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    Budai Gourmet Chinese

    3.9 (309 reviews)
    ModerateChinese, Taiwanese

    Budai Gourmet Chinese Photos

    BUDAI GOURMET CHINESE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Green onion pancake
    Kirstin B.

    This reviewer is split. I'm not sure if it was an off day for Budai for one member of our dinning experience but.... My dinner was fabulous. Highly recommend garlic beef. The flavor was phenomenal. The other dinner ordered the beef stew in clay pot, I tried it-it was flat. Flavor wise. Not a big fan of it. Our table also tried the egg rolls, shrimp dumplings, and the green onion pancake. The shrimp dumpling was authentic and delicious (I felt like I was back in China visiting authentic). The egg rolls and pancake were over fried and oily. Can't help but wonder if there was two cooks or something with how different everything was. I would be willing to return, but my dining partner would not.

    Beef stew in clay pot. Yummy!!!!
    D J.

    I've finally found my favorite Chinese restaurant! I went with a friend today and ordered the mini shrimp dumplings, ma po tofu (extra spicy), salt and pepper short ribs and beef stew in clay pot. Everything was so good and flavorful! The mini shrimp dumplings were soft, tender and tasty. The ma po tofu had little bits of pork in it and was full of umami flavor and soft tofu. It's the best I've had so far in NM. Salt and pepper short ribs were super tender inside with a light and crispy exterior and perfectly seasoned. There was no prim and proper way to eat them, so we just dug in. The beef stew in clay pot was impressive! It came sizzling to our table and the aroma!!! So flavorful with tender beef, Napa cabbage and clear glass noodles on the bottom. So very good! We had just missed the lunch rush. The service was polite and efficient. Our server seemed to be happy to see us enjoying our food so much. Very nice guy. We were so happy to be seated at a comfortable booth. So many restaurants seem too modern and almost sterile. This place has a warm and comfortable feel. This is a place we'll go out of our way to visit again. I can't wait to take my husband next time!

    Beef lowmein
    Laura B.

    We went in for Sunday lunch and there were only 2 other tables. One group left and another came in. We were surprised that it was not packed. The service was adequate, but not too attentive. The food though was superior. The dumplings were great, both the steamed and goyza. The egg drop soup was steaming and tasty. We all adored the eggplant with garlic sauce, and the green beans with garlic sauce. They were heaping plates of each family style. The sesame chicken with broccoli and the beef lowmein were good as well. We will make a point of coming now regularly.

    Sweet and Sour Chicken with fried rice lunch special
    Amy H.

    The food tasted okay but the fried rice wasn't fresh or even warm to the touch also service is very slow including getting the bill however the staff if nice it's not the first place on my list to go again.

    4 shrimp with garlic sauce $16
    L T.

    In summary, it's flavorless, small-portioned, poorly timed, insufficiently packaged and the dining room is too warm. It's pricy for the quality and amount. The kitchen is slow. There is a surcharge for using a credit card. Pass on this place. The famous greeting was absent and they seemed stressed. The Yelp hours were not updated as of 10/2/24, suggested update. They were 15-10 minutes from closing at 3pm and reopen at 5pm. The petite Asian woman up front was adamant that we would have to come back another time. Oh well, we were just going by the Yelp hours. Now this rating is only based on how we were treated at the front desk. Flavorless or weak flavor in the general Tao and garlic sauces and canned sweet and sour sauce. The fried rice had very little carrots, egg, and no peas. But for now, we are going back to a great place up the road where we have always been welcome even near closing time, China Luck.

    Mini shrimp dumplings and egg fried rice.
    Chase T.

    Stopped here for lunch recently and ordered the mini shrimp dumplings, mini pork dumplings, and salt and pepper short ribs. Egg fried rice for the little one. Everything was pretty dang good. The mini shrimp dumplings were true to size and served hot with house-made sauce (maybe soy, fish sauce and house stock of some sort). The desirable seafood flavor truly came through in each bite. The pork dumplings were paired perfectly with a white vinegar and ginger sauce, I believe. The salt and pepper short ribs were both tender and crispy (have to watch for little chunks of bone). Could've used a bit more vegetables to go with the ribs and the white rice was pretty bland, but all in all, very satisfied with this meal and the friendly service. Low key decor inside with comfortable booths and a quiet atmosphere. Will certainly return. Cheers.

    Beautiful Crazy to Me..:)
    Avram L.

    Beautiful, crazy, Budai can't help but amaze me. The way that this food dances, ain't afraid to take chances, And wears its flavours on our lips. Yeah, Budai is crazy but her crazy's beautiful to me. We dined on our takeaway of Kung Pao Duck....succulent duck, that karate chopped its way with veggies and sauce to come out the clear winner; Competing for second place, was the entrée Black Pepper Lamb, that was surprisingly missing pepper, but, was juicy & scrumptious..:) Yeah, Budai's delicious crazy, she's crazy, she's crazy, But her crazy's beautiful to me. Thanks for tuning in to me verse. Best, Avram L. Combs Jr.

    Garlic beef with rice
    Tasha R.

    Great food and good service. The food is very flavorful and the staff is very friendly. Our meals came out quick and everything tasted fresh. I had the garlic beef with veggies which was delicious and my boyfriend had the combo fried rice which he also enjoyed. Prices were a bit high for the portions but we enjoyed our meals and would visit again.

    fried duck and taro
    Kio C.

    This is definitely the best Chinese / Taiwanese restaurant in ABQ. All the dishes were delicious and authentic. Food came quick and service was great. Will be returning to try more of their menu! They can also make a lot of their dishes gluten free if needed.

    Budai Gourmet Chinese.  Crispy black vinegar flounder.
    John S.

    This gem is hidden in a strip mall off of San Mateo. Stuck between a juice bar and a Dollar Tree. The facade of the building is unassuming but make no mistake. This restaurant has been recipient to many "Best Of..." awards over the years. My sister, son and I visited ate here on Thursday, February 24, 2022. Elsa, the vivacious co-owner, greeted us at the door. After sitting down, she told us her husband made all our great tasting food, but that he wouldn't cook for her at home. We ordered Jasmine tea, three pots, and it was delicate and light. It wasn't, however, decaffeinated, as proven by my inability to sleep that night. Elsa suggested the steamed pork buns appetizer, which came with 10 of the pillowy soft buns. They were juicy and flavorful and paired nicely with the dipping sauce. For our main course we ordered three dishes and shared. The crispy flounder with broccoli featured a large fillet with a vinegar, tart sauce. This one ended up as my favorite. The clay pot beef we ordered off the "secret" menu. It came with glass noodles, Bok choy, and scallions and came out boiling hot. The succulent beef had been cooked in that pot for hours. This dish came out number one for my sister and son. Last, but not least, we had the pork belly. This one had nice fat, but I think all of us prefer crispy to tender pork belly. All these dishes came with a sidekick of rice. At the end of our meal, Elsa showed us the wall of celebrities that had graced their restaurant over the years. Her husband and son were in most of the photos, and as she talked; I could tell she was very proud of them. Jackie Chan, Richard Gere and Miss New Mexico had all visited their restaurant. I must say, the restaurant is worthy of the "gourmet" in their name. All the dishes tasted exceptionally delicious. For three main dishes, an appetizer, and three pots of Jasmine tea we paid $75.28.

    Taiwanese beef noodle soup
    Howie K.

    It's high time I update my thoughts on a Chinese cuisine staple in the 505, Budai. It's one of my favorite spots to take novice and adventurious eaters alike, because the American Chinese menu standards (think Sweet & Sour, Kung Pao) are clean, flavorful and crowd-friendly, whereas you'll also find some unique dishes once relegated to a "secret menu" -- but no longer. These dishes, offering delights such as Mongolian beef tongue and oyster omelette, were my go-to around here for years, and I'll admit I was sad to learn the menu disappeared. But have no fear: the ever-gregarious co-owner, Elsa (you can't miss her, she's always the first friendly face you'll meet as you walk in the door), can handle special orders and now features several of the shall-we-say "exotic" specialties on the main menu (see "Chef Exclusive"), and upon a board by the register. My most recent go-around was easily the most pedestrian foray I've encountered, I went with the Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup, and it was a delight, particularly with a heapin' helpin' of Elsa's hot pepper sauce. The order fed two people and provided that comfort thing that udon noodles appear destined to deliver, oh Heavenly Creator, whomever you are, thou who created the udon noodle, my eternal gratitude to you, nood dude, er, dudess.

    Wonton Soup

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    2 years ago

    Love the mini pork buns here. Food is always delicious, and waitstaff are always welcoming.

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    The three cup chicken is really good! We love it! And we always have something to take home for dinner. Delicious food!

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    2 years ago

    Great service and great food. I love their maps tofu and pork belly special! Would recommend to try.

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    Page 1 of 8

    Budai Gourmet Chinese Reviews in Other Languages

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    4.2(152 reviews)
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    My husband and I finally decided to try this place since the owner of Sushi Xuan recommended it…read more Boy, what a disappointment! First off, we ordered the vegetable egg rolls for an appetizer, I do not recommend them since they are frozen ones. They were tasteless while the interior of these rolls were mushy, though the duck sauce was quite tasty it could not overcome these appetizers. Our entrees came next, my husband asked about the serving size and he was told a plate only fed one person, not true. The plate serves two. Anyway, the Kung Pao Chicken has really good flavor, was spicy and served with a side of steamed white rice. My husband's entree was Orange Chicken and nothing spectacular about it. But what will keep us from ever going back was that as we sat in the restaurant eating I started to smell cigarette smoke. It became more pronounced and I realized they were smoking in the kitchen and had the door open to where we were sitting. With that revelation my husband quickly got us out of there...the cigarette smoking inside the kitchen is a total dealbreaker.

    Only went for lunch and the service was great. Looked like a typical lunch crowd of day workers who…read morecome in for the lunch specials. Decided on a lunch plate and it enough to have leftovers. A good place to try for dinner as they do have beer and other alcoholic beverages.

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    Tasty Noodles & Dumplings - Mongolian beef

    Tasty Noodles & Dumplings

    4.3(231 reviews)
    3.1 miUptown
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    The food is excellent. The menu has a great selection, and each dish I've tried thus far leaves an…read moreimpression that the food has been in the family for a long time. Tonight, they only had one server working instead of the usual 2. Despite that, we were kindly welcomed inside and given great service. Really loved their savory and sweet bao selection. 10/10 recommend

    Passing through Albuquerque and we had the chance to take in dinner, so we found Tasty Noodles &…read moreDumplings on Yelp. 4.3 rating with over 200 reviews, several reviews referencing fresh homemade noodles, we thought we'd give it a try. The restaurant is located in a strip mall with great signage. The inside is well spaced with plenty of table and an area where you can watch them make the dumplings. It was cool to watch our dumplings being made (I asked if I could take the pictures). There is an art to making noodles and dumplings and they know here. We ordered a chicken noodle soups, Sichuan Dan Dan noodles, soup dumpling. The Sichuan Dan Dan noodles were very spicy, but a real chili flavoring to the spice, not just heat. The noodles were fresh and not too soft. The chicken soup was excellent and when I added the chili oil, it was excellent! The soup dumplings were so delicious, not too think, filled well, and very tasty. This is a real gem of a place with authentic noodles and dumplings with excellent, friendly service. If we pass through again we will make it a point to stop in for a Tasty dinner! Thank you!!

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    Yummy Noodle House - Front

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    3.9(78 reviews)
    5.6 miNorth Valley/Los Ranchos
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    Yummy Noodle House was a great little find. The restaurant was clean, cute, and had that charming…read morehole-in-the-wall feel. It appeared to be a family-owned and operated business. It wasn't busy when we arrived, and you ring a bell at the counter for service. The attendant was multitasking and very quick with the interaction, so the service felt a little impersonal and slightly dismissive, but she was never rude. The food, however, was phenomenal. The noodles were incredibly flavorful and perfectly prepared. The ramen was also very tasty, although the portion was slightly smaller than what I've had at other ramen restaurants. Prices were a little on the higher side, but the quality was definitely there. Overall, the food made the visit worthwhile, and I'd absolutely come back for the noodles.

    I picked up an order to go today. The restaurant is small with a few tables, but looks like it is…read moreprimarily for to go pickup. The food was promised in 8 to 10 minutes and was ready easily in that time. I ordered Crab Rangoon, a favorite of my wife, and pork fried noodles. The Crab Rangoon is some of the best in Albuquerque. I could actually taste the crab. Most I've had here just taste of cream cheese, so whatever they do at YNH, they should continue! The pork fried noodles, on the other hand, were nothing special. The dish tasted of Chinese Five Spice which includes clove and is not a favorite flavor for me. My wife didn't mind so much, so this is certainly a personal issue. Add a star if you are ok with the seasoning. We will certainly be back for the Rangoon and to try other menu options.

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    IT DIMSUM - Daikon Cake ($5)

    IT DIMSUM

    4.0(300 reviews)
    2.4 miEastside
    $$

    Still a solid place to get dim sum! Ofc nothing beats the Bay Area but this is a decent spot. We…read moreorder: pork spareribs in black bean sauce 4/5: the flavor was good but the pork had little slivers of bone. must be the way it was cut so be careful! beef rolled noodles 2/5: maybe it was just me but i prefer the meat to be ground up beef (not hamburger) but this beef was weirdly chopped or cooked. didn't really like it. chinese donut rolled noodle 5/5: this was done well. not bad with the plum sauce but a peanut butter sauce would be so much better! soy sauce noodles 4/5: ordered this for our cutie patootie grandson. he loves the noodles! simple chinese noodle dish done well with good balance of salty sweet. beef chow fun dry 3/5: the noodles tasted a little old today but the flavor was good. had a nice "wok hay" but again too bad the noodles didn't seem fresh today. lotus wrapped sticky rice 2/5: the sticky rice was good but the wrapper had a funny smell so we sent it back. The wait staff was nice to give us another one cuz we sent it back, but it came back again with the same smell so we were worried but it tasted fine and we didn't get sick hahahaha. Wouldn't order it again tho because of the smell. steam chicken feet 5/5: nicely steamed with a spicy kick. steamed egg yolk bun 4/5: this is the main reason we come here! love the topping on the bun and the flavors of the steamed egg yolk. Normally it's a bit runnier which would make it a 5 but it was a bit oversteamed today. IT Dim Sum is a great choice if you're craving dim sum in the ABQ area. Haven't found another spot to beat it yet so it's our go to spot when we're in town!

    I was feeling this place take as I hadn't been here in quite a while. I walked in. It was pretty…read moreempty with no customers, but it is Easter so makes sense.. The staff was polite and inviting.. I ordered some things I've had before and it ordered some new things and I have to say it was really good. Sesame balls, potstickers trip balls, mushrooms, sashimi we also got a beef and broccoli combo plate which came with rice and an egg roll.. the eggroll was sitting on the rice, so it got a little bit, soggy at one side, but it was still pretty good. i've gotten a pork porridge, which was good and had a lot of rice in it. There is another soup that came with the combo plate and I don't know what kind it was. It looked like egg drop, but it wasn't egg drop soup, but really super good. This place usually does not disappoint..

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    Budai Gourmet Chinese - chinese - Updated September 2026

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