Kind of disappointed especially after reading all the great reviews. All my sushi rice was still very warm so all of the fish in my sushi was also very warm. This not only caused them all to fall apart but gave the fish a very slimy texture. They also gave me a wrong roll and forgot my appetizer. Because it's not cheap, I expected a little more care. $70 plus tip for 4 rolls.
Destiny L.
I've never really associated sushi with food halls but I'm so happy that Ikigai sets the bar as far as I'm concerned. There aren't a lot of places around town where you can get sushi on a patio, much less in this setting. But I love it and I've already been twice since I first heard about them. Both times I've gotten the rainbow roll and it's super good. The rolls come out fast and have great flavor. They have a great selection too but I've just really been enjoying the variety offered with the rainbow roll. One really good thing to note is that they are tied in with the chicken place and so even if the sushi booth is closed, you can still order sushi from the chicken spot. I love a good food hall, and El Vado overall is a great spot. My one gripe is the parks SUCKS depending on when you come. For being probably the smallest food hall in town, they still are an awesome choice because of all the unique offerings.
Tyler J
Good food, a little pricey for how much food you get. The food is served out of a chicken restaurant. Kinda odd.
Marie X.
I love the El Vado location. It is just a fun place to sit and hang out. Parking is a pain, but I can see myself walking there from the Botanical Gardens for a to-go order for an outdoor concert when those start up again. I really, really liked the rolls we got. Fresh, filling, and generous portions. Because of the taste and location, I'm going to say this is among my favorite places to buy a roll. One warning about the venue...the concrete floor in the outdoor eating area is NOT level. The "tiers" are only at slightly different levels so they are hard to notice, especially if you are carrying your food to your table or taking containers to the trash. I did see one woman trip and almost hit the ground. So, enjoy the food but keep your eyes open!
Shelly A.
O Yelp, you're so good to me! Thanks to Yelp's True ABQ deal, my friend and I ventured to the El Vado Food Court to enjoy some delicious sushi for a bargain price. Both of our choices were fresh and delicious....spicy tuna and unagi. After reading some of the other reviews, I definitely want to check out Ikigai ABQ again in the future. The sushi burrito sounds intriguing! And I love the beer at the El Vado Taproom--a 12 oz. pour of Old Town Brown was the perfect choice to accompany my afternoon snack. Ikigai delivered our sushi to us in the nicely air conditioned and mellow taproom. All in all, it was a lovely way to spend a Wednesday afternoon. Thanks, again, Yelp!
Cheryl S.
Tried the unagi roll and the spicy tuna roll thanks to the Yelp Elite special. Flavor of was great! Spicy tuna leaves that heat lingering a bit in mouth. Nicely presented and filling. The spicy tuna had 10 pieces. The unagi had 6, but the pieces were slightly larger. Enjoyed this mid-afternoon tasty break!
Lee Ann R.
We had tickets to the aquarium and botanic gardens and wanted to have brunch somewhere nearby. A return visit to El Vado sounded promising, and we weren't disappointed. I could eat some kind of Asian food pretty much daily, so I decided to give Ikigai a try. You order at Happy Chickenzz and the friendly staff will bring your food to you. Something healthy-ish sounded good, and Aden's Grilled Bowl fit the bill. You get your choice of grilled chicken or tofu, rice with a little sauce, and salad. Everything was really tasty from the perfectly grilled chicken thigh to the just-right rice to the salad and its slightly gingery dressing. It was filling but not heavy - very enjoyable. I'm glad to add another delicious Asian option to my restaurant list!
Ronda Winter
Great food and the surrounding area is amazing
Lorelei P.
This was my first time visiting this business. It is located in the El Vado food court at the El Vado Motel on Central. Just know that the parking here is limited. And I don't know what other parking lot there is other than the one that is located Thankfully, I was able to find parking at the time that I visited. This shop is located inside of the food court. I read over the menu and wanted to try some sushi and maybe a noodle dish. I got to try the chicken pad thai noodles and a sushi burrito. The pad thai was not my favorite, although it was a huge portion it just did not satisfy my palate. Not as flavorful as I was hoping for. I think the next time I visit I will get the chicken yakisoba. I also got to taste the tempura shrimp sushi burrito which happened to be a huge portion as well. Served inside the burrito was green chili, tempura shrimp, crab, rice and cream cheese. Wow on that burrito. Very flavorful because of the green chili. And it was just the right amount of heat for my palate that is. I'm a wimp when it comes to green chili. I can do the red, but green sometimes is overpowering for me and I don't usually get a chance to enjoy it. But this burrito was pretty yummy. I received good customer service, which is hard to come by these days. Especially during this pandemic! They bring the food out to you on the patio. This place is fabulous and definitely a must try kind of place! I appreciate that there is a place like this to go to and visit especially during these hard times. Thank you! I'll be back.
T 3
Ordered food at closing and they stayed late to prepare. It was great!
Really confused how this place isn't more popular! I had tempera which was beyond excellent. I want to go back to try some of their sushi and give a more in depth review. The patio seating that surrounds this and the other businesses is so nice. If I were staying in the motel I'd definitely eat here.
Richardson L.
Omg so good! The texture is so fresh! I love the specials, it keeps me coming back for more.
Howie K.
I'm pretty sure I'll spend the better part of eternity seeking out so-called Balance, and failing miserably. There's food I consider Healthy and all the rest that doesn't fall into that category, and really nothing in the middle. Sushi is something I consider Healthy and, bonus, I happen to absolutely love a sushi session -- something I can't say about most of life's Healthy options. So during a recent visit to this food court, after deciding I absolutely must take down a mountain of pulled pork nachos, I asked the wife to help me achieve some Balance: let's get a couple rolls from Ikigai, honey honey? The feast was on and may I just note, I'm so thrilled there's a good sushi joint at the El Vado. They offer some other tasty goods, to boot, like Japanese salads, Pad Thai and phó, that's where I'm headed next. We went after standards, the California and New Mexico roll and I can report solid findings: very fresh, clean and simple, served with a mound of wasabi that I personally finished off, nostrils flaring, crocodile tears in the corners of my eyes. Totally average prices, friendly service. Hooray for another great option over here, with an extra dose of Healthy.
Kind of disappointed especially after reading all the great reviews. All my sushi rice was still very warm so all of the fish in my sushi was also very warm. This not only caused them all to fall apart but gave the fish a very slimy texture. They also gave me a wrong roll and forgot my appetizer. Because it's not cheap, I expected a little more care. $70 plus tip for 4 rolls.
I've never really associated sushi with food halls but I'm so happy that Ikigai sets the bar as far as I'm concerned. There aren't a lot of places around town where you can get sushi on a patio, much less in this setting. But I love it and I've already been twice since I first heard about them. Both times I've gotten the rainbow roll and it's super good. The rolls come out fast and have great flavor. They have a great selection too but I've just really been enjoying the variety offered with the rainbow roll. One really good thing to note is that they are tied in with the chicken place and so even if the sushi booth is closed, you can still order sushi from the chicken spot. I love a good food hall, and El Vado overall is a great spot. My one gripe is the parks SUCKS depending on when you come. For being probably the smallest food hall in town, they still are an awesome choice because of all the unique offerings.
Good food, a little pricey for how much food you get. The food is served out of a chicken restaurant. Kinda odd.
I love the El Vado location. It is just a fun place to sit and hang out. Parking is a pain, but I can see myself walking there from the Botanical Gardens for a to-go order for an outdoor concert when those start up again. I really, really liked the rolls we got. Fresh, filling, and generous portions. Because of the taste and location, I'm going to say this is among my favorite places to buy a roll. One warning about the venue...the concrete floor in the outdoor eating area is NOT level. The "tiers" are only at slightly different levels so they are hard to notice, especially if you are carrying your food to your table or taking containers to the trash. I did see one woman trip and almost hit the ground. So, enjoy the food but keep your eyes open!
O Yelp, you're so good to me! Thanks to Yelp's True ABQ deal, my friend and I ventured to the El Vado Food Court to enjoy some delicious sushi for a bargain price. Both of our choices were fresh and delicious....spicy tuna and unagi. After reading some of the other reviews, I definitely want to check out Ikigai ABQ again in the future. The sushi burrito sounds intriguing! And I love the beer at the El Vado Taproom--a 12 oz. pour of Old Town Brown was the perfect choice to accompany my afternoon snack. Ikigai delivered our sushi to us in the nicely air conditioned and mellow taproom. All in all, it was a lovely way to spend a Wednesday afternoon. Thanks, again, Yelp!
Tried the unagi roll and the spicy tuna roll thanks to the Yelp Elite special. Flavor of was great! Spicy tuna leaves that heat lingering a bit in mouth. Nicely presented and filling. The spicy tuna had 10 pieces. The unagi had 6, but the pieces were slightly larger. Enjoyed this mid-afternoon tasty break!
We had tickets to the aquarium and botanic gardens and wanted to have brunch somewhere nearby. A return visit to El Vado sounded promising, and we weren't disappointed. I could eat some kind of Asian food pretty much daily, so I decided to give Ikigai a try. You order at Happy Chickenzz and the friendly staff will bring your food to you. Something healthy-ish sounded good, and Aden's Grilled Bowl fit the bill. You get your choice of grilled chicken or tofu, rice with a little sauce, and salad. Everything was really tasty from the perfectly grilled chicken thigh to the just-right rice to the salad and its slightly gingery dressing. It was filling but not heavy - very enjoyable. I'm glad to add another delicious Asian option to my restaurant list!
Great food and the surrounding area is amazing
This was my first time visiting this business. It is located in the El Vado food court at the El Vado Motel on Central. Just know that the parking here is limited. And I don't know what other parking lot there is other than the one that is located Thankfully, I was able to find parking at the time that I visited. This shop is located inside of the food court. I read over the menu and wanted to try some sushi and maybe a noodle dish. I got to try the chicken pad thai noodles and a sushi burrito. The pad thai was not my favorite, although it was a huge portion it just did not satisfy my palate. Not as flavorful as I was hoping for. I think the next time I visit I will get the chicken yakisoba. I also got to taste the tempura shrimp sushi burrito which happened to be a huge portion as well. Served inside the burrito was green chili, tempura shrimp, crab, rice and cream cheese. Wow on that burrito. Very flavorful because of the green chili. And it was just the right amount of heat for my palate that is. I'm a wimp when it comes to green chili. I can do the red, but green sometimes is overpowering for me and I don't usually get a chance to enjoy it. But this burrito was pretty yummy. I received good customer service, which is hard to come by these days. Especially during this pandemic! They bring the food out to you on the patio. This place is fabulous and definitely a must try kind of place! I appreciate that there is a place like this to go to and visit especially during these hard times. Thank you! I'll be back.
Ordered food at closing and they stayed late to prepare. It was great!
Restaurantji Recommends
Really confused how this place isn't more popular! I had tempera which was beyond excellent. I want to go back to try some of their sushi and give a more in depth review. The patio seating that surrounds this and the other businesses is so nice. If I were staying in the motel I'd definitely eat here.
Omg so good! The texture is so fresh! I love the specials, it keeps me coming back for more.
I'm pretty sure I'll spend the better part of eternity seeking out so-called Balance, and failing miserably. There's food I consider Healthy and all the rest that doesn't fall into that category, and really nothing in the middle. Sushi is something I consider Healthy and, bonus, I happen to absolutely love a sushi session -- something I can't say about most of life's Healthy options. So during a recent visit to this food court, after deciding I absolutely must take down a mountain of pulled pork nachos, I asked the wife to help me achieve some Balance: let's get a couple rolls from Ikigai, honey honey? The feast was on and may I just note, I'm so thrilled there's a good sushi joint at the El Vado. They offer some other tasty goods, to boot, like Japanese salads, Pad Thai and phó, that's where I'm headed next. We went after standards, the California and New Mexico roll and I can report solid findings: very fresh, clean and simple, served with a mound of wasabi that I personally finished off, nostrils flaring, crocodile tears in the corners of my eyes. Totally average prices, friendly service. Hooray for another great option over here, with an extra dose of Healthy.
Best sushi in Albuquerque!