{"id":69937,"date":"2025-04-12T00:01:36","date_gmt":"2025-04-12T06:01:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=69937"},"modified":"2026-04-06T13:13:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T19:13:14","slug":"el-palacio-imperial-albuquerque-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=69937","title":{"rendered":"El Palacio Imperial – Albuquerque, New Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"
El Palacio Imperial on San Pedro Just North of Lomas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“Tradition is everything.\u00a0 It’s very important.<\/em>
\nBut we need to remember that the traditions of today<\/em>
\nWere the modernity of the past.<\/em>
\nAnd that the things we think are very science fiction type of things<\/em>
\nWill be the traditions of tomorrow.”
\n<\/em>~Chef Jose Andres<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chef Jose Andres was the founder of the World Central Kitchen<\/strong><\/a> which provides large-scale relief to communities affected by natural disasters and conflicts around the world.\u00a0 He’s one of Time Magazine’s\u00a0 world’s 100 most influential people.<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0 He earned a Presidential Medal of Freedom for his altruism as well as for being the Spanish-American culinary innovator who popularized tapas in the United States.\u00a0 His list of accomplishments and the reach of his philanthropic efforts mark him as one of those rare human beings whose influence and impact extend far beyond the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The Dining Room Still Has Vestiges of Its Previous Vietnamese Restaurant Tenant<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Several years ago, my Kim and I visited China Poblano<\/strong><\/a>, a spectacular restaurant launched by Chef Andres in Las Vegas, Nevada.\u00a0 This eatery pays tribute to the concept of East meets West, serving both Mexican and Chinese foods.\u00a0 Las Vegas Weekly<\/em>\u00a0called China Poblano \u201cquite simply the perfect restaurant for today\u2019s hipster foodie<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 China Poblano is not a fusion restaurant per se in that it doesn\u2019t take Mexican and Chinese dishes and transform the diverse and certainly disparate culinary traditions, elements and ingredients of the two very different nations to form an entirely new genre.\u00a0 Instead, the restaurant serves Mexican dishes and it serves Chinese dishes and the twain\u2026well, occasionally it does meet.\u00a0 It’s a concept we enjoyed.<\/p>\n

Jose Andres’s East Meets West idea is alive and well in Albuquerque albeit instead of the melding of Chinese and Mexican food, it’s Chinese and Venezuelan cuisine under one umbrella concept.\u00a0 It’s a concept that makes sense.\u00a0 According to \u00a0SupChina, a New York-based investigative news website, the Venezuelan government estimates that [as of 2018], 500,000 Chinese citizens were living in Venezuela.\u00a0 The article’s authors explained that this includes approximately 60,000 Chinese citizens and 400,000 residents of Chinese descent, representing the “fourth-largest Chinese population]in the Americas (behind the U.S., Canada, and Peru.”)<\/p>\n

\"\"
Top: Pastelito with Cheese and Potato Bottom: Three Teque\u00f1os<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

El Palacio Imperial opened its doors in December, 2024 at the location which previously housed Le Bistro Vietnamese Cuisine & Bakery<\/strong><\/a>, a staple on San Pedro just north of Lomas.\u00a0 Vestiges of the previous tenant are plentiful.\u00a0 \u00a0The front room where you enter still displays Le Bistro’s banh mi and bakery menu.\u00a0 Even the dining room still shouts “Vietnamese.”\u00a0 \u00a0Walls are festooned with framed photographs of pulchritudinous Vietnamese women, many attired in ao dai, a silk tunic with pants worn by women and men.\u00a0 It’s only when you study the menu that you’ll conclude there’s nothing Vietnamese about this restaurant.<\/p>\n

Owners Wai K Kwan and Gregoria C Gonzalez-Chirinos were born in Venezuela where Wai operated a restaurant also named El Palacio Imperial.\u00a0 Both struggle with English, but speak Spanish at least as well as I do.\u00a0 Gregoria’s primary language is actually Spanish and admits to not speaking Chinese very well.\u00a0 They’re very friendly and customer-oriented.\u00a0 \u00a0El Palacio Imperial is located at 1313<\/strong><\/a>…No, Not Mockingbird Lane.\u00a0 It’s on 1313 San Pedro virtually across the street from Christy Mae’s Restaurant<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Arepa de Pabellon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As you stride into the restaurant, you’ll espy a slateboard listing the day’s specials.\u00a0 Perusing the menu, you’ll probably do a double-take at the fomidable array of Chinese and Venezuelan specialties.\u00a0 It’s just not something you see everyday.\u00a0 More than on many menus, El Palacio’s includes color photographs of many of the menu items.\u00a0 Those photos don’t necessarily correspond to the items listed across the page, but Wai and Gregoria can certainly clarify what item is depicted.\u00a0 Unless you’ve frequented Venezuelan eateries in the past, you’ll probably recognize more of the Chinese menu items.<\/p>\n

My friend and frequent dining companion Bill Resnik has often called our visits to new restaurants “community service<\/em>.”\u00a0 Sometimes community service can be painful, but more often than not, we discover delicious new gems.\u00a0 Bill is not one for shying away from ordering menu items he’s not previously had.\u00a0 For example, he ordered three teque\u00f1os<\/strong><\/em>, fried spears of wheat dough stuffed with semi-hard queso blanco (or in Palacio imperial’s case, mozzarella).\u00a0 \u00a0If you’ve ever had mozzarella sticks at Italian restaurants, you have an idea what to expect.\u00a0 What you might not expect is how much better teque\u00f1os are than traditional mozzarella sticks.\u00a0 Not only do they have a delightful crispy crunch, they’re magnificent melty deliciousness.\u00a0 The teque\u00f1os are served with a semi-sweet mayo-based sauce which my Kim liked.\u00a0 Bill and I, of course, requested Chiu Chow, a Chinese chili sauce.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Grilled Pork Roast Rib with Fried Rice and French Fries<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another starter we all enjoyed was a pastelito<\/strong><\/em> stuffed with cheese and potato.\u00a0 In Venezuela, pastelitos are \u00a0baked\u00a0puff pastry\u2013type\u00a0pastries filled with sweet or savory fillings. This pastelito actually looked as if was wrapped in traditional Chinese egg roll wrapping.\u00a0 As with egg rolls, the pastelito has a nice crunch which precedes a creamy potato and melted cheese interior.\u00a0 Bill and I enjoyed our pastelito with Chiu Chow chili sauce.\u00a0 It’s a fiery sauce with a nice flavor, but there’s no Chiu Chow in town as good as Ming Dynasty’s<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Among my many culinary discoveries during my years in the Boston area were arepas, a \u00a0maize-based bread originating in South America\u2019s northern Andes region. \u00a0The genesis of the word \u201carepa\u201d is thought to be the language of the Caracas natives on Venezuela\u2019s north coast. \u00a0 For centuries, arepas were an important staple in the diet of impoverished Venezuelans and Colombians, but today they are eaten by rich and poor alike and are considered one of Venezuela\u2019s national foods. \u00a0Arepas are part of the daily diet in place of bread for most Venezuelans who love their versatility. \u00a0They can be fried or baked, served plain or with a filling and at any time of the day as a snack, starter or appetizer.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Garlic Shrimp<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since my inaugural bite of an arepa, I’ve enjoyed dozens of them.\u00a0 Palacio Imperial’s arepa de pabellon<\/em><\/strong> (shredded beef, black beans, fried sweet plantain slices and grated white cheese) is the best arepa I’ve ever had.\u00a0 That’s largely thanks to the Pabell\u00f3n Criollo (juicy shredded beef, salty black beans, white rice, and fried sweet plantains), widely regarded as Venezuela\u2019s national dish.\u00a0 It makes for an unforgettable starter.\u00a0 There’s something nuanced in the beef that gives it personality.\u00a0 It’s the subtle influence of something piquant that provides a delightful counterbalance to the sweetness of the fried plantain.\u00a0 Then there’s the melted white cheese with its salty notes and the black beans with their rich, earthy flavor.\u00a0 In future visits, no matter what else I may order, I’ll always order an arepa de pabellon, too.<\/p>\n

My Kim’s culinary preferences can be somewhat dichotomous.\u00a0 She doesn’t, for example, like chicken fried steak or “anything breaded<\/em>,” but she loves the fried pork ribs at Albuquerque’s Havana Restaurant<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 Hoping to duplicate the magic of those pork ribs, she ordered El Palacio’s grilled pork roast rib<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 Three meaty (porky?) pork ribs graced her plate along with fried rice and French fries, a combination coupling carbohydrate-laden sides.\u00a0 These ribs aren’t as tender as those at Havana, but they’re juicy and flavorful.\u00a0 All three of us enjoyed the fried rice.\u00a0 Darker (despite not being drowned in soy sauce) than most fried rice we’ve had, that fried rice had a discernibly unique flavor.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Orange Chicken<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

El Palacio offers a number of seafood entrees including garlic shrimp<\/strong><\/em>, Bill’s choice though he asked that the dish be made “hot.”\u00a0 True to its name, the dish was redolent with garlic, but it lacked the heat he was seeking.\u00a0 \u00a0Even a side of fish sauce (sweet) familed to give him the endorphin-generating piquancy he loves.\u00a0 The shrimp had the snap of freshness and were prepared well.\u00a0 Other than the garlic sauce and shrimp, the only ingredient seen on the plate were scallions.\u00a0 Though Bill and I have similar predelictions for piquancy, I often draw the line with seafood whose flavors tend to be obfuscated by potent peppers.<\/p>\n

Wai insisted the orange chicken was “hot” and not “sweet,” the enticement I needed to order a dish I rarely order.\u00a0 Apparently heat is in the taste buds of the diner.\u00a0 As with most orange chicken<\/strong><\/em>, the plateful or orange nuggets appeared laquered in a syrupy sauce.\u00a0 Any heat the dish may have had was subtle.\u00a0 Also absent was the influence of orange zest, a flavor-enhancing touch I look for in orange chicken.\u00a0 Chicken was plentiful, ameliorated with sesame seeds and scallions.<\/p>\n

El Palacio Imperial is a melding of culinary cultures many of us might not have realized could work so well.\u00a0 Whether you’re jonesing for Chinese food or Venezuelan cuisine, you’ve got the best of both worlds under one roof.<\/p>\n

El Palacio Imperial<\/strong>
\n1313 San Pedro Drive, N.E.
\nAlbuquerque, New Mexico<\/strong>
\n(505) 255-2637
\nFacebook Page<\/strong><\/a>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>:\u00a0 12 April 2025
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 1
\nRATING<\/strong>: N\/R
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: Arepa Pabellon, Orange Chicken, Teque\u00f1o, Garlic Shrimp, Grilled Pork Roast Rib, Fried Rice
\nREVIEW #1463<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Tradition is everything.\u00a0 It’s very important. But we need to remember that the traditions of today Were the modernity of the past. And that the things we think are very science fiction type of things Will be the traditions of tomorrow.” ~Chef Jose Andres Chef Jose Andres was the founder of the World Central Kitchen which provides large-scale relief to communities affected by natural disasters and conflicts around the world.\u00a0 He’s one of Time Magazine’s\u00a0 world’s 100 most influential people.\u00a0 He earned a Presidential Medal of Freedom for his altruism as well as for being the Spanish-American culinary innovator who popularized tapas in the United States.\u00a0 His list of accomplishments and the reach of his philanthropic efforts mark him as one of those rare human beings whose influence and impact extend far beyond the kitchen. Several years ago, my Kim and I visited China Poblano, a spectacular restaurant launched by Chef Andres in Las Vegas, Nevada.\u00a0 This eatery pays tribute to the concept of East meets West, serving both Mexican and Chinese foods.\u00a0 Las Vegas Weekly\u00a0called China Poblano \u201cquite simply the perfect restaurant for today\u2019s hipster foodie.\u201d\u00a0 China Poblano is not a fusion restaurant per se in that it doesn\u2019t…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":69942,"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":[440,277,33,36,141,5647],"tags":[4877,1736,4871,4872,3663,4479,1122,969,4875,4026,4873,4874,4870,1588],"class_list":["post-69937","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-albuquerque","category-asian","category-chinese","category-fusion","category-new-mexico","category-rating-n-r","tag-arepa-de-pabellon","tag-arepas","tag-boba-slush","tag-boba-tea","tag-chinese","tag-fried-rice","tag-fries","tag-fusion","tag-le-bistro","tag-orange-chicken","tag-pastelito-with-cheese-and-potato","tag-teqeuenos","tag-venezuelan","tag-vietnamese"],"yoast_head":"\nEl Palacio Imperial - Albuquerque, New Mexico - 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=69937\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"El Palacio Imperial - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"“Tradition is everything.\u00a0 It’s very important. But we need to remember that the traditions of today Were the modernity of the past. And that the things we think are very science fiction type of things Will be the traditions of tomorrow.” ~Chef Jose Andres Chef Jose Andres was the founder of the World Central Kitchen which provides large-scale relief to communities affected by natural disasters and conflicts around the world.\u00a0 He’s one of Time Magazine’s\u00a0 world’s 100 most influential people.\u00a0 He earned a Presidential Medal of Freedom for his altruism as well as for being the Spanish-American culinary innovator who popularized tapas in the United States.\u00a0 His list of accomplishments and the reach of his philanthropic efforts mark him as one of those rare human beings whose influence and impact extend far beyond the kitchen. Several years ago, my Kim and I visited China Poblano, a spectacular restaurant launched by Chef Andres in Las Vegas, Nevada.\u00a0 This eatery pays tribute to the concept of East meets West, serving both Mexican and Chinese foods.\u00a0 Las Vegas Weekly\u00a0called China Poblano \u201cquite simply the perfect restaurant for today\u2019s hipster foodie.\u201d\u00a0 China Poblano is not a fusion restaurant per se in that it doesn\u2019t…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=69937\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nmgastronome\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-04-12T06:01:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-06T19:13:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/PalacioImperial05-scaled.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1920\" \/>\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=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=69937#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=69937\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Gil Garduno\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/28268e3f2056794f14f3b1b033bf5cbd\"},\"headline\":\"El Palacio Imperial – Albuquerque, New Mexico\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-12T06:01:36+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-06T19:13:14+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=69937\"},\"wordCount\":1642,\"commentCount\":3,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=69937#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/PalacioImperial05-scaled.jpeg\",\"keywords\":[\"Arepa de Pabellon\",\"Arepas\",\"Boba Slush\",\"Boba Tea\",\"Chinese\",\"Fried Rice\",\"Fries\",\"Fusion\",\"Le Bistro\",\"Orange Chicken\",\"Pastelito With Cheese and Potato\",\"Teqeue\u00f1os\",\"Venezuelan\",\"Vietnamese\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Albuquerque\",\"Asian\",\"Chinese\",\"Fusion\",\"New Mexico\",\"Rating: N\\\/R (Not Rated)\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=69937#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=69937\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=69937\",\"name\":\"El Palacio Imperial - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=69937#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=69937#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/PalacioImperial05-scaled.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-12T06:01:36+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-06T19:13:14+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=69937#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=69937\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=69937#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/PalacioImperial05-scaled.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/PalacioImperial05-scaled.jpeg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1920},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=69937#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"El Palacio Imperial – Albuquerque, New Mexico\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\",\"description\":\"Follow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico's Sesquipedalian Sybarite. 1,526 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'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's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/28268e3f2056794f14f3b1b033bf5cbd\",\"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":"El Palacio Imperial - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil'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=69937","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"El Palacio Imperial - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","og_description":"“Tradition is everything.\u00a0 It’s very important. But we need to remember that the traditions of today Were the modernity of the past. And that the things we think are very science fiction type of things Will be the traditions of tomorrow.” ~Chef Jose Andres Chef Jose Andres was the founder of the World Central Kitchen which provides large-scale relief to communities affected by natural disasters and conflicts around the world.\u00a0 He’s one of Time Magazine’s\u00a0 world’s 100 most influential people.\u00a0 He earned a Presidential Medal of Freedom for his altruism as well as for being the Spanish-American culinary innovator who popularized tapas in the United States.\u00a0 His list of accomplishments and the reach of his philanthropic efforts mark him as one of those rare human beings whose influence and impact extend far beyond the kitchen. Several years ago, my Kim and I visited China Poblano, a spectacular restaurant launched by Chef Andres in Las Vegas, Nevada.\u00a0 This eatery pays tribute to the concept of East meets West, serving both Mexican and Chinese foods.\u00a0 Las Vegas Weekly\u00a0called China Poblano \u201cquite simply the perfect restaurant for today\u2019s hipster foodie.\u201d\u00a0 China Poblano is not a fusion restaurant per se in that it doesn\u2019t…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=69937","og_site_name":"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nmgastronome\/","article_published_time":"2025-04-12T06:01:36+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-06T19:13:14+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1920,"url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/PalacioImperial05-scaled.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Gil Garduno","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Gil Garduno","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=69937#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=69937"},"author":{"name":"Gil Garduno","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/person\/28268e3f2056794f14f3b1b033bf5cbd"},"headline":"El Palacio Imperial – Albuquerque, New Mexico","datePublished":"2025-04-12T06:01:36+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-06T19:13:14+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=69937"},"wordCount":1642,"commentCount":3,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=69937#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/PalacioImperial05-scaled.jpeg","keywords":["Arepa de Pabellon","Arepas","Boba Slush","Boba Tea","Chinese","Fried Rice","Fries","Fusion","Le Bistro","Orange Chicken","Pastelito With Cheese and Potato","Teqeue\u00f1os","Venezuelan","Vietnamese"],"articleSection":["Albuquerque","Asian","Chinese","Fusion","New Mexico","Rating: N\/R (Not Rated)"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=69937#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=69937","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=69937","name":"El Palacio Imperial - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=69937#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=69937#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/PalacioImperial05-scaled.jpeg","datePublished":"2025-04-12T06:01:36+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-06T19:13:14+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=69937#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=69937"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=69937#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/PalacioImperial05-scaled.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/PalacioImperial05-scaled.jpeg","width":2560,"height":1920},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=69937#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"El Palacio Imperial – Albuquerque, New Mexico"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/","name":"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","description":"Follow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico's Sesquipedalian Sybarite. 1,526 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'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's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/person\/28268e3f2056794f14f3b1b033bf5cbd","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\/69937","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=69937"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69937\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":70012,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69937\/revisions\/70012"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/69942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=69937"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=69937"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=69937"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}