Asian Pear — Restaurant in Albuquerque

I order 3 things so I'll explain them one by one. Beef Gimbob: This seem like a trend here in Albuquerque with gimbob which is that its too blend. The pickle veggy suppose to have very strong flavor but its so blend and get overwhelmed by the rice. Same with the beef, i could barely taste it. The best piece were the 2 end piece because they had basically double the filling and only then was I able to taste the filling properly. Its not even a lack of filling issue because the ratio of filling to rice is very good just the filling lack flavor.

Combo beef+pork: The worst part is by far the "salad" there no dressing and being take out means its been steamed by the heat of the other food so its like half wilted. The meats were very meh, the flavor is good but the texture is horrible. Best I can describe it is that its like over cooked and has this crumbly texture, just not great to eat. Now the rest of the combo was great. The Japchae was really good along with the pot sticker and surprisingly the egg was by far the best tasting part of this combo.

Kimchi Pancake: The only reason this place getting 3 star from be is because the kimchi pancake is amazing and FAR better than everything else. Its crunchy even after taking 15-20mins to get home and has good flavor. They properly cut a hold in the take out box so it doesn't get soggy which is something even places that specialize in fried foods don't do a lot. The dipping sauce that it comes with is great. The spicy one has a kick and good flavor but the sweet kinda soy one is by far the best.

This place would be 5 star if it was only selling this. Would definitely come back for the pancake and maybe pot sticker but would avoid the other stuff. I'll try the chicken next time and maybe due to how how the meat is it won't have this weird texture the beef and pork has.

Edit: Oh ya the kimchi was terrible, its blend and lack the refreshing taste you expect of kimchi. It's really weird for a Korean place to have bad kimchi honestly. The pickled cucumber...

How have I gone 30years of my life and never known how amazing Korean food is? This place was a revelation for me, and is now a staple for me at least once a week. I always order the combo plate consisting of Bulgogi beef, teriyaki chicken and rice, on top of that I sometimes throw in their shrimp tempura which is absolutely divine - crisp, fresh batter and flavorful shrimp inside. Me and my husband are addicted to this place, sometimes he'll even order two beef plates and eat them both in one sitting - usually hurting himself, but he says its always worth it. The item on their menu that gives me cravings morning, noon and night, is their 'Jeon'/vegetable pancake. As a hardcore carnivore I initially sneered at the title 'vegetable pancake', but then they brought out a sample for me to taste while I waited for my order. That's it, I was hooked. Fluffy pancake with a panfried crust, riddled with grated carrot, onion, yellow & green zucchini, and a strange vinegar/soy/chili/sriracha type sauce for dipping. I honestly have no idea what's in the sauce, but dipping the pancake in it is beyond heavenly. Sometimes i'll go to Asian Pear just to buy a couple of orders of the pancake, it's even more amazing when you have leftovers, to toss the pancake in the oven or under the broiler for a while, makes it extra crispy and even more sumptuous. The staff are cheery and the owner always gives you a loud and warm hello when you walk in the door. The space is clean and well maintained. My only single complaint ever about this business would be that it's not open long enough or often enough for my hungry tummy. 10am-4pm, Monday-Friday are their hours. Let's just say it's a long, hard crawl from friday evening to monday morning for my pancake and bulgogi cravings. Please Asian Pear, don't ever, EVER close. Your business absolutely MAKES the Asian cuisine scene for...

Food = delicious Environmental impact = terrible First time to Asian Pear and I loved the food (Bi Bim Bop, Bulgogi, Kimchi pancake), but when they brought it out, I cringed. Before I discuss the plating, allow me to talk about the food. Bi Bim Bop was very flavorful, nicely spicy, and the portion was great. Pancakes were quite savory, and the dipping sauce was well paired. The cucumber and cabbage kimchi were both tasty. However, there is a downside to this restaurant. The bowls the food came in were all plastic, with lids. The tray for the pancake was Styrofoam and the sauce in a plastic cup. The kimchi came in small plastic sauce cups, also with lids and the drinks were in Styrofoam. I really enjoyed the taste of my food, but when I looked at what my wife and I used to eat our meal, and then how many people were being served, that is when it hit me...this place is singlehandedly filling a small portion of the local landfill on their own. Nothing got separated and it all went in the trash. There was a sign on the garbage that asked patrons to notify staff if the garbage was full. This was my parting message as I looked inside and realized how much trash this place generates. I am by no means a super tree hugger environmentalist, but I am 100% aware of my personal impact and do what I can to limit my impact. I can say without a doubt, if this place had glassware I would definitely be back more often, but the way they operate does not agree with my values. If they made an effort to reduce or swap the current food delivery method, it would for sure be a 5 star place to me. But in good conscience, I cannot for that reason. Every business has corporate social responsibility, and this place is severely lacking in its environmental impact. Upside, the food was great and the people...