{"id":70826,"date":"2025-08-10T00:01:43","date_gmt":"2025-08-10T06:01:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=70826"},"modified":"2025-08-15T09:20:58","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T15:20:58","slug":"i-grill-korean-bbq-hotpot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=70826","title":{"rendered":"I Grill Korean BBQ & Hotpot"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I Grill Korean BBQ & Hotpot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You hear it very time a seismic event or devastating conflagration strikes California.\u00a0 Doomsayers seem to come out from under the rocks to proclaim it “divine castigation<\/em>.”\u00a0 That’s also their argument when the Golden State’s elections don’t go as they would like.\u00a0 These very same people don’t seem to like much about California.\u00a0 Such negativity makes me wonder if these fatalists have ever spent much time in this fabled \u00a0land of opportunity and adventure.\u00a0 There’s got to be a reason California is the most populous state in the union.\u00a0 Surely the forty-million residents would be leaving in droves if it was that<\/em> bad.<\/p>\n

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Main Dining Room<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Although the Air Force took me to most of the contiguous states in the country, it was Intel which first sent me to California.\u00a0 Back when Intel was flush with cash, I was dispatched to Santa Clara for weeks at a time.\u00a0 These business trips were not only highly productive, they\u00a0 introduced me to the uniquely wonderful “California cuisine” and its emphasis on fresh, local and seasonal ingredients.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

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An Array of Sides Including Egg Rolls, Won Tons, Sesame Balls, Crawfish and so much more<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Asian restaurants are plentiful in the Santa Clara and San Jose area, particularly in the Korean and Vietnamese arenas.\u00a0 Most of my initial experiences with Korean and Vietnamese cuisine were at the homes of Air Force colleagues who married women from those nations.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 At the time Asian restaurants across the Duke City were largely limited to Chinese and Japanese eateries.\u00a0 What a joy it was to discover the delicious embarassment of riches in the Bay area.<\/p>\n

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Sauces and Sides<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Cooking comes easy for me, but results are often mixed because of my propensity to experiment with disparate ingredients.\u00a0 Fortunately, the proprietors of my favorite Korean AYCE restaurant were a patient lot.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

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Spicy Szechuan Soup<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Over the years a number of Korean and Asian restaurants showcasing tabletop hibachi grills have popped up across Albuquerque.\u00a0 To my recollection none offered an AYCE option.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 An Albuquerque Journal article by Nakayla McClelland titled “Grill brings the fun, but not always the flavor<\/strong><\/a>” reminded me that not all my experiences on the hibachi rendered uncooked meats and veggies into desired deliciousness.<\/p>\n

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Top: Spicy Beef Bulgogi, Bulgogi Bottom: Galbi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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.\u00a0 \u00a0Eventually we found it ensconced in the megalithic complex that has housed several short-lived restaurants.\u00a0 Previous tenants at this spot include Desert Valley Brewing<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 Few, if any, vestiges of that previous occupant remain.\u00a0 \u00a0As Nakayla observed the restaurant is “decorated with bright neon colors that make it feel more like a club than a dining establishment.”\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>At least flashing strobe lights and rotating mirror disco lights didn’t hang from the ceiling.\u00a0 Better still, the restaurant is still bright enough for diner to see what they’re doing.<\/p>\n

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Spicy and Regular Beef Bulgogi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you’re new to the concept, you won’t necessarily get much more than basic instruction from the affable wait staff.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 In keeping with the restaurant’s feeling of modernity, you’ll be presented a tablet with which to place your order.\u00a0 The basic AYCE menu is priced at $24.95 per person as of this writing.\u00a0 An option offering “premium” meats is somewhat more pricy.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

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Galbi on the Grill<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Similar to other AYCE restaurants, I Grill Korean BBQ & Hotpot has a 90-minute time limit and charges for uneaten food.\u00a0 You can’t take home any remaining food.\u00a0 \u00a0In addition to the Korean barbecue portion of the menu (and just as promised on the menu), the restaurant features “Hotpot.”\u00a0 Korea’s version of\u00a0 hot pot is called Jeongol which is made by putting meat, mushroom, seafood, seasoning, etc., in a stew pot, adding broth, and boiling it.\u00a0 Yet another Korean hot pot dish is made with large dumplings.\u00a0 As with the Korean barbecue, you’ll prepare your hot pot meal at your table.\u00a0 If you’ve ever visited Albuquerque’s Zu Hot Pot<\/a><\/strong> on Eubank, you’ll be familiar with the concept.<\/p>\n

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Some of the Sumptuous Sides: Egg Roll, Kimchi, Dumpling, Sesame Ball, Chili sauce<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Undoubtedly the Korean dish most acculturated into the American culinary culture is bulgogi.\u00a0 \u00a0Bulgogi, which translates from Korean to “fire meat” consists of thinly sliced, marinated beef or pork that is typically stir-fried or grilled.\u00a0 The marinade usually includes soy sauce, sugar or honey, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger, often with Asian pear for tenderizing<\/span>\u00a0 If you like your American barbecue on the sweeter side, this dish will appeal to you.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

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Spicy Baby Octopus<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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)<\/strong><\/em> was really intended to be the “base” for a hot pot dish.\u00a0 I should have been instructed to add vegetables and noodles to the soup.\u00a0 Good as it was, it would have been transformative with the right additions.\u00a0 The menu lists seven soups from which you can “construct” your hot pot.\u00a0 There are six noodle choices (including vermicelli, udon, ramen and even pho noodles).\u00a0 Vegetable choices range from bak choy to king oyster mushrooms and everything in between.\u00a0 The notion that this mad scientist could have created a burbling, bubbling bowl of hot pot still rankles me.<\/p>\n

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Premium Ribeye Steak and Garlic Chicken<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During our inaugural visit, we indulged in “the usual suspects”–beef bulgogi<\/strong><\/em>, spicy beef bulgogi<\/strong><\/em> and galbi<\/strong><\/em> (marinated beef ribs).\u00a0 Inexplicably, the restaurant had run out of pork, a more common protein for bulgogi.\u00a0 \u00a0Writing for the Journal, Nakayla summarized her experience as “fun<\/em>” but “a little underwhelmed by the food<\/em>.”\u00a0 During visits on consecutive days (my Kim had left her glasses, perhaps as an excuse for returing), I’m inclined to agree with Nakayla.\u00a0 Though good for New Mexico, it didn’t impress me nearly as much as similar experiences in Santa Clara.\u00a0 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?).<\/p>\n

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Spicy Calamari and Spicy Pork Bulgogi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Self-service stations for sauces and sides were well-stocked, but without proper labels, it’s a crapshoot as to what you’re having.\u00a0 This is especially true of the sauces.\u00a0 My Kim had to ask a server which of the multitudinous sauces was “sweet and sour.”\u00a0 She was directed to a ponzu sauce which did the trick for her.\u00a0 For me, the spicy chili sauce was a dream fulfilled.\u00a0 It had plenty of bite and personality.\u00a0 Even better was the kimchi, a fiery cabbage dish not for the mild of taste buds.\u00a0 Among the sides are egg rolls, crawfish, sesame balls, dumplings and so much more.\u00a0 If only they were labeled….<\/p>\n

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Beef Belly<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Overall my favorite protein was the spicy baby octopus<\/strong><\/em> though it elicited “baby killer” comments from my Kim.\u00a0 Look closely at the photo of the baby octopus and you’ll see a fully-formed (albeit delicious) cephalopod mollusk.\u00a0 \u00a0 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.\u00a0 Eater<\/strong><\/a> recently published an article declaring that younger generations cherish unique dining experiences.\u00a0 I Grill certainly does offer that.<\/p>\n

I Grill Korean BBQ & Hotpot<\/strong>
\n3700 Ellison Drive, N.W., Suite C
\nAlbuquerque, New Mexico<\/strong>
\n(505) 808-3918
\nWebsite<\/strong><\/a> |
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 10 August 2025
\n1st VISIT<\/strong>: 9 August 2025
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 2
\nRATING<\/strong>: 21
\nCOST: $$$ – $$$$$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>:\u00a0 Spicy Beef Bulgogi, Beef Bulgogi, Galbi, Spicy Baby Octopus, Kimchi, Egg Roll, Spicy Szechuan Soup, Beef Belly, Spicy Calamari, Premium Ribeye Steak
\nREVIEW #1782<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You hear it very time a seismic event or devastating conflagration strikes California.\u00a0 Doomsayers seem to come out from under the rocks to proclaim it “divine castigation.”\u00a0 That’s also their argument when the Golden State’s elections don’t go as they would like.\u00a0 These very same people don’t seem to like much about California.\u00a0 Such negativity makes me wonder if these fatalists have ever spent much time in this fabled \u00a0land of opportunity and adventure.\u00a0 There’s got to be a reason California is the most populous state in the union.\u00a0 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…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":70836,"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":[440,277,81,141],"tags":[5085,5082,1112,1428,3468,5077,2097,5076,5084,5080,5078,5079,5083,5081],"class_list":["post-70826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-albuquerque","category-asian","category-korean","category-new-mexico","tag-ayce","tag-beef-belly","tag-bulgogi","tag-egg-rolls","tag-galbi","tag-hotpot","tag-kimchi","tag-korean-bbq","tag-premium-ribeye-steak","tag-sesame-balls","tag-spicy-baby-octopus","tag-spicy-beef-bulgogi","tag-spicy-calamari","tag-spicy-szechuan-soup"],"yoast_head":"\nI Grill Korean BBQ & Hotpot - 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=70826\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"I Grill Korean BBQ & Hotpot - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"You hear it very time a seismic event or devastating conflagration strikes California.\u00a0 Doomsayers seem to come out from under the rocks to proclaim it “divine castigation.”\u00a0 That’s also their argument when the Golden State’s elections don’t go as they would like.\u00a0 These very same people don’t seem to like much about California.\u00a0 Such negativity makes me wonder if these fatalists have ever spent much time in this fabled \u00a0land of opportunity and adventure.\u00a0 There’s got to be a reason California is the most populous state in the union.\u00a0 Surely the forty-million residents would be leaving in droves if it was that bad. 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