It’s a good thing Arne was driving that day, because if I’d been at the wheel when we passed the corner of Rio Grande and Romero I’d probably have slammed on the brakes and gotten rear-ended. In the spot that was once the Candy Lady, and then that Candy Lady rip-off (you know you’ve been somewhere a while when you start giving directions by what used to be there), was a new sign – Kitsune.
Now, I initially had no idea what I was looking at – though I probably should have, as Kitsune has been a well-reviewed Asian-inspired food truck for years, and I’ve wanted to try it but never gotten there. Still, I thought maybe it was an Asian-inspired home-goods store. If I’d been at an angle to see “Taproom at Old Town” on the other side of the building, that might have clued me in. Regardless, the name Kitsune – Japanese for a regular fox or for a really cool kind of mythological fox – made me want to check it out RIGHT NOW.
I probably should learn to look at websites or Facebook for restaurant hours, especially in pandemic times when places’ schedules change all the time, because it took me three attempts to actually show up at Kitsune when it was open. But show up I finally did.
When we walked in at lunchtime on a Monday (as of September 2021, Kitsune is only open for lunch on Sunday and Monday), I was startled to round the corner by the bar and see how big the place is. Looking at the photo, I thought the shop was only that small bump-out in the front. It took me an embarrassingly long time to realize it was the whole building. I guess I thought it was a bigger-inside-than-out kitsune magic thing.
The friendly bartender told us to sit wherever we liked. There was plenty of choice, as a single guest at the bar was the only other diner in the place. The simple laminated menu had a mixed-drinks list on one side – the restaurant is a collaboration between Left Turn Distilling, Palmer Brewery, and Kitsune Food Truck – and the Kitsune kitchen menu on the other. I hadn’t been planning on a drink, but I love cocktails, and decided on a whiskey sour. When Arne mused aloud about getting an Old-Fashioned, the barkeep said they were known for their Old-Fashioned, and then added, “you could get it smoked.”
Arne wouldn’t have been more excited if the drink came with a side of hundred-dollar bills. He settled on the bourbon (rather than blue-corn whiskey) Old-Fashioned, the bartender went away, and we turned to perusing the kitchen menu.
We were surprised when our friendly neighborhood mixologist returned a few minutes later holding a glass cloche swirling with smoke. We hadn’t really thought about what “smoked” meant; I guess we just figured they had some smoked bourbon. But no, it was smoked to order. As the cloche lifted, delicious-smelling smoke (white oak? he told me, but I forgot) drifted out, and once it had all dissipated Arne was handed the drink. It was exquisite. The orange peel across the top had soaked up a lot of smoke, so the scent wafted to me as I took a sip. The drink itself was really balanced and smooth.
A moment later my whiskey sour – made with NM blue corn reserve whiskey – appeared, with a beautiful cap of egg-white foam and a drizzle of Luxardo cherry syrup. It was delicious too, if not as sensational as that smoked Old-Fashioned!
I was in the mood for small plates, so we ordered three items from the “Shareables” section of the menu: Bo Ssam Fries, KFC (Korean Fried Chicken), and Ribs with Furikake. I really wanted the Spam Musubi, but I was sure we didn’t need any more food. (Turns out I was right about that.)
It wasn’t long before the dishes landed on our table. The portions were very generous, at least of the Bo Ssam Fries and KFC. The ribs were beautifully plated, but at a price point of $18, I expected a bit more than four ribs. A quibble – ribs are not cheap, wherever you go.
I dug into the chicken first (okay, not quite first, but I only snagged one fry). The bowl held six or seven big chunks of chicken, individually blanketed in a thick coat of red sauce, sprinkled with sesame seeds, and topped with a garnish of greens. the coating was a little different than I expected, crusted with (I think) more sesame seeds. Despite the thick sauce, it stayed crunchy throughout the meal. The chicken meat was tender, and the sauce was rich, spicy, and delicious.
Next up: Bo Ssam Fries. This is the dish I’d been dreaming of, a huge pile of golden fries topped with cheese sauce, pulled pork, pickled onions, gochujang, cilantro, and crumbled cheese. Though I wished there’d been more cheese sauce, I could hardly stuff these fries in my face fast enough. So good. The fries were piping hot and crisp, the pork tender, the gochujang sauce (as mentioned above) rich and spicy. The pickled onions added a really nice brightness to the heavy dish, and the serving was huge. I was especially impressed with the generous portion of pulled pork.
Lastly, I turned to the ribs. Garnished with shiso leaves and bright red slices of chile, this was definitely the prettiest dish. It was tasty too; if you’ve never tried fish-sauce caramel, you are missing out. The ribs themselves were very flavorful, tender inside and crisp outside. At the price point though, I would choose the dynamite KFC or Bo Ssam fries every time.
By the time we cleaned our plates, we were so full. We rolled on out of there and staggered to the nearby Albuquerque Museum to recover by walking around very slowly. I’m so excited to go back! There are a lot of menu items I want to try, including (of course) the Spam Musubi, as well as the Kara-age (Japanese-style fried chicken), the Thai Fries, the Red Chile Curry Bowl, and their version of the Hawaiian classic Loco Moco.
Kitsune and the Taproom at Old Town are set up to become a real evening draw, with a cute outdoor patio area with a small stage for musical acts. I can hardly wait to listen to some live music outdoors with a terrific mixed drink and a bowlful of Bo Ssam Fries!
Talk to me!