{"id":9997,"date":"2020-02-14T04:53:12","date_gmt":"2020-02-14T10:53:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=9997"},"modified":"2026-02-24T12:11:57","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T18:11:57","slug":"pacific-paradise-tropical-grill-sushi-bar-albuquerque-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=9997","title":{"rendered":"Pacific Paradise Tropical Grill & Sushi Bar – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"<\/a>
Tropical Grill & Sushi Bar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Shangri-La. Eden.\u00a0 Paradise. Heaven on Earth.\u00a0 The concept of a remote and exotic utopia, a faraway haven or hideaway of idyllic beauty and tranquility, has long intrigued mankind.\u00a0 Paul Gauguin, the famous French post-impressionist artist thought his persistent pilgrimage for Paradise was over when he moved to Tahiti in the tropical South Pacific.\u00a0 Alas, his picturesque paradise, as with anything that seems too good to be true, was also discovered by French colonists who quickly transformed Tahiti into the antithesis of the “sensual loafer’s paradise” he had envisioned.<\/span><\/p>\n

For aficionados of Asian cuisine, paradise might be defined as a restaurant from whose kitchen emanates the culinary diversity of the Pacific: time-honored and traditional delicacies, contrasting yet complementary flavors, exotic and healthful ingredients, varied and interesting textures, exquisite freshness with all cuisine reflecting the geography, culture and history of its originating nation.\u00a0 It would be a restaurant offering the culinary treasures of China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Mongolia, Korea and Hawaii and it would be an adventure in authenticity and deliciousness.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Can You Picture Yourself in the Pacific?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are several restaurants in the Duke City which proffer entrees from more than one Pacific nation.\u00a0 The most ambitious, by far, is the aptly named Pacific Paradise Tropical Grill & Sushi which features fare from all the aforementioned locations.\u00a0 The menu is staggering in its breadth of coverage, showcasing cuisine representative of\u00a0 many prominent locales within Pacific Ocean, an area covering more than 64 million square miles, about one-third of the Earth’s surface.\u00a0 Now, it’s one thing to to claim authentic flavors; it’s another to deliver on that audacious promise.<\/span><\/p>\n

My Singaporean friend Ming Lee, a prolific epicurean and student of Asian cuisine, used to tell me that restaurants which purport to be “all things Asia” tend to serve watered-down, inauthentic parodies of the real thing.\u00a0 He’s also incensed that such restaurants perpetuate the stereotype that all Asians are the same, joking that Americans not only think Asians all look alike, but eat the same things.\u00a0 It’s unlikely my great friend would appreciate Paradise Paradise too much.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Hot and Sour Soup<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In addition to cuisine specific to nearly ten different nations,\u00a0 Pacific Paradise also crosses cultural boundaries to feature entrees which very discernibly combine elements of two or more nations.\u00a0 The restaurant definitely takes creative license in some of its entrees, even employing eye-catching naming conventions (such as “Seafood Rice Pizza”) to spur interest.\u00a0 That, too, would leave my friend Ming less than mirthful.\u00a0 He’s as much a stickler for authenticity in Asian cuisine as I am about New Mexico chile without cumin.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pacific Paradise, located on the northeast side of the small strip mall on the intersection of Candelaria and San Pedro, might surprise my friend.\u00a0 Several dishes were surprisingly authentic (at least to this gaijin who won’t pretend to know nearly as much about Asian cuisine as my friend) while others employed as much creative license as they did the “dumbing down” of flavors to suit American tastes.\u00a0 The dumbing down manifested itself most in slightly exaggerated sweet and sour properties. <\/span><\/p>\n

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The Albuquerque Roll<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The restaurant’s exterior frontage depicts the tranquil azure waters for which the ocean was christened the Pacific.\u00a0 The signage on the pitched tin roof is a bit misleading; the “Tropical Grill & Sushi Bar” standing out and partially obfuscating the much smaller “Pacific Paradise” portion.\u00a0 The interior is awash in color with a pronounced island theme.\u00a0 A tiki bar in the style of the Polynesian restaurants which were the rage in the 60s is the best seat in the house for a sushi soiree.\u00a0 Elevated booths overlook wicker chairs tucked under comfortable tables. <\/span><\/p>\n

An abbreviated fourteen item “lunch rush” menu is available for diners in a hurry, but a world of adventures opens up to diners who can linger longer.\u00a0 The first page of the compendium-like menu lists appetizers, salads, light soups, specialty soups and a “kid’s paradise” selection of items for children 12 and under.\u00a0 Showcased on the menu’s center page is a menu of signature dishes as well as a Japanese combo special for one or two diners.\u00a0 Grilled entrees, “vegetable celebration,” seafood, stir-fried chicken and beef, fried rice and noodles, sushi, sashimi and desserts make up the remainder of the menu.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Lobster Roll
<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Entrees are served with your choice of a garden salad or steamed vegetables, your choice of a light soup and steamed rice or plain noodles, a refreshing departure from the seemingly de rigueur standard of miso soup and a garden salad.\u00a0 The garden salad (mostly iceberg lettuce) has a light drizzle of a citrus-based vinaigrette dressing.\u00a0 The steamed vegetable medley features green beans, carrots, broccoli, onions and mushrooms all prepared al dente.\u00a0 You could hardly call the noodles “plain” because they have a distinct sweet-soy flavor and are quite good.<\/span><\/p>\n

14 February 2020<\/strong>: The light soup offerings are surprising–a cup of miso soup (Japan), minced chicken and corn soup (China), vegetable soup (Singapore) and hot and sour soup (China), not solely because of the variety offered, but\u00a0 because of their flavor profiles.\u00a0 The hot and sour soup<\/strong><\/em> is indeed both hot and sour, but best of all, it wasn’t overly thickened with corn starch as many of this ilk tend to be.\u00a0 The bigger surprise was the minced chicken and corn soup whose basis is a traditional egg drop soup. The soup is served piping hot as they should be.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Sambal Scallops
<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4 December 2010<\/strong>: The sushi menu is extensive, highlighting maki rolls (a type of sushi roll that includes toasted seaweed nori rolled around vinegar-flavored rice and various fillings, not all containing raw fish as well as more pricey “Chef’s special rolls.”\u00a0 Nigiri sushi (vinegared rice with a piece of fish on top), sashimi, hand rolls and tempura rolls are also available.\u00a0 As do most sushi restaurants in Albuquerque, Pacific Paradise panders to locals with a maki roll named for our fair city.\u00a0 The Albuquerque Roll<\/em><\/strong> (green chili (sic) tempura, avocado, cucumber) is quite good although the tempura sheathe somewhat masks the piquancy of the green chile.<\/span><\/p>\n

4 December 2010<\/strong>: On the day of our inaugural visit, the sushi special of the day was the intriguingly named “Lobster Roll<\/em><\/strong>” (Crabmeat, Avocado and Cucumber Inside, Baked with Lobster & Chef’s Special Sauce on Top) which didn’t quite conjure up memories of the Clam Shack<\/a><\/strong> in Kennebunkport, Maine where the best lobster roll in the universe is made.\u00a0 While we didn’t expect any maki roll could come close to approximating the Maine specialty, we hoped for something accentuating the unctuous flavors of sweet, succulent lobster.\u00a0 Alas, this roll (crab meat, avocado and cucumber on the inside baked with lobster and “chef’s special sauce” on top) obfuscated the flavor of lobster because of a cloying sauce.\u00a0 Not even an immersion in the wasabi-soy bath mitigated that sweetness.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Hawaiian Golden Crisp Chicken (Hawaii)
<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4 December 2010<\/strong>: My personal preferences in the wide diversity that is Asian cuisine start with Malaysian, Singaporean and Vietnamese dishes, all of which display a wider range of flavors (piquant, sweet, savory, tangy) than their Pacific brethren.\u00a0 There are no Malaysian or Singaporean restaurants in the Duke City, but a few restaurants pay a cursory tribute to these nations with one or two entrees.\u00a0 Pacific Paradise serves an entree with which I fell in love at a Malaysian restaurant in Mountain View, California.\u00a0 It’s Sambal Scallops<\/em><\/strong> (sauteed scallops with fresh mushrooms and bell pepper in a curry coconut sauce), a fiery and exotic curry dish with eye-opening flavors.\u00a0 Pacific Paradise’s Sambal is an excellent rendition with an authentic chili-based sauce that will singe the taste buds of the uninitiated.<\/span><\/p>\n

4 December 2010<\/strong>: Several Hawaiian dishes punctuate the menu, America’s contribution to the Pacific themed menu.\u00a0 For non-risk-takers, a safe and delicious bet is the Hawaiian Golden Crisp Chicken<\/em><\/strong> (tender chicken breast in a light coat of tempura batter deep-fried until crispy and served with a pineapple sauce) which bears a striking resemblance to the chicken cutlets served at the fabulous Magokoro restaurant.\u00a0 The pineapple sauce is about as thick as a typical sweet and sour sauce, but distinctively different in that it showcases the pineapple with an attitude, just enough piquancy to surprise and titillate your taste buds.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Country Style Spicy Chicken<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

14 February 2020<\/strong>:\u00a0 When perusing a menu–including or maybe especially–those with verbose descriptions, how you perceive a dish may not be exactly what’s delivered to your table.\u00a0 Sometimes that’s a good thing.\u00a0 Take or example, the Country Style Spicy Chicken<\/strong><\/em>, described on the menu as ” <\/span>Extra spicy. A very tasty dish. Marinated chunks of chicken breast, fried then stir-fried with peanuts and dried red pepper in a spicy, aromatic seasoning<\/em>.”\u00a0 Somehow, I perceived “chunks” to be bite-sized, not smallish pieces.\u00a0 I also read “sauce” into the dish even though it’s not stated anywhere on the description of the menu. <\/span><\/p>\n

In all honesty, this is a very good dish.\u00a0 Okay, it would be better with actual chunks (not meager morsels) of chicken, but even so, the white meat chicken pieces are quite tasty with a light, golden-hued batter and a salt and pepper seasoning.\u00a0 Assertive dry red chili peppers provide an incendiary bite, one that doesn’t sneak up on you but strikes with the ferocity and speed of a charging rhino.\u00a0 These chilies will water your eyes and clear your nasal passages.\u00a0 Whole peanuts prove a nice foil for the chilies though you’ll probably find yourself reaching for your glass of water.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

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Ginger Ice Cream at left and Avocado Ice Cream at right<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4 December 2010<\/strong>: Desserts also play homage to the Pacific nation of their origin.\u00a0 In addition to mangoes and sticky rice (Thailand) and crispy banana (Malaysia), you’ll find several Pacific Paradise unique desserts whose genesis is the fertile mind of the chef.\u00a0 Quite popular are the tropical ice creams<\/strong><\/em>: mango, avocado, coconut, green tea, plumwine, ginger and red bean.\u00a0 These ice creams are creamy and delicious with a light texture and flavors that resonate with the flavor of their named ingredients.\u00a0 A sure cure for the heat of a summer day, they’re delicious any time.<\/span><\/p>\n

A visit to Pacific Paradise may not be paradise on Earth, but it does offer a culinary journey to the flavors of the Pacific and you won’t have to travel across the ocean to get them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pacific Paradise<\/strong>
\n3000 San Pedro Dr NE
\nAlbuquerque, New Mexico<\/strong>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 14 February 2020
\n1st VISIT<\/strong>: 4 December 2010
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 2
\nRATING<\/strong>: 19
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$ – $$$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: Ginger Ice Cream, Avocado Ice Cream, Albuquerque Roll, Sanbal Scallops, Hawaiian Golden Crisp Chicken, Country Style Spicy Chicken<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shangri-La. Eden.\u00a0 Paradise. Heaven on Earth.\u00a0 The concept of a remote and exotic utopia, a faraway haven or hideaway of idyllic beauty and tranquility, has long intrigued mankind.\u00a0 Paul Gauguin, the famous French post-impressionist artist thought his persistent pilgrimage for Paradise was over when he moved to Tahiti in the tropical South Pacific.\u00a0 Alas, his picturesque paradise, as with anything that seems too good to be true, was also discovered by French colonists who quickly transformed Tahiti into the antithesis of the “sensual loafer’s paradise” he had envisioned. For aficionados of Asian cuisine, paradise might be defined as a restaurant from whose kitchen emanates the culinary diversity of the Pacific: time-honored and traditional delicacies, contrasting yet complementary flavors, exotic and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":54205,"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":[440,277,5565,262,119],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9997","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-albuquerque","category-asian","category-closed-in-2026","category-closed","category-sushi"],"yoast_head":"\nPacific Paradise Tropical Grill & Sushi Bar - 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=9997\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pacific Paradise Tropical Grill & Sushi Bar - Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED) - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Shangri-La. Eden.\u00a0 Paradise. Heaven on Earth.\u00a0 The concept of a remote and exotic utopia, a faraway haven or hideaway of idyllic beauty and tranquility, has long intrigued mankind.\u00a0 Paul Gauguin, the famous French post-impressionist artist thought his persistent pilgrimage for Paradise was over when he moved to Tahiti in the tropical South Pacific.\u00a0 Alas, his picturesque paradise, as with anything that seems too good to be true, was also discovered by French colonists who quickly transformed Tahiti into the antithesis of the “sensual loafer’s paradise” he had envisioned. 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Heaven on Earth.\u00a0 The concept of a remote and exotic utopia, a faraway haven or hideaway of idyllic beauty and tranquility, has long intrigued mankind.\u00a0 Paul Gauguin, the famous French post-impressionist artist thought his persistent pilgrimage for Paradise was over when he moved to Tahiti in the tropical South Pacific.\u00a0 Alas, his picturesque paradise, as with anything that seems too good to be true, was also discovered by French colonists who quickly transformed Tahiti into the antithesis of the “sensual loafer’s paradise” he had envisioned. 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