Perhaps more than anyone I’ve ever met, my Singaporean friend Ming Lee (God rest his beautiful soul) regarded people by the content of their character, not by physical characteristics. So, it surprised me to hear him joke “we all look alike.” It was an unsolicited admission that even he couldn’t always discern the cultural genesis of Asian people he met. He also joked “at least I can always tell where an Asian restaurant’s food comes from.” Ming was a bona fide gastronome who introduced me to the cuisine of Singapore and Malaysia. Like me, he disliked restaurants in which overt homogenization of Asian food was apparent. Sure, different culinary cultures across Southeast Asia have borrowed from one another over the millenia, but most adapt to cultural tastes rather than copy exactly.
Ming was wary of Asian restaurants that purported to serve the cuisine of more than one Southeast Asian nation. To him, the concepts of global cuisine and multicultural restaurants “dumbed down” what is best about each culinary culture. We disagreed on the concept of fusion cuisine, the blending of elements from different cultures, creating new dishes that offer several cultures on a plate. I like the concept when executed well and when sufficient diversity (such as Mexican and Chinese fusion dishes) is showcased. Ming was adamant that the best restaurants served foods originating within their progenitor’s borders. He intensely disliked sushi restaurants not owned by Japanese, especially those who seemingly hired sushi chefs off-the-street.
I believe Ming would appreciate (maybe declare its cuisine authentic) East Asian Kitchen, an eatery on Eubank whose menu offers diverse offerings from Korea, Japan and China. Located on the southeast corner of Candelaria and Eubank in the location which previously housed Fei’s Cafe, the East Asian Kitchen is helmed by a genial Japanese family which relocated from Manhattan to Albuquerque. With extensive restaurant experience, they launched their concept in September, 2025. In short order, the restaurant garnered praise and accolades on social media, several people lauding it as Albuquerque’s best for Asian food.
As befitting its tricultural menu, the restaurant’s website promises “At East Asian Kitchen, we bring together the bold flavors of Japanese, Korean, and Chinese cuisine, all under one roof. Each dish is crafted with care, combining authentic recipes and fresh ingredients to celebrate the rich traditions of East Asia. From sizzling Korean BBQ to savory Chinese favorites and delicate Japanese rolls, every meal is a journey of flavor, culture, and connection. Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, we are committed to providing an exceptional dining experience.” Perusing the menu is akin to taking a culinary tour of Japan, Korea and China. Stride over to the sushi bar and you’ll see all the telltale signs of fresh fish.
Ming would undoubtedly have ordered the East Asian Dumpling Sampler, an array of dumplings from Japan (gyoza), Korea (mandu) and China (jiaozi). Understanding the nuances and subtleties of each dumpling type, he would have told me how authentic each dumpling was. Though my knowledge of dumplings isn’t at Ming’s level, I discerned significant differences in each. The pinkish steamed Korean mandu (four pieces) is stuffed with pork, kimchi and glass noodles. It has the kick of a small mule, particularly if you dip (or dunk) it in the accompanying sauce (chili oil, soy sauce, vinegar) which bests every other dumpling sauce in town. The pan-fried crescent-shaped Chinese jiaozi (traditional Chinese dumplings) are stuffed with minced pork, cabbage, chives and scallions. The pan-fried Japanese gyoza are filled with pork, cabbage and chives. It probably won’t surprise you to learn my favorite was the Korean mandu with its heat-generating properties.
Although the menu listed about a hundred items I’d love to try, my eyes stopped wandering when I came across unagi dan, one of my very favorite Japanese dishes ever. Unagi, as you may know, is grilled freshwater eel. Unagi is said to have stamina-giving properties. Containing 100 times more vitamin A than other fish, unagi is believed to heighten the sexual drive of men. Japanese wives would prepare unagi for dinner to suggest to their husbands that they want an intimate night. East Asian Kitchen glazes its unagi with teriyaki sauce which many Japanese restaurants call “unagi sauce.” It’s a rather sweet sauce so I was grateful that the chef was rather frugal in applying it. A generous slab of unagi draped over a Japanese omelette (made by rolling together several layers of fried beaten eggs) over rice. It had been several years since I last had unagi dan which made me so thankful East Asian Kitchen prepares it so well.
My Kim is enamored of the “real KFC.” That’s Korean Fried Chicken, renowned for its ultra-crispy, light crust achieved through a double-frying method and a thin coating of starch rather than a heavy batter. Her favorite version comes from K Style Kitchen on Albuquerque’s westside so comparisons were inevitable. At East Asian Kitchen, the Korean fried chicken is served as an appetizer and is available in quantities of six, twelve or twenty wings (and flats). These signature double-fried crispy wings are prepared with your choice of two sauces: soy garlic, sweet and savory or you can order them plain with sauce on side. My Kim likes her KFC with enough garlic to ward off a family of vampires. The garlic sauce wasn’t quite that garlicky, but it did imbue the crispy chicken with deliciousness. In my Kim’s estimation, they still fall short of the KFC at K Style Kitchen, but not by that much.
Only one thing would have made our inaugural visit to East Asian Kitchen better. That would have been sharing our meal with my dear friend Ming Lee…