Basil Leaf – Albuquerque Vietnamese

Follow Basil Leaf on Instagram at basilleafabq.

Basil Leaf is one of those Albuquerque restaurants where, if you mention it to someone, they say, “Oh, I love that place.”

Located on Eubank just south of Constitution, Basil Leaf serves up Vietnamese deliciousness for lunch and dinner 6 days a week (closed on Tuesdays).

Basil Leaf is where I go when I’m feeling down or tired – when I need a pick-me-up. It’s comfort food of the highest order, and the food is consistent from visit to visit.

The building has undergone a renovation over the past couple of years, and as I write this the exterior is under construction. But the interior has always been comfortable, modern, and clean.

The wait staff is attentive and polite, and any time a waiter remembers what I typically like to order and suggests it to me (“Oh, combination noodle bowl this time?”), I feel like this is the SUPREME ACHIEVEMENT one can have as a diner.

The menu is expansive, with options from multiple types of spring rolls, salads, sandwiches, crepes, noodle entrees, rice entrees, curry, and of course… PHO.

The PHO comes in three sizes: Small (which is medium), Regular (which is pretty large), and Large (which is about the size of a small bathtub). You can choose what kind of meat you’d like, including beef, chicken, tofu, tendon, tripe, and more, or get a combination for a small upcharge. There’s also a list of extras you can choose from if you’re feeling a little… extra. Pho is served with DIY add-ons such as Thai basil, bean sprouts, jalapeno slices, and lime wedges. I absolutely LOVE extra lime and bean sprouts in mine.

WHAT I ORDER

Some of my favorites at Basil Leaf:

• Pork Sausage Spring Rolls. These are the soft, translucent rice paper rolls sometimes called Fresh Rolls. We have tried a few flavors, and pork sausage is my favorite. The peanut sauce is deliciously peanutty, and I like to add some Siracha for a little extra kick.
• Combination Clay Pot. This is a heavy clay pot filled with rice, vegetables, slivers of sausage, whatever meat(s) you choose, and some cashews on top. The absolute best is when the rice in the bottom gets a little frizzled and crispy and sticks to the sides of the clay pot. Use your spoon to scrape it off for a delicacy!
• Combination Noodle Bowl. This is a plate or bowl of vermicelli noodles with a whole bunch of stuff happening on top, including pork, chicken, shrimp, sausage, 2 fried spring rolls, a salad of lettuce and quick-pickled julienne carrot and cucumber, fresh mint, and a cup of fish sauce. Comes topped with onion and crushed peanuts. (I ask for no cilantro, but I’m not even sure if it usually comes with cilantro or not.)
• Pad Thai. Their Pad Thai is just freaking good. I like the chicken Pad Thai medium spicy. It’s enough for 2 meals if I’m careful and mindful, which is usually difficult because I want to eat it ALL.
• Pho. I like it with brisket and I like it with shrimp. I add a ton of lime and 2 jalapeno slices. Be forewarned – if you have leftovers and you leave the jalapenos in there, they will continue to do their job and the soup will get SPICY. If you leave your lime wedges in the soup, they will turn bitter and your soup will get a bitter edge to it and then when you go to eat it, you will be bitter too.

Oh and I order everything with No Cilantro because cilantro is the worst.

They also serve beer, wine, sake, and some interesting sounding milkshakes (avocado, strawberry, jackfruit, or durian). I’d be REALLY interested to hear how these are! Not interested enough to try the durian or jackfruit though, to be honest.

I tend to order these same things on rotation because I know I love them, but could stand to mix it up a little. What do YOU always order at Basil Leaf? I’d love to hear about the crepes and sandwiches, or any of the entrees!