Azuma Sushi and Teppan
July 13, 2006 by Eric T
4701 San Mateo Boulevard NE
Albuquerque, NM 87109
Phone: (505) 880-9800
Website
(map) | ~MENU~
I’m sure the Teppan is great here, but in this review I’m going to focus on the sushi and sashimi. The reason is because I have been going to sushi here for years and it is really good, so I haven’t ventured over to the other side yet. I have been to all sorts of sushi restaurants from low to high end and this one is in competition for the top spot here in Albuquerque. I would recommend it as a romantic option but it is even better as a group affair.
The food is amazing here and I have always left satisfied. With sushi you have to be careful where you eat, although it is a little pricy here, you have a safe bet for great quality. What I like to do is go in a group and order a lot of items from the menu, they are brought out one at a time so you can enjoy them. To start with you are given a cup of ginger soup and a sweet salad, both very unique tasting to someone used to new mexican foods. All of the sushi is quality and my favorites are the california rolls, eel sashimi, 911 rolls, and monkey balls (dont let the name throw you, once you stop laughing, you’ll see how good they are). Azuma also offers a wide variety of saki and japanese beer to compliment your meal.
The picture you see above is called the love boat. I first went here on a date and got this hoping that it would be enough for the both of us…whoa, we got some stares when they set this giant boat filled with sushi and sashimi in front of us. It felt like they were doing a birthday presentation with a firecracker candle and sombrero (yeah that happened…I have a picture of myself, the unhappy kid with a sombrero on his head). The attention was warrented, the presentation was beautiful with fruit flowers and fans, and as you can see a tremendous amount of food.
The service is really good here. They allow you all of the privacy you need to make it appear private, but always seem to get you what you want when you need it. Watch out though, they are sneaky here and if your back is to the restaurant, the waitresses will come up from behind and scare you. Sometimes you’ll get the “and then…” effect when you order, which is that whatever you say they will ask you “what else would you like?” I have enjoyed the waitresses, they are professional and funny, they know how to treat the romantic table as well as entertain a group.
The atmosphere is impressive also where you can lose yourself in the japanese scenery and booth presentation. I would have given it a better rating, but it is a little crowded and there is not much privacy from other tables. They have a nice, relaxing atmosphere with blue light shining through plate glass art at each booth.
Note: The website has a printable coupon for 10% off of your purshase.
Taste:
[rate 8]
Service:
[rate 7]
Ambiance:
[rate 7]
Overall Reader Rating
[ratings]
Popularity: 53% [?]
onaclov2000 (5)
Jenny (4)
WestsideWendy (4)
Watercanyon (3)
@iambunnyears (1)
Al Sanchez (1)
I have gone with a group too, it was fun that way, but its pretty expensive.
The green tea and miso had an odd taste, like they added toasted sesame flavor to it.
Horrible service. Our waiter was a bus boy. I ordered vegetarian and my boyfriend ordered fish. All the non-vegetarian items came out 20 minutes before the vegetarian (so we both sat there for 20 minutes as his food got cold). Waited forever on our check, and just ended up paying up front. The food was pretty good, but I’ll never go back.
I’ve eaten at Azuma quite a bit. The service has become very spotty. On my last two visits, my maki rolls were not so great. They were flimsy, the rice was warm and the nori fell apart, resulting in a mess. I also have experienced the 20 minute difference in plate delivery. I used to love this place, but will not be going back.
SUCKED! The first time we went they had just opened and they were awful! Then several years later we go again to see if they’ve improved! NOT! It’s even worse! The worst part is that they are NOT Japanese owned! That makes a BIG difference. As a Japanese friend told me once, “If I want Korean food I go to Korean restaurant!”
I do have to say though that other Korean owned Japanese restaurants here are pretty good. Samurai is one of them.
Noda’s in Rio Rancho is the BEST though! Out of the way for those non Rio Rancho people but WORTH THE TRIP!
For those of you who actually eat sushi, you will notice that the food here smells… fishy- as high quality sushi should not. I suggest Samurai on Eubank and Montgomery.