That Food Guy
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
  Azuma Sushi and Teppan
Azuma – Sushi and Teppan
4701 San Mateo Blvd
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(505) 880-9800



This was to be a father and son day, a boys’ day out, a day at the museum, a rekindling of bonds. The morning chores completed, we started off and, and as it was nearing midday, we decided to stop somewhere for an early lunch. Larry took us to one of his favorite places. It was to be Azuma’a for a sushi lunch. Open daily at 11:00 am. When we entered we found that A
zuma opens at 11:30 on the weekends. We were a bit early, about 15 minutes. Larry
told the receptionist that we would wait in the car. She bade us to have a seat in the lobby, “It is nice and cool inside.” Already a nice touch… We were soon seated in a comfortable booth adjacent to the sushi bar. Besides being a comfortable booth, the little glass dividers make a cozy open personal area with very low noise. Although several couples had followed us into the restaurant the noise level was pleasantly very low. The sushi chef from his station was able to ask my son about his order from across the room. With soft lighting, well appointed fixtures and a quiet atmosphere, the stage was set for a good meal without distractions. Your visit to Azuma is started off with a nice bowl of miso soup. Well. Miso soup is miso soup and our Azuma serving was as good as any other miso soup I have ever had. Hot with a tasty dashi broth it set the stage for things to come. For openers my son ordered the spicy tuna roll and I ordered the California roll and a cucumber roll. Strange as it may sound, Larry and I both don’t care at all for surimi but we do like a lot of other sushi offerings. Larry ate his spicy tuna roll with gusto and said that it was very good, very tasty. Freshly made sushi can sometimes be crumbly, the sushi rice not congealed. That was not the case here. The rice cake was firm enough to hold together when picked up with the hashi and dipped into the soy sauce and still be soft and tender to the bite. The Azuma sushi chef has the sushi master’s touch. The California roll and the cucumber roll were excellent. The rest of our order was soon served. Larry had ordered the Boston roll without the cream cheese. I ordered the nabeyaki udon soup. The Boston roll is a large serving of to inside-out filled rolls with an olio topping of vegetables and lightly drizzled with a succulent sauce. It took some time to assemble. My souvenir take-out menu copy didn’t list that sushi selection so I am at a bit of a loss to remember all the ingredients. That was not a problem for my son as he enjoyed all of it in short order. He considered it an excellent selection. Years ago I first encountered udon soup in the international passenger quarantine area at the Anchorage International Airport. Most of the passengers were on Asian carriers making a refueling stop before flights over the old Soviet Union were possible. The small snack bar’s menu reflected the clientele. It was not an elegant serving. A package of fresh udon noodle was placed in a tall Styrofoam cup, then the cup was filled to the rim from a kettle of hot dashi stock and something dead placed on top. It was served with the disposable hashi for a typical in-airport rip-off price. Not knowing what it was, the first thing I did was dispose of the dead thing floating on top into the nearest trash can. Then I sipped the dashi and developed a liking for the taste of the hot mild broth. The fresh udon noodles are not Italian pasta but a whole new world of noodles. They were delicious. Since then I have tasted udon soups in many places and was about to see if Azuma’s offering was up to par. It was a large soup bowl serving; a meal in itself. Considering that I had already eaten my California and cucumber rolls, it was a bit too much. It was served with two very large tempura shrimp on the side. The broth was hot and savory. The fresh noodles were excellent and the bits


of vegetable, including asparagus, were delicious. It was as good as, if not better than any udon soup I have ever sampled. Even though it was more than I should have eaten, it was too good to leave any behind. Father and son enjoyed a quiet interlude in comfortable surroundings. We were catered to by a most courteous staff. We were served delicious food that charmed the eye as well as the pallet. Even the clientele, ma
ny of whom filled the dining room while we were there, were respectful of the surroundings and we were hardly aware of their presence. Surely the Azuma deserves high marks for quality of food, service and atmosphere; a place to go. It will surely be on my agenda for another visit on my next trip through Albuquerque, New Mexico.



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Thursday, September 23, 2010
  KOA Kafe – KOA Albuquerque North - Bernalillo, New Mexico
KOA Kafe open air patio





KOA Kafe
KOA Albuqurque,North
555 South Hill Rd
Bernalillo, New Mixico 87004
(505) 867-5227 9/23/10


Traveling around the country we often stop at Good Sam’s or KOA campgrounds. We are thus assured of at least a minimum standard. There are many independent campgrounds out there but they are hard to find. The Sam’s and KOA directories make finding a campground easy. So it was that we found KOA Albuquerque North. KOA Kafe basic free breakfast, two pancakes and syrup, coffeeIt is KOA Kafe basic breakfast with butter and two strips of baconactually located just off the Interstate in the small, independent town of Bernalillo, a few miles north of Albuquerque. Even though the campgrounds have a minimum standard, many of the campground owners go beyond the minimum and devise many clever ways to cater to their camping customers.
Well maintained, with lots of trees to shade your camping spot, clean restrooms with lots of hot shower water, a carefully maintained pool for an afternoon dip, large fenced pet walks, even weekend movies, this particular campground is already well above standard and a very pleasant stopover. The owner has one additional perk for us, the KOA Kafe. Not a full service café for sure, but rather a casual provider of the campground equivalent of the big hotels continental breakfast. From about seven to nine each morning, a campground guest only has to KOA Kafe Beehive oven and outdoor stove in the covered patiostop by the office, get a small ticket and present it to the Kafe cook for a free pancake breakfast. The free pancake breakfast consists of two pancakes and syrup, butter on request. A side bar has coffee, tea, sugar and creamers at your leisure. During the warmer temperate months the service is al fresco in a nice covered patio and enough picnic benches to accommodate everyone. A decorated full-scale beehive oven sets the mood for this New Mexico patio. In bad weather there is an adjacent enclosed dining area.
The KOA Kafe also has a small menu for additional purchased food items. Bacon or sausage is $1.50, eggs $1.50 each and a bowl of breakfast chili (remember, we are in New Mexico) is $3.00. There are some combo plates, featuring either fried potatoes, KOA Kafe enclosed dining room used in bad weather.corned beef KOA Kafe menuhash, omelets or burritos, ranging from $4.00 to $7.00. There is even a telephone number for takeout orders. At the window you present your ticket and order any additional items you desire. It is cash only when your name is called for pick up. The cook has been there a long time. We have seen him on the last three trips through Albuquerque. He is a bit gruff but never any problems. Let’s just say he is amusingly irascible, much like his motto, "If we don't have it, you don't need it!" After eating, you buss your own table and police your area. Toss the trash in the canister and get on with your wonderful day after a satisfying breakfast at the KOA Kafe.

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Monday, June 07, 2010
  Lin's International Buffet - Albuquerque, New Mexico
Lin's pagoda-style restaurant with the emperor's soldiers guarding the door.

Lin’s International Buffet
10100 Coors Blvd NW
Albuquerque, NM (505) 898-6868

Practicing our nomadic ways, we found ourselves in New Mexico, near were my son, Larry, and his lovely wife, Vickie, live. On one of our nightly visits, we went to dinner at Lin’s International Buffet. This was my second visit to this particular Lin’s, for the most part a Chinese food, all you can eat buffet, but with some significant differences from most of the others in the class. The differences were significant enough that after my first visit, a bit after the 2008 opening of the Albuquerque restaurant, I did a little background digging to satisfy my curiosity and here is what I learned.

Sesame chicken, egg roll, broccoli beef and frieed rice.Jennifer Lin, a native of China who immigrated to the United States in 1985 at age 17, settled in New York City. She began working in Chinese restaurants and was able to buy her own restaurant in 1988. The restaurant was a success and she later sold it and used the proceeds to travel, including travel and starting a business in Europe. In 1998 she learned about a restaurant for sale in Texas. She bought that restaurant and opened a second shortly after. It wasn’t until 2004 that she opened the first restaurant carrying the Lin name. There are now many Lin’s in Texas and California.
With the opening of the named restaurants, she had a showcase for her vision of the Chinese restaurant. Her vision included, high quality food excellently prepared, elegant surroundings, reasonable prices and courteous service. During my first visit, I was impressed and found that all of her keystones were present. I certainly have to add that the building adds to the atmosphere and elegant surroundings. A large pagoda-style building, a building erected to be a pagoda-style building from the outset, leaves little doubt that it is a Chinese restaurant with serious intent. Copies of the terra cotta statues that guard the tomb of the first emperor of China guard the restaurant entrance. A large crystal chandelier hangs from the lofty ceiling. The large, carpeted dining room and the adjacent private dining rooms can seat 400 guests. Yet the noise level is low prompting casual conversation. Along the back there are the ingredients for Mongolian barbecue and a chef waiting to cook your selections on the griddle. The grill serves rib eye steaks to order. A selection of freshly made sushi tempts the pallet.

The main food service areas are self-serve and all you can eat. There are four long counters to serve the food. The majority of the offered items are Asian, such as Chinese, Thai, or Japanese-style. However, considering the Texas beginnings and the location of this store in New Mexico, there are several foods of a Southwestern foods theme. Also, some simpler foods, like chicken nuggets and French fries, appeal to the children. Enough food selections are offered that even taking the barest amount on a plate would require several trips to the serving line to sample them all.


Lin’s offers a lunch buffet, Monday - Friday from 11 AM to 4 PM. Adults are $7.29 and children $4.29. The dinner buffet, Monday – Friday 4 PM to closing, all day Saturday and Sunday, 4 PM to closing. Adults $9.99 and children are $5.89. There is a senior citizens discount of 10%. Lin’s also offers a take-out menu. You can order specific dishes from the menu.

When you enter the lobby, there s a cashier’s station where you prepay for the meals and beverages. You are then escorted to your table. A server brings you the drinks, provides any additional items you may require and later removes dirtied dishes. Clean plates are at the end of the food sA selection of food from Lin'service counters awaiting your next trip through the serving line.
I usually list each guest’s plate and tell about their food. That doesn’t work well here because of the extreme number of selections. In general, however, I can tell you that daughter-in-law Vickie says the sushi is great, tasty and fresh, well made. Son Larry says the grilled steaks are delicious, perhaps a bit tough, but good all around. The standard Chinese dishes were well represented. I enjoyed all of them with reservations for only one, the sweet and sour chicken. I suppose it would be called New York style, breaded and fried chicken nuggets with some sweet and sour sauce on the side. I have come to expect the New York-style sweet a sour from the store-front Chinese food take-out stores. I would expect more, considering the more upscale presentation of the other foods, from Lin’s. I am spoiled in that I learned to like sweet and sour chicken (or pork or…) Los Angeles Chinatown style, the breaded morsels of meat tossed in the sauce with stir fried onion, Bell peppers and pineapple chunks. New York style falls short of expectations.

Egg rolls were crispy fried with good flavor. The fried rice was prepared more as a side dish rather than a hearty main dish, but was well spiced, nice flavor. Other traditional favorites, some Chinese food and some sushi selections.sesame chicken and General Tso’s chicken for example, were represented. All were good and could stand as the main dish in a numbered dinner. The kitchen staff keeps the serving dishes neat, filled and appetizing.
Lots of good food, served in upscale surroundings, attended by servers seemingly interested in your well being, family at your table, it all makes for an interesting and enjoyable meal. An experience we hope will be repeated in the near future.
If you are interested in more information about Lin’s, go to www.linsrestaurant.com .

I certainly will consider another visit to Lin’s on our next trip through Albuquerque or elsewhere in our travels. However, when I was looking up information about Lin’s, I came across information about an unrelated Chinese restaurant, also in Albuquerque, called Lin’s Oriental Restaurant. It had good reviews. One day I will be obliged to try a meal there just to keep everything even.

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Tuesday, October 07, 2008
  Weck's - Rio Rancho, New Mexico
Weck's in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.



Weck’s
1690 Rio Rancho Dr Rio Rancho, NM
( ) 881-0116 www.wecksinc.com

Passing through the Albuquerque area, we had the opportunity to visit with my son, Larry, and his charming wife, Vickie. My son insisted one morning that he was going to take us out to breakfast. He knew of a place that served big meals and he knew I like to eat a lot. With 5 stores in Albuquerque and one in Rio Rancho, Weck’s seems to be a growing concern. And as for the big meals, their menu proclaims, “A full belly tradition since ’91.” We were about to put that to the test.
Click to enlarge - Big Breakfast Burrito – served with hash browns and covered with melted Cheddar and Jack cheeses.A store front restaurant, it is located in a new and busy shopping center. Catering to the breakfast and lunch crowd, the restaurant is open daily from 6:30 AM to 2:00 PM. Although we did not sample any of the lunch fare, they offer a selection of hot and cold sandwiches ($8.19), soups, salads and hamburgers ($6.39 to $8.39). As would be expected from a New Mexico restaurant, they also offer southwestern specialties such as quesadillas ($8.19), burritos ($8.19) and enchiladas ($8.19). They also offer vegetarian options. Since breakfast was very good, on a future trip to the Albuquerque area we will have to have lunch at Weck’s to round out Click to enlarge – Pancake sandwich – pancakes, bacon or sausage, one egg any style.our dining experience.
My selection was a Sausage Big Breakfast Burrito ($6.39). It is three scrambled eggs in a rolled flour tortilla with your choice of filling (ham, bacon or sausage – carne adovada – carnitas – chicken – veggie) and a choice of sauce or cheese. Red and green chili sauces are available but I chose the Cheddar and Jack cheese combination. The burrito is served with a large helping of hash brown potatoes. It is served on a large oval platter and certainly lives up to its name, big. The hash browns were the shredded kind, brown and crispy on the outside, steaming hot on the inside. Delicious, they were also covered by the melted Click to enlarge – Full Belly Egg plate – two scrambled eggs, hash browns and 4 strips of crispy bacon.Cheddar-Jack cheese. It was a good tasting meal of ample proportions and certainly worthy of ordering again.
The wife ordered what Weck’s calls a pancake sandwich ($6.89). It is two large buttermilk pancakes, two bacon strips (she ordered sausage instead) and one egg any style. In keeping with the full belly tradition, it is served on two plates. The pancakes were nicely browned, tender and tasty. The egg was cook right to order. A satisfying meal with some for the doggie bag.
My son ordered the Full Belly Egg Plate ($6.89). It is two eggs any style, hash browns and choice of ham, bacon or sausage. He ordered scrambled egg. The eggs were light and fluffy, the bacon just crispy as ordered. Again, in the full belly tradition, it was served on a platter filled to the edge.
The facility was a new, clean and well maintained facility. The serving staff was quick and courteous. They kept the coffee cups full without hovering over the table. All of the food served that day was tasty and well presented. The experience has made me anxious to go back and try the offerings on the lunch menu.

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