Rasoi erratic but delicious

By Steve Fye

Copy Chief

There is no shortage of East Indian food in Albuquerque. Some places are terrific; some are not so great. Rasoi Indian Kitchen on Yale is a good example of how Indian food should be done. Well, usually.

Rasoi – Hindi for kitchen – has an extensive menu with options for nearly everyone. There is the usual Indian fare found in every restaurant in town, but there is a depth to the menu not often found in the strip-mall buffets.  Not every place in town has Curried Goat.

The problem at Rasoi is that there seems to be two sets of staff with wildly varying skill. Sometimes there is wonderful service and quick, delicious food. Other times, expect to be kept waiting and to be served food that is significantly different from what was presented just days before.

It must be said, however, that even on the off days, Rasoi’s food is tasty. But what customers expect –and demand –is consistency. One place where fairly consistent quality can be found is on Rasoi’s impressive buffet.

The buffet is beautifully presented in gorgeous copper and brass chafing dishes. There is always chicken from the tandoor, the traditional Indian funnel-shaped stove, and a selection of savory vegetables. The other entrees vary by day, but are usually wonderful.  Another staple is the Saag Paneer: spinach and mustard greens with house-made cheese. It has been consistently delicious.

The Curried Goat is earthy and savory, braised slowly in a curry flavored broth. The meat falls off the bones.  This is worth the $8.50 for the buffet on its own.

Another favorite is the Pakora, vegetable fritters in a chickpea coating. The chunks of vegetables are large and the Pakora are best eaten with a knife and fork, but that’s worth it for the lovely flavor, especially when dipped in the spicy chutney or the cool raita.

The sides are examples of the typical offerings on an Indian buffet, but Rasoi makes each dish special with additional vegetables in the dal or boosting the spice in the curried cauliflower and potatoes.

The buffet comes with a basket of naan, fresh from the tandoor. Rasoi’s naan is soft and thick, not charred and stiff like the stuff at most buffets.

The interior of the restaurant is finely done as well. Curtains are hung from the ceiling, breaking up the space to give it a much more intimate feel. The walls are adorned with Indian art and the whole place smells of a spice market. Rasoi offers beer and wine as well as a selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes.

So while the buffet is wonderful and consistent, the frugal diner should beware of the menu. All items are ala carte. Neither rice nor naan is included with entrees. The best option is to go to Rasoi during the week for the lunch buffet. Of course, that is really the best advice for any buffet. The restaurant will have more waitstaff, more cooks and the buffet will be replenished much more quickly so the food is at its freshest.

Rasoi Indian Kitchen is located at 110 Yale Blvd. SE. The restaurant is open from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. for dinner daily. For more information, call 268-5327 or visit rasoiabq.com

Sahara Middle Eastern Eatery

By Steve “Mo” Fye

Food Critic/ Copy Editor

Sahara has a broad menu of tasty offerings to please nearly every palate. From pita sandwiches to giant combo plates, there are dishes from all over the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Some are familiar fare, such as the Greek Gyro, while others are more exotic, including the Mezza Family Platter which is traditional Middle Eastern collection of dishes usually shared as a group.

Those lucky enough to have dined in an East Coast Middle Eastern café will find this place familiar. The friendly counterman’s New York accent was a good omen of delicious food to follow.

The Beef and Lamb Shawarmah combo platter was gigantic and easily enough for two. The beef and lamb were marinated in a savory sauce and seared perfectly, then served over turmeric basmati rice and topped with sommaq  (sumac) and tahini sauce. The dish also came with Fattoush Salad; small slices of pita used like croutons with fresh greens, tomatoes and onions, topped with a wonderful vinaigrette and more sommaq and mint. Sahara’s hummous was smooth and creamy, not gritty like some, and came garnished with some of the wonderful house-made pickled beets. The platter also included a large falafel and a house-made dolma as well as a pita.

The Chicken Tika platter was wonderful as well. It was listed on the wall menu as Special Spicy Chicken and lived up to that name. Several large chunks of marinated chicken were dusted with a spicy herb mix and grilled on a skewer until slightly charred. It was similar to Cajun Blackened Chicken but with some more exotic flavors.  The garlic sauce was savory and wonderful. The platter also featured the same sides and garnishes as the rest of the platters, including the flavorful basmati rice, redolent of turmeric and delicious all on its own.

The Chicken Shawarmah was lovely; spiced and marinated and seared until crispy on the outside and tender and moist on the inside. All of the meats and the falafel are available as sandwiches, wrapped in a pita and cooked in a Panini press. The Sahara Burger looked very interesting and is slated for the next visit. It is a ground lamb and beef patty, charbroiled and served in a pita with Fattoush salad and tahini.

Try to save room for one of Sahara’s beautiful desserts or try one of the savory pastries. The Mediterranean Spinach Sfeefa was perhaps a bit under filled, but was a lovely creation, a triangle of soft, tender bread with  savory spinach inside.

The menu continues with a number of vegetarian dishes as well. The Lentil soup sounds delicious and the Middle Eastern Potato salad is also on the list of things to try.

The restaurant is by no means fancy, but is a pleasant space, decorated with murals from the Arabian Nights and, inexplicably, small rugs that look Navajo. The flat screen in the corner plays oddly catchy Arabic pop videos.

Sahara Middle Eastern Eatery is a family-run restaurant owned by the same folks who have the New York Deli Mart on Yale Boulevard near Central Avenue. The family also operates a satellite Sahara and a New York Deli Mart in the UNM SUB. Sahara is located across from UNM’s Johnson Field, between Princeton and Columbia at 2622-A Central Avenue SE. The eatery is open 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and Noon to 7:30 p.m. Sundays. Saharamiddleeasterneatery.com, (505)255-5400. Dine in, Take out or catering available.

New downtown pub does it right

By Steve “Mo” Fye

Copy Chief/ Food Critic

Dublin’s Street Pub’s new Albuquerque location blends Southwest style with classic Irish pub sensibilities and hits the nail on the head. The menu is a combination of traditional Irish pub dishes and bar food with an American twist.

Nearly all the food is exceptional; some is not produced with traditional recipes but is still tasty and memorable. The pub standard, Fish and Chips, was terrific — but not the best in town. (The debate over whose is the best in Albuquerque still rages on.) The fish was hand battered and the chips were skin-on and crispy. The coleslaw was tasty, if nothing special. The lunch-sized portion was generous, and at $5.99, a serious bargain. It came with tartar sauce as well as cocktail sauce, but the friendly server knew to bring malt vinegar.

Brandon’s Shepherd’s Pie was one of the dishes that strayed from tradition. It was seasoned ground beef instead of the usual lamb and beef blend. It also contained corn, which we found puzzling, but tasty. The meat was a touch dry, as it was not held in gravy like in the traditional dish. The garlic mashed potatoes and Jack cheese topping the whole thing off were a nice touch and lent a lot of flavor.

In order to try as many dishes as possible, we ordered the combination platter of appetizers. At $8.49 for two choices and $9.99 for three, the platter is a great deal, heaped with a tasty sampling of dishes. We chose the Southwestern Eggrolls, the Buffalo Wings and Adan’s Nachos.

The nachos were fine, if a bit heavy on the beans, as were the Southwestern Eggrolls. The fusion of Asian and Southwestern cuisine seemed odd, but the eggrolls had a great flavor and were even better dipped in the house-made ranch dressing. The clear winner of the three was the small heap of Buffalo Wings. The wings balanced heat, flavor and the pungency of the vinegar perfectly. We agreed that the wings were superior and were a must-order on the next visit.

Another favorite was the Southern Chicken Salad. Chicken breast meat was sliced and hand-battered and served atop a nice blend of greens with cheddar cheese, tomatoes and bacon. The dressing was an excellent honey Dijon, made in-house as well.

The real winner of the day was the half-sandwich and soup special. Half a Monte Cristo and a bowl of French Onion Soup were passed around the table several times. The Monte Cristo was faithful to the traditional recipe: Ham, Turkey, Swiss and American cheeses on whole wheat bread. The whole thing is battered and deep fried then topped with powdered sugar and served with a side of raspberry preserves. Too often, a Monte Cristo is heavy, oily and a mess. Dublin’s version was light and delicious and the perfect companion to a pint of beer.

Dublin’s French Onion Soup is a shining example of the recipe. Onions are caramelized until a dark mahogany brown, and then drowned in scratch-made beef stock. If there is one nit to pick, it’s that the crouton was a touch soggy, but this happens far more often than not with even the best soups. The topping of Provolone (instead of the usual Gruyere) was gooey inside and beautifully browned on top.

Along with the tasty dishes, we sampled a few of Dublin’s impressive selection of draft beers. Beers are available in pints or 25 ounce glasses. Along with the ubiquitous Guinness, Dublin’s offers a wide selection of domestics as well as some of the better Mexican beer and some fine microbrews.

The restaurant as a whole reflects the menu. The walls are painted in subdued earth tones and the space has a Southwest feel, but the details are classic pub.

Manager and Hospitality and Tourism major Van Overton was nice enough to give us a rundown of the dishes and how they were prepared, as well as a brief history of the company. The original Dublin’s was founded in Las Cruces in the old Bennigan’s site when it closed. Most of the former staff stayed on to start Dublin’s. The success in Las Cruces led the owner to open the Albuquerque location.

We are confident that the blend of Irish hospitality and New Mexico cool will be a success here as well.

Dublin’s Street Pub is open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to midnight. 405 Central Ave. NW. 243-1807. Dublinsgrill.com.

This was in last week’s CNM Chronicle. There are some issues with the Issuu website, so I wasn’t able to just copy and paste from the paper. This is my review before edits. I like that when I write these, the Chronicle only has the copyright for two weeks. I can’t publish it elsewhere the week prior to or the week after the publication date of the Chronicle in which it appears. No prob! A week later, y’all can read it here!

Retro Taco: Muy autentico

By Steve “Mo” Fye

Food Critic

Located in the booming Red Light District just south of UNM, Retro Taco is a new taco stand that offers traditional Mexican fare in a slick, modern atmosphere.

The restaurant is bright and clean, with the menu displayed with animation on flat screen monitors above the counter. Friendly staff take orders and then bring the food to patrons at any of the handful of seats inside or to tables out in the shaded patio area. Mexican pop comes from speakers throughout the tiny, but pleasant establishment.

The menu is limited. Tacos, Burritos, Combo Platters and Tortas (Mexican sandwiches) are essentially the only offerings, but the slow-simmered meats are the stars of the meal. The Three Taco Combo seemed a touch expensive at over eight dollars, but the plate came loaded with beans and rice and three giant portions of meat in doubled soft corn tortillas. Patrons will find themselves hard pressed to finish this at one sitting.

The Charro Beans were a bit lackluster, similar to what’s offered at any Mexican restaurant, but the rice was perfectly cooked, lightly seasoned and featured lots of sweet yellow corn.

The Carne Desebrada (shredded beef) was delicious, simmered for hours until it falls apart. The Carnitas (pork shoulder, literally little meats) were tender and falling apart in the taco and seasoned wonderfully. The Pollo (chicken) was also tasty, long-cooked in chiles and mildly flavored.

The Cochinita Pibil is delicious, sweet and savory. This pulled pork is simmered for hours in achiote (annatto seed) paste, orange and lime juices. The name means “little pig” and “earthen,” referring to the clay pot in which it was traditionally cooked.  The sweetness came as a bit of a surprise, but it was just delicious, especially with the fiery red salsa.

Ah, the salsas. Right next to the order counter is a long flip-top cooler filled with salsas and condiments. The salsas ranged from spicy to defiantly hot. Salsa Cruda and Salsa Verde lie next to cilantro leaves, limes and the hugely flavored Salsa Rojo. The salsa bar would be reason alone to visit Retro Taco.

The Tortas are wonderful as well, especially a few hours later, when the flavors of the meat mingle with the rest of the ingredients.

Retro Taco is a franchise restaurant, based on the original location in Mexico City. There are several locations south of the border in Cabo, Vallarta and Cancun but the Albuquerque site is the first in the U.S. It is owned by manager Ismael Felix, who visits every table to ensure good service and customer satisfaction. Felix is demonstrably proud of the food, and assures every patron of the high quality of the ingredients used.

The food at Retro Taco is wonderful and authentic. It’s the type of fare formerly only found coming from outlaw food trucks, but served in a pleasant, cool atmosphere, where patrons can sit in comfort with a beer. Retro Taco offers a selection of cold Mexican beers as well as Sam Adams.

Despite the limited menu coming from a miniscule kitchen, Retro Taco is worthy of future visits to try the meats in different presentations. The Burritos seem a good bet for a quick lunch, while the Combo Platters would be good for a leisurely dinner. This is a welcome addition to the University Area and will likely flourish.

Retro Taco: 115 Harvard S.E., Suite 3, Next to Cheba Hut in the Red Brick District. Summer hours: Tuesday through Saturday, Noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, Noon to 5 p.m. www.retrotaco.com

I didn’t really want to do this one, but the food was actually very tasty for what it was. This was before I was actually under contract with the paper.

 This is one I asked to do. We found this little place when we were done shopping at 99 Banh. Great food. Amazing customer service.

Asian Grill is a great place to go when the urge for Asian food hits, but no one can decide which style to eat. The menu is extensive, with offerings from regions span­ning most of Central and Southeast Asia, and is sure to include something to excite even the most jaded palate.

The restaurant is tucked away in the southwest corner of Albuquerque’s “International Zone,” sharing a parking lot with the Pan- Asian supermarket, 99 Banh. The restaurant still sports the fixtures of the Souper Salad that formerly held the spot, but there are touches of Asian influence in the décor.

On our first visit, we were greeted by the owner, Thai Nang, who is known to his many regulars as “Mr. Thai.” Thai graduated from CNM (T-VI at the time) in 1993 with a double degree in laser technology and instrumentation control. He worked in the tech industry for some time before follow­ing his passion and opening Asian Grill.

Before we could be seated, some regulars nearby insisted we try the Wonton Soup, which they declared to be the best in New Mexico.

Singapore Chow Fun Noodles, Mongolian Beef, Malaysian Chicken, Grilled Chicken Bun are just some of the options availble at Asian Grill.

The Wonton Soup was indeed exceptional. The crystal-clear broth was smooth and rich; the soup included al-dente vegetables, which is uncommon. The savory broth was the star of the soup, but the wontons were tender without being soggy and worth the ride on their own.

The eggrolls were deli­cious and crispy, but not greasy. The Malay Street Grilled Chicken was succu­lent and smoky and topped with crushed peanuts. It’s a twist on Kuala Lumpur street food, served with rice and beautifully presented instead of eaten from a skewer while walking down the street.

The Singapore Chicken Chow Fun was a stir-fried noodle dish including tender chicken and vegetables in a Thai-influenced curry sauce. Every ingredient was inde­pendently delicious, but the balance of textures, aromas and colors made this dish much greater than the sum of its parts. It was savory but not spicy – at least until the addi­tion of Thai’s house-made pickled onion and pepper relish, found on every table, along with several other Asian condiments. The relish adds a slightly sweet and very spicy boost to anything on the menu.

The Mongolian Beef was also a finely presented tradi­tional dish. White and green onions were stir-fried with paper-thin beef in a spicy and slightly sweet sauce. The sauce had a giant flavor with sweet and savory intricacies that changed subtly depending on the makeup of each bite of food. The menu also includes several varieties of Bun, a Vietnamese rice vermicelli dish which is served warm, with cold shred­ded veggies and hot grilled meats on top.

To fill out the menu, Thai offers Pho, the Vietnamese chicken or beef-based soup laced with rice noodles, bean sprouts and a variety of meats or seafood. There is also a selection of Vegan and Vegetarian offerings. Each menu item is beautifully pre­sented, and there is a sauce to accompany nearly every one. The variety of sauces, from delicate, to bold really makes the meal here.

Thai will likely suggest the Colego tea. This hot tea is scented with jasmine and is purported to cleanse the blood of lipids and help with high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Whether it works or not, it is delicious and comple­ments a meal nicely.

The Asian Grill is usu­ally packed for lunch, filled with folks from the hos­pitals across the street, as well as from Kirtland AFB and Sandia Labs. Dinner is more leisurely, and offers a chance to chat with Thai, who is a bundle of energy and hospitality.

Weekday lunch spe­cials are $7.50 and come with fried or steamed rice. Expect to take home much of the meal, as the portions are huge. Dinner entrees are even larger and are only a few bucks more.

Asian Grill is located at 5303 Gibson SE, 87108 and operate10:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. Mon – Fri, Noon to 7 p.m. Sunday and are closed Saturdays. For more infor­mation call 505-265-4702 or visit Asiangrillabq.com.