutton, he wasn\u2019t the brightest crayon in the box. So why in the world would we want to start talking like him<\/em>?\u00a0\u00a0 Worse, “In our opinion, the use of the phrase nom nom is as offensive as partaking in baby talk. You just shouldn\u2019t do it.<\/em>“<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Interior of Cafe Nom Nom<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At least the Huffington Post didn’t spew its rancor without positing constructive alternatives–“a bazillion (or 39) other words you can use in its place: ambrosial, appetizing, choice, darling, delectable, delicious, delightful, delish, enjoyable, enticing, exquisite, fit for king, good, gratifying, heavenly, luscious, lush, mellow, mouthwatering, nectarous, nice, palatable, piquant, pleasant, rare, rich, savory, scrumptious, spicy, sweet, tasteful, tasty, tempting, titillating, toothsome, well-prepared, well-seasoned, yummy and even divine.”\u00a0 <\/em>As with nom nom, all of these words are innocuous enough, but you can bet someone somewhere will take umbrage with one or more of them.\u00a0 That’s the age in which we live.<\/span><\/p>\n

After my inaugural visit to Albuquerque’s Cafe Nom Nom, I actually tried out some of those alternative words for the delightful Vietnamese fusion restaurant which had just captured my affections:\u00a0 “Cafe Nectarous.\u00a0 Cafe Palatable.\u00a0 Cafe Titillating.\u00a0 Cafe Toothsome.”\u00a0 Nah, none of those fit.\u00a0 Cafe Nom Nom does.\u00a0 It’s entirely possible an utterance or two of “nom nom” or some derivative thereof escaped my mouth as I thoroughly enjoyed the deliciousness set before me.\u00a0 Despite contentions to the contrary, it’s unlikely the Huffington Post would have expressed similar satisfaction with one of their anointed bazillion alternatives.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Saigon Roll<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cafe Nom Nom opened its doors in June, 2018 at Nob Hill’s five points intersection of confusion and chaos that is Monte Vista, Central and Girard.\u00a0 It occupies the space which previously housed Kitchen Se7ven<\/strong><\/a> and Kaktus Brewery Tap<\/strong><\/a> and before that Amore Neapolitan Pizzeria <\/a><\/strong>and Bailey\u2019s on the Beach<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0 Its neighbors include The Shop<\/strong><\/a> and Taco Bell.\u00a0 Cafe Nom Nom doesn’t have the most eye-catching signage.\u00a0 In fact, it’s downright difficult to read.\u00a0 Much more prominent is signage for Studio N<\/strong><\/a>, a hair salon next door.\u00a0 Somehow, intrepid foodies have managed to find it and the initial buzz has been scintillating.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cafe Nom Nom is the inaugural restaurant venture for <\/span>Studio N owner and “celebrity stylist” Nam Tram who did all the carpentry work–including counters and tables–for his rustic little restaurant.\u00a0 The interior look and feel pays tribute to his mother’s homeland, displaying traditional Vietnamese attire and a conical leaf hat.\u00a0 There are three flat screen televisions positioned so that diners have a vantage point to at least one.\u00a0 A small, sun-shielding dog-friendly patio is available at ground level, but the expansive rooftop patio is the place to be.\u00a0 It offers exquisite city views as well as spectacular sunset panoramas. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Banh Mi Burger<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Seating is mostly on two-tops (tables for two) which can be easily moved to accommodate larger parties.\u00a0 Tableside service isn’t available nor are there overhead menus for your perusal, but great staffers like Maddie will help you out.\u00a0 You’ll place your order at the front counter from a laminated three page menu.\u00a0 It’s an intriguing menu, one which warrants a lengthy perusal so don’t hesitate to take it to your table so you can contemplate the\u00a0 thrilling prospect of very interesting fusion cuisine.\u00a0 Though Cafe Nom Nom bills itself as an Asian fusion restaurant, at its heart it’s a Vietnamese restaurant which borrows some elements from its neighbors in Southeast Asia and even from the Land of Enchantment.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the first page of the menu, you’ll find spring rolls unlike any you’ll find in the Duke City.\u00a0 These spring rolls have a creative element similar to what so many Americanized sushi restaurants offer.\u00a0 For example, the Mango Monkey is replete with black and tan sesame, mango slices, Thai basil and several other ingredients.\u00a0 Spring rolls are about the size of an overstuffed burrito.\u00a0 That reminds me, the menu also offers a “Phoritto,” essentially pho ingredients wrapped up in a giant tortilla and served with a pho dipping sauce.\u00a0 Not only does the menu showcase a traditional banh mi, there’s a banh mi burger, too.\u00a0 You’ll also find pho with your choice of a chicken, beef or vegetarian broth.\u00a0 Desserts include grilled watermelon with sea salt, lime and a side of green chile kimchi (not to be missed).<\/span><\/p>\n

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Green Chile Kimchi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

26 July 2018<\/strong>: Stack two or three of Cafe Nom Nom’s spring rolls and they might be mistaken for a cord of firewood.\u00a0 These are steroidal spring rolls, at least the size of an overstuffed burrito.\u00a0 They’re meant to be shared.\u00a0 The most traditional spring roll on the menu is the Saigon Roll<\/strong><\/em> (Thai basil, cilantro, green onions, cucumber, bean sprouts, romaine lettuce, green chile kimchi, shrimp and pork).\u00a0 Though the menu indicates it’s served with a Vietnamese lemongrass dipping sauce, my Saigon roll was accompanied by maybe the best peanut sauce I’ve had in Albuquerque.\u00a0 Unlike some (especially Thai) peanut sauces which are as cloying as a Reese’s peanut butter cup, Cafe Nom Nom’s version has a piquant personality courtesy of an infusion of chile.\u00a0 The spring rolls are so large, you’ll easily go through two portions of the dipping sauce.\u00a0 These spring rolls are quite good though as is my complaint about all spring rolls is that the Saigon Roll could have used more shrimp and pork.<\/span><\/p>\n

26 July 2018<\/strong>: The unique fruited plain meets Vietnam concept of a banh mi burger has always intrigued me.\u00a0 How can the fusion of pickled vegetables and traditional burger fixings not be absolutely fabulous?\u00a0 Cafe Nom Nom’s rendition is constructed from\u00a0 freshly ground in house (at least a quarter pound) layered with crisp romaine lettuce, vine-ripe tomatoes, Thai basil, mint, cucumbers and cilantro topped with the housemade green chile kimchi between a locally baked pretzel bun.\u00a0 The banh mi burger<\/strong><\/em> is served with <\/span> extra crispy panko-crusted\u00a0 fries and Indian curry ketchup.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

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Steamed BBQ Pork Buns<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Banh mi aficionados will notice the absence of pickled daikon, one of my favorite ingredients, but the optional farm-fresh duck egg certainly more than makes up for it just as the green chile kimchi easily makes up for the absence of jalape\u00f1o slices.\u00a0 This is a terrific burger, one so large my mouth wasn’t large enough to bite into it without extricating some of the ingredients (lettuce and tomato).\u00a0 Still, I had to wonder if it might have been even better as a green chile kimchi cheeseburger.\u00a0 Hmm?\u00a0 Mustard and ketchup need not apply for a place on this burger which is perfect just the way it is.\u00a0 The panko-crusted fries are excellent.\u00a0 So is the Indian curry ketchup (reminiscent of the one served at Kaktus<\/strong><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

26 July 2018<\/strong>: The eyes and ears of chile-loving New Mexicans will perk up at the mention of green chile Kimchi<\/strong><\/em>, a New Mexico meets Korea masterpiece made on the premises with Hatch Bueno green chile.\u00a0 While kimchi is most closely associated with Korean cuisine, it’s also quite popular in Vietnam.\u00a0 Aside from green chile, Cafe Nom Nom’s rendition is made with fermented cabbage, shredded carrots, garlic, red onions and other personality-packed spices.\u00a0 It’s not nearly as piquant or lip-pursing tart as other kimchi, but it’ll get your attention.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Pho<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

28 July 2018<\/strong>: During my second visit, we were joined by affable Alonna Smith and her erudite husband Eric, Philadelphia transplants who have really taken to the Duke City dining scene.\u00a0 Though humidity was at double digits, a light breeze made our al fresco experience on the dog-friendly patio very pleasant–especially for our debonair dachshund The Dude who flirted with Alonna for the duration of our meal.\u00a0 There was easy consensus among the four of us that the steamed BBQ pork buns<\/strong><\/em> and the accompanying peanut sauce were excellent.\u00a0 Steamed BBQ pork buns are a classic Chinese dim sum offering showcasing steamed risen flour dumplings stuffed with pork slathered in a sweet barbecue sauce.\u00a0 They’re understandably very popular in Vietnam, too.\u00a0 Cafe Nom Nom’s version are of dim sum restaurant quality.<\/span><\/p>\n

28 July 2018<\/strong>: Alas, the one dish we expected to shine most wasn’t quite up to par.\u00a0 Worse, it was the national dish of Vietnam, a sacrosanct soup which has also captured the affections of savvy diners across the fruited plain.\u00a0 The saving grace for the swimming pool-sized bowl of pho<\/strong><\/em> we shared would have been more than a little desalinization.\u00a0 An excess of salt rendered mediocre what would otherwise have been a very satisfying, nicely seasoned soup.\u00a0 The salt permeated the grilled beef and noodles, sparing only the scallions and red onions.\u00a0 It’s entirely likely oversalting the pho was an anomaly and your experience may be different.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Grilled Watermelon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

28 July 2018<\/strong>: Intended to be salty is a uniquely Vietnamese dessert, grilled watermelon<\/strong><\/em> with sea salt and lime served with a side of green chile kimchi.\u00a0 Alonna noted that the grilling imparted a delightful smoky quality to the watermelon and indeed, that smokiness was a highlight, but so was the freshness of the watermelon.\u00a0 Where are people finding good watermelon in the metropolitan area?\u00a0 Every watermelon we buy seems to be mealy and not at all sweet.\u00a0 Eric declared the green chile kimchi “interesting” but didn’t have a problem with its piquancy.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the Huffington Post’s proclamation about the term “nom nom,” there really can be no better name for this little cafe on the fringes of Nob Hill.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cafe Nom Nom<\/strong>
\n2929 Monte Vista Blvd, N.E.
\nAlbuquerque, New Mexico<\/strong>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 28 July 2018
\n1st VISIT<\/strong>: 26 July 2018
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 2
\nRATING<\/strong>: 18
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: Saigon Roll, Banh Mi Burger, Green Chile Kimchi, Steamed BBQ Pork Buns, Grilled Watermelon
\nREVIEW #1053<\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Cafe<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Nom nom.” It sounds innocent enough. Parents–yes, including parents of four-legged fur babies–utter it in baby talk intonations to get our children to eat something, especially when that something is \u201cgood for them\u201d but doesn\u2019t actually look or taste good. Nom nom was, of course, the favorite expression of Sesame Street\u2019s Cookie Monster (Hi Darren) as he ravenously devoured a plate or six of cookies, a fusillade of crumbs flying from his chewing mouth.\u00a0 Grade school teachers use nom nom as an example of an onomatopoeia, a word that imitates a sound.\u00a0 My friend Michael Gonzales, the dynamic owner of Rio Rancho’s Cafe Bella uses it to describe great new restaurant finds. English majors recognize it as an expression used…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":49022,"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":[440,725,703,36,262,141,50],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49002","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-albuquerque","category-closed-in-2019","category-dog-friendly","category-fusion","category-closed","category-new-mexico","category-vietnamese"],"yoast_head":"\nCafe Nom Nom - Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED) - Gil'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=49002\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cafe Nom Nom - Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED) - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"“Nom nom.” It sounds innocent enough. 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Parents–yes, including parents of four-legged fur babies–utter it in baby talk intonations to get our children to eat something, especially when that something is \u201cgood for them\u201d but doesn\u2019t actually look or taste good. Nom nom was, of course, the favorite expression of Sesame Street\u2019s Cookie Monster (Hi Darren) as he ravenously devoured a plate or six of cookies, a fusillade of crumbs flying from his chewing mouth.\u00a0 Grade school teachers use nom nom as an example of an onomatopoeia, a word that imitates a sound.\u00a0 My friend Michael Gonzales, the dynamic owner of Rio Rancho’s Cafe Bella uses it to describe great new restaurant finds. 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