Eats, Etc

DISH Eats,Etc.

A quick glance at three local eateries that you may or may not already know about.

Namaste Cuisine of India and Nepal has become a fixture in Rio Rancho since its inception in 2008 because of the love the owners have for the food they prepare for their customers.

“We serve what we eat,” says Sandhya Prasad Gurung, who owns the establishment along with her husband, Shree Prasad Gurung. “Even the buffet, we eat every day there. My dad is there every single day. He eats the same food that we serve to the customers.”

That homelike theme is prevalent throughout the restaurant.

“It’s a family-owned restaurant,” Gurung says. “My husband is there, but when my husband is not around, my brother cooks, my daughter cooks. It’s always home cooking.”

The menu includes a wide variety of dishes from India and Nepal, such as Tandoori Chicken ($13.95), which is prepared in a tall cylindrical clay oven fired by charcoal at temperatures of 800 degrees, and Chicken Tikka Marsala ($13.95), which is also baked in the tandoor oven and cooked with creamy tomato sauce, herbs and spices. Another popular item are Momos, a Nepal based-dish which Gurung likens to a popsicle. Those come in vegetable ($10.95), chicken ($11.95) and lamb ($12.95) varieties. There’s also a daily lunch buffet that runs from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. that provides diners with a wide variety of Indian cuisine options.

A sometimes overlooked item that Gurung would like to emphasize is the Baingan Bartha ($11.95), an eggplant dish sautéed with onions, green peas and spices. “I know lots of vegan and vegetarian people try those things, but non-vegetarian people should go and try that also because that’s very delicious,” she says.

Gurung is also proud of her family’s ability to provide some New Mexican flavor. “When we (started) the restaurant, we (wanted) to put some kind of green chile in our food. So we started doing the green chile chicken curry,” Gurung says. “That’s very popular now on my menu.”

—TRISTEN CRITCHFIELD

NAMASTE CUISINE OF INDIA AND NEPAL

1580 Deborah Rd. SE, Rio Rancho (505) 896-3126, namastenm.net

Debbie Goss and her husband, Wes, have been involved in the restaurant business in some shape or form for the past 45 years, so it’s safe to say they know a few things about the industry.

The couple didn’t buy their own place until 2010, when they took over Chili Hills in Edgewood, which was previously owned by its namesake, Ralph Hill. Before it became a restaurant, the building was a place of some historical interest, as it served as a grocery store, a school and a service station, among other things.

In the present day, Chili Hills’ ability to provide diners with healthy portions of delicious, homemade comfort food is all the intrigue it needs. That includes allday breakfast, traditional New Mexican fare, burgers, sandwiches, barbecue, pork chops, fish and chips, dessert and much more.

“We don’t use instant anything. We’re pretty hard over about making sure that what we have is fresh homemade, because homemade is the best,” Debbie Goss says. “Being just a little mom and pop (business), that was our philosophy.”

Naming just one or two standout items to spotlight is a difficult task for Goss, who rattles off a list of enticing options, ranging from chicken fried steak to breakfast enchiladas to pork chops to cakes and pies straight from her mom’s and grandma’s recipe books.

The owners did alter the menu upon taking over the restaurant, but now, the biggest challenge is often deciding what to remove when a change is deemed necessary.

“We really struggled to find anything,” Goss admits.

One should prepare to come hungry to Chili Hills, because the portions are beyond generous. It’s not entirely out-ofbounds for two diners to share a plate and feel satisfied.

“I’m not gonna let you leave my house hungry,” Goss says. “When you come in, you better be ready to either clean your plate or have some for your next meal. We don’t like to see you go hungry.”

PHOTO BY DON JAMES/ATM Chili Hills Restaurant serves up generous portions of its comfort food, like chicken fried steak.

—TRISTEN CRITCHFIELD

CHILI HILLS RESTAURANT

5 State Rd. 344 Edgewood (Plus one other location) (505) 220-6263, chilihillsedgewood.com

Rose Garden offers hundreds of Chinese food options, including diet-friendly fare, at its two locations.

Rose Garden owner Mieng Lu will be the first to admit that when it comes to Chinese food, it can sometimes be difficult to differentiate between one establishment and the next.

“Chinese food is kind of all the same for me,” he admits. However, there are plenty of other ways to stand out, and Rose Garden, a 2021 Best of City winner, seems to be doing quite well for itself. And there’s nothing fancy about what the restaurant does to succeed.

“We need to serve fresh food all the time. We need to have good customer service. We’ve got to keep the place clean all the time. The customers will come back,” Lu says.

At Rose Garden, the options can be almost overwhelming. The menu offers more than 100 items or plates, including appetizers, soups, fried rice, mei fun (rice noodles), chow mein, lo mein, vegetables, chicken, pork, beef and shrimp. There’s also diet-friendly fare, family dinners and chef’s specials — which can include the likes of lobster, crab, coconut shrimp and pineapple chicken, to name a few things.

Mieng says that popular items include Kung Pao chicken, orange chicken and beef lo mein, while his personal favorites tend to lean toward the spicier side, such as Szechuan chicken or beef. But, he says, “They’re all pretty good.”

Virtually anyone who visits the restaurant should be able to customize a plate to their liking, concocting some tasty combination of meat, seafood, rice, noodle and vegetable. There are also gluten-free options available upon request.

“We’ve got to keep the customer (happy). Whatever they ask me for, we try the best we can,” Mieng says. “All customers are different. We need to make the customer happy, that’s the first thing. That way they can return and give us more

ATM PHOTO

business.” —TRISTEN CRITCHFIELD

ROSE GARDEN

10401 Golf Course Rd. NW (Plus one other location) (505) 897-8889, rosegardenabq.com