{"id":69368,"date":"2025-07-10T00:01:48","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T06:01:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=69368"},"modified":"2026-04-05T14:06:44","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T20:06:44","slug":"fan-tang-albuquerque-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=69368","title":{"rendered":"Fan Tang – Albuquerque, New Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
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Fan Tang: “Your Asian Kitchen” on Montgomery<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For “city dwellers” Chinese restaurants are ubiquitous.\u00a0 There’s one in every corner\u00a0 \u00a0Most urbanites were weaned on Chinese food.\u00a0 It’s as much a part of their diet as “American” food.\u00a0 Those of us who grew up in the “sticks” during the stone age had to travel great distances to find Chinese food…and when we did find a Chinese restaurant, we really had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.\u00a0 Everything we knew about that mysterious, exotic cuisine came from television programs in the days long preceding the Food Network.\u00a0 Every once in a while, mention was made on one of those\u00a0 television shows about egg foo young.\u00a0 I’m thinking maybe Maxwell Smart may have mentioned egg foo young during in an episode in which he battled his nemesis “The Craw<\/strong><\/a>“, er…The Claw.<\/p>\n

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This Dining Room Can Fill Up Quickly<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As chronicled on Gil’s Thrilling…my very first experience with Chinese food transpired in Lexington, Massachusetts within easy walking distance of the famous Lexington Minuteman Statue<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 My friend (and boss at the time) Paul Venne enjoyed my bumpkinly naivete.\u00a0 I literally had no idea about Chinese food other than the little bit learned from television.\u00a0 He recommended starting out at the Chinese Food 101 level.\u00a0 That meant egg rolls and sweet and sour pork.\u00a0 Who was I to argue?\u00a0 I was tabula rasa, a blank slate onto which Chinese food could imprint its flavors, textures and aromas.<\/p>\n

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Fortunately Fan Tang Makes Use of All the Space it Can<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You always remember your first time\u2026and if it\u2019s good, it may set the standard by which you\u2019ll forever measure every other time.\u00a0Luckily I had a very patient and understanding teacher who taught me all its nuances and variations\u2013how to appreciate its fragrant bouquet, taste the subtleties of its unique flavors and use my fingers as if lightly caressing its delicate features. To this day, I still compare all other Chinese meals against my first that frigid winter day in Massachusetts. I treasure the memories of my first fresh egg rolls, sweet and sour pork and rice.<\/p>\n

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Lettuce Wraps<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fast forward a few decades.\u00a0 There are dozens (more likely hundreds) of Chinese restaurant in my wake as well as restaurants of every ethnicity I could find.\u00a0 I’m no longer the callow ruralite of bygone years.\u00a0 There isn’t a cuisine I won’t try.\u00a0 Aside from tea and overly sweet entrees (can you say pad Thai), there isn’t a food item I haven’t enjoyed.\u00a0 So, why hasn’t Fan Tang been reviewed on Gil’s Thrilling?\u00a0 It’s been around for a long time and is (according to Albuquerque Journal critic Richard Dargan “among the upper echelon of ABQ’s Chinese restaurants<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

Before there was Fan Tang, there was Chow’s Bistro<\/strong><\/a>, a restaurant founded by Richard and Lucy Zeng.\u00a0 Chow’s launched its Santa Fe operation in 1993 and is still going strong.\u00a0 Six years later, Chow’s Bistro opened on Juan Tabo.\u00a0 In 2011, after closing the Albuquerque edition of Chow’s Bistro, Richard and Lucy along with their son Jason opened Fan Tang in Albuquerque’s Nob Hill area.\u00a0 The swanky fast casual Asian restaurant is a staple among UNM students and denizens of Nob Hill.\u00a0 \u00a0Long before that, the Zeng family patriarch had a restaurant in China as early as 1942.\u00a0 That’s three generations of preparing and serving Chinese food.<\/p>\n

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Tea Smoked Beef With Fried Rice<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In June, 2024, Jason Zeng launched Albuquerque’s second Fan Tang, this one on Montgomery in the city’s Northeast Heights.\u00a0 Having grown up in the restaurant world where he bussed tables, washed dishes and prepared appetizers, Jason learned the intricacies and nuances of operating a successful restaurant.\u00a0 His experience, coupled with a degree in entrepreneurship from the University of New Mexico (UNM) are essential, but even more important is how Jason treats employees and customers.\u00a0 During the Cabrona virus, he kept his entire staff on the payroll by reverting to a take-out and delivery operation.\u00a0 A genial owner with a great sense of humor, Jason spent a lot of time at our table visiting with The Dude, our debonair dachshund.\u00a0 Having owned a dachshund, Jason is obviously an intelligent and classy guy.<\/p>\n

Though I had visited Fan Tang several times while at UNM, visiting with colleagues and business associates meant not paying my usual attention to my meal.\u00a0 Visiting the Northeast Heights version of Tan Tang with my Kim and The Dude allowed me to focus on our delightful lunch.\u00a0 Fan Tang resides in a space previously occupied by Lotaburger<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 The space isn’t especially commodious and it can get a bit loud when throngs descend for lunch.\u00a0 Our visit took place at 1:30 and Fan Tang was still packed.\u00a0 We were instructed to take menus to our table and return to the front cashier to place our order once we were ready.<\/p>\n

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Mongolian Noodles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fan Tang’s menu includes dishes from other Asian culinary cultures though Chinese cuisine is the featured fare.\u00a0 Many of the recipes are traditional, having first been used in Jason’s grandfather’s restaurant in China.\u00a0 All dishes are made from scratch.\u00a0 That includes all dipping sauces.\u00a0 There are none of those\u00a0 annoying difficult to open sweet and sour packets at the restaurant.\u00a0 \u00a0Fan Tang’s coffee chicken (tender chicken breast rubbed with ground French coffee, stir-fried in a sweet and spicy sauce) was a recipient of Albuquerque The Magazine’s “Hot Plate” award.\u00a0 This signature item is one of Fan Tang’s most popular dishes.<\/p>\n

24 January 2024<\/strong>:\u00a0 If my Kim espies lettuce wraps on a Chinese restaurant menu, it’s a given that we’re going to order them.\u00a0 Lettuce wraps have been prepared in China for hundreds of years, but were popularized across the fruited plain by P. F. Chang’s.\u00a0 Today you can find lettuce wraps<\/strong><\/em> at almost every Chinese restaurant.\u00a0 Lettuce wraps are made with minced chicken, fresh vegetables, herbs, and are served flavorful sauce.\u00a0 They’re a terrific starter, particularly if the lettuce is crisp and fresh.\u00a0 One of the hallmarks of Fan Tang is fresh, high-quality ingredients.<\/p>\n

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

24 January 2024<\/strong>: As is my custom, I typically scour the menu for items I either haven’t had (there aren’t many) or have experienced only infrequently.\u00a0 Among the former is tea smoked beef<\/strong><\/em> (organic beef rubbed with apple wood smoked tea, garlic, cayenne, chipotle, Chinese five spice and sea salt. Tossed with caramelized onions and bell peppers).\u00a0 What a delightful dish this is!\u00a0 Though I’ve never liked tea (yeah, it’s a weird idiosyncracy), it’s another thing with tea-smoked dishes such as Budai’s<\/strong><\/a> tea leave smoked duck and now Fan Tang’s tea smoked beef.\u00a0 There’s a lot going on with this dish though it’s the coalescence of flavors that makes it unique.\u00a0 Chinese five spice, chipotle and cayenne, in particular, work magic together.\u00a0 This dish is available with white rice, brown rice or an excellent fried rice.<\/p>\n

24 January 2024<\/strong>: When my Kim ordered Mongolian noodles<\/strong><\/em> (egg noodles, bean sprouts, onions and fresh scrambled eggs wok-tossed in sweet and spicy Mongolian sauce) I nearly cringed, recalling a long ago experience with Mongolian beef that was sweeter than most desserts.\u00a0 Thankfully, Fan Tang’s sweet and spicy sauce was well-balanced and actually did have spicy notes.\u00a0 Because my Kim doesn’t do spicy, I got to enjoy about half of her entree.\u00a0 \u00a0Fresh, crispy vegetables and a tangle of thick egg noodles played well with the sauce.\u00a0 This was another winner.<\/p>\n

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Spicy Chicken<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

10 July 2025<\/strong>:\u00a0 Fan Tang’s menu doesn’t include an “Appetizer” section.\u00a0 Instead, its starters are labeled “Snacks.”\u00a0 By any name, Fan Tang’s starters are not to be missed.\u00a0 \u00a0Most of those snacks will be familiar to habitues of Chinese restaurants, particularly those of us who love dim sum.\u00a0 Among the dim sum favorites are steamed pork buns<\/strong><\/em> (traditional steamed pork buns tilled with sweet Chinese BBQ pork).\u00a0 Pork buns originated in ancient China, but you can find them across the globe.\u00a0 \u00a0Also known as “bao buns,” these hemispherically-shaped delights are soft, pillowy, and slightly sweet. The steamed dough has a tender, airy quality that pairs well with the rich and flavourful fillings.\u00a0 Fan Tang’s pork buns are stuffed with a sweet Chinese BBQ pork which probably won’t remind you of your favorite smoked meat, but you’ll enjoy them nonetheless.\u00a0 They’d be even better with a Chinese chili sauce (like the incomparable version served at Ming Dynasty<\/strong><\/a>).<\/p>\n

10 July 2025<\/strong>:\u00a0 Fake Media!\u00a0 I’ve actually been called that.\u00a0 Every time I whine in one of my reviews that a dish featuring New Mexico’s sacrosanct chile is “mild” or “moderate,” my friend Schuyler calls me “Fake Media.”\u00a0 He reasons that chile I may find “mild” would probably scald the taste buds not laden with asbestos.\u00a0 He’s probably right. He’ll be on my case after reading this.\u00a0 Fan Tang’s spicy chicken<\/strong><\/em> (Battered chicken breast tossed with garlic, whole chili pods, sliced ginger, scallions and cayenne chili), described on the menu as “addictively hot” barely registered on my taste buds.\u00a0 What looks on the dish like ultra-piquant Thai bird peppers is cayenne, a few thousand levels less piquant on the Scoville Scale<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 Mind you, this is a delicious dish, but heat-wise, it’s “mild.”\u00a0 Most native New Mexicans will agree.<\/p>\n

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Fried Rice<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

10 July 2025<\/strong>:\u00a0 Several entrees and signature dishes are served with rice (your choice of white rice, brown rice or fried rice).\u00a0 Fried rice<\/strong><\/em> (savory fried rice tossed with farm fresh eggs, diced onions, peas and carrots with your choice of protein) is also available as an entree.\u00a0 My preference is for curry fried rice, but my Kim likes her fried rice with a little less personality.\u00a0 Fan Tang’s version is an exemplar of how fried rice should be prepared–save for one essential element.\u00a0 Though you can order a protein to go with your rice, the protein is so parsimonious you’ll go through several spoonsful without one bit of protein.\u00a0 The rice isn’t clumpy nor is it overly salty.\u00a0 You can tell by its color (above) that it isn’t overwhelmed by soy sauce.<\/p>\n

With a restaurant family having more than 80 years experience, Jason Zeng and the Fan Tang crew are delighting diners with a menu of Asian favorites and dishes which might soon be.<\/p>\n

Fan Tang
\n<\/strong>9004 Montgomery Blvd., N.E.
\nAlbuquerque, New Mexico<\/strong>
\n(505) 508-2386
\nWebsite<\/strong><\/a> | Facebook Page<\/strong><\/a>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 10 July 2025
\n1st VISIT<\/strong>: 24 January 2025
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 2
\nRATING<\/strong>: Very Good<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013\u00a0Good to very good food; generally solid; delivers consistent quality, strong technique, and a comfortable, enjoyable dining experience
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: Lettuce Cups, Tea Smoked Beef, Mongolian Noodles, Pork Buns, Fried Rice, Hot Chicken
\nREVIEW #1447<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For “city dwellers” Chinese restaurants are ubiquitous.\u00a0 There’s one in every corner\u00a0 \u00a0Most urbanites were weaned on Chinese food.\u00a0 It’s as much a part of their diet as “American” food.\u00a0 Those of us who grew up in the “sticks” during the stone age had to travel great distances to find Chinese food…and when we did find a Chinese restaurant, we really had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.\u00a0 Everything we knew about that mysterious, exotic cuisine came from television programs in the days long preceding the Food Network.\u00a0 Every once in a while, mention was made on one of those\u00a0 television shows about egg foo young.\u00a0 I’m thinking maybe Maxwell Smart may have mentioned egg foo young during…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":70591,"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":[440,277,33,141,5631],"tags":[746,4674,4479,4676,4677,4679,973,959,898,4173,4675,2167,4236,4680,4678],"class_list":["post-69368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-albuquerque","category-asian","category-chinese","category-new-mexico","category-very-good","tag-albuquerque","tag-chows-bistro","tag-fried-rice","tag-jason-zeng","tag-lettuce-wraps","tag-mongolian-noodles","tag-montgomery","tag-nob-hill","tag-northeast-heights","tag-pork-buns","tag-richard-and-lucy-zeng","tag-santa-fe","tag-spicy-chicken","tag-sweet-and-spicy-sauce","tag-tea-smoked-beef"],"yoast_head":"\nFan Tang - 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