Happy Asian Cuisine

Kind of a long review because I really want this place to do better as it's amazing food that no one seems to know about. If you want the TL:DR, scroll to the end. This used to be a Japanese sushi restaurant, but is now only serves Chinese. I'm Asian, so I'm usually very hesitant when I see mixed Asian decor as it usually means it's a white dude selling "fusion," so I avoided this place every time I drove past it in the South Valley. However, my wife said since it's one of the few Asian restaurants here, we should at least try it and was happily surprised. There is one man, the owner, who works here. He pleasantly takes orders, cooks the food, serves you, and is the cashier. So, when you go, please be patient as the food is absolutely worth the wait. If you'd rather get your food and go, you can place an online order. My wife and I got the egg drop soup, egg rolls, vegetable lo mein, chicken broccoli, and Mongolian beef. The egg drop soup was honestly mid. It was sweet and had corn, which I personally don't love. The egg rolls were also just okay, but what blew me away was how good the main dishes were. The chicken and broccoli was incredible. The chicken was perfectly juicy and tender. After being full, my wife couldn't stop opening the container and grabbing one more piece of chicken. The Mongolian beef was also cooked to perfection. It blew me away. I didn't know how he got beef to be so crispy but succulent in the middle. The vegetables were perfectly charred in the wok while maintaining that savory crunch. The lo mein did not disappoint either, and the noodles were nice and soft while still being chewy. This might sound weird, but the rice was cooked really well. One of the ways I judge Asian restaurants that serve rice is by the quality in which they cook it because it means they care about the food from the bottom up. It's a really easy thing to make, but also easy to screw up and serve mushy, especially in large quantities. TL:DR - My rec: Order online for pick up, skip the appetizers, and go straight for the main dishes. Get any of the entrees with white rice and pair it with an order of lo mein. You now have food for 2 people or for yourself with leftovers all for under $30. Support local business!

This place is a hidden gem in the south of albuquerque! Food: 5/5 Service: 4/5 Atmosphere: 4/5 Went in for dinner. No one was dining inside beside us, but I noticed he had multiple orders getting picked up for takeout. Then I realized the owner was working alone, served our table, cashed out takeout orders, and was the cook! He had a happy demeanor through all of it and was so kind, but he definitely needed the help to keep up, which is why he lost a star. They also look like they used to offer sushi but don't offer it more. We ordered multiple plates, and they all came out hot and soooo tasty. Each had their own their unique flavor and quality of the protein is great! All plates come in sharing size, so come hungry. Must try the crab cheech wontons!

If I could give 10 stars I would. Happy Asian Cuisine is the best Chinese food in town even better than Chens! The Shrimp Lo main had tons of Shrimp. The Mongolian combo had Beef Chicken and shrimp and was excellent. Very fresh perfectly seasoned we will definitely be back!

Visit in Summer of 2023: Greeted warmly the afternoon we went. The same gentleman that greeted us was the server, cook and cashier. Food was all sub par. Not fresh tasting. It was minimally different from one plate to another. We spent close to $40 for 2 entrees and 2 glasses of ice water. The decor was very dated. The place looked dingy and dark. Once again the gentleman that helped us was very friendly but you could tell he had absolutely no employees helping him. This place may be permanently closed or closing soon?

Not what I was expecting. The whole operation is ran by one man who is a very unique character/ host/ cook/ server. The food was pretty good but I did bite into a tiny sliver of metal shaving that was in my noodles. I didn't mention it at the time because I felt bad for the guy rubbing around with no help. One huge plus was the egg drop soup which was literally the best I've ever had.