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A Japanese nonprofit wants to get the Duke City hooked on East Asian flavors this week, and local restaurants are joining the party by rolling out their best dishes containing Japanese ingredients. The anchor of this year’s promotion is yellowtail. Feb. 16 through March 1 the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) is teaming up with Japanese restaurants in Albuquerque to host the 2025 Taste of Japan: Buri/Hamachi Promotion Week.
Check your menus for items featuring “buri” and “hamachi” which are names for different growth stages of the Japanese amberjack. According to JETHRO, buri refers to the mature fish which is popular in grilled or baked dishes while hamachi refers to the younger fish which is perfect eaten raw as sushi or sashimi.
Participating businesses will feature limited-time dishes, and JETRO will use the hashtag #japaneseseafood when promoting dishes emphasizing seafood products from Japan. Albuquerque eateries Azuma Sushi & Teppan and Takumi Restaurant have jumped on board with the promotion.
Yellowtail is always on the menu at Azuma (4701 San Mateo Blvd. NE, 8104 Wyoming Blvd. NE). Their sashimi-style Azuma Roll is packed with yellowtail, salmon, tuna, crab, avocado and asparagus wrapped in daikon skin. Their featured promotional dish is the Imperial Hamachi Roll which pairs buttery hamachi with pineapple and avocado wrapped in sushi rice. The roll is covered with hamachi sashimi, ikura and cucumber slices.
Located in Winrock Town Center, Takumi Restaurant (2100 Lousiana Blvd. NE) serves their Hamachi Kama appetizer every day. The dish is grilled yellowtail collar — one of the juiciest parts of the fish — cooked bone-in. Their promotional dish is Yellowtail Jalapeno Delight: raw yellowtail sashimi topped with locally sourced jalapenos and drizzled with house-made ponzu sauce.
JETRO is a government-related nonprofit that hopes to inspire local chefs and business owners to incorporate Japanese food into their menus by providing culinary professionals with the best techniques for handling and preparing Japanese ingredients. Their goal is to increase exports of Japanese seafood to the US and develop new markets. You can read up on JETHRO here.
For a detailed description of limited-time yellowtail dishes at New Mexico restaurants such as Azuma and Takumi click here.
Azuma Sushi & Teppan
4701 San Mateo Blvd. NE
Sunday – Thursday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
8104 Wyoming NE
Monday – Thursday 4:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Sunday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Takumi Restaurant
2100 Louisiana Blvd. NE
Sunday – Thursday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.