spahkee's Profile
Princess Garden Dim Sum
Looking forward to your review. Has anyone been there for food other than dim sum? I see that it advertised that it has new owners - not sure when that happened.
I want to eat a whole fish
I go to the one in Maplewood. If you're making the trek out that way, call beforehand to see if they have it.
On's Kitchen
Did you go during the week or the weekend. I used to eat at Bangkok Thai and want to try On's but have seen varying reviews on their service speed and when you go with a 9 year old, a prolonged wait doesn't quite work for us...
I want to eat a whole fish
With warm weather approaching (or even here, depending on your perspective), Costco sells whole red snapper that's incredibly fresh and with a little bit of salt and put on your grill, served with a couple of lemon wedges or a chimichurri sauce, you can enjoy a bit of whole fish at home. Don't recommend the whole fish that's sold at Asian markets, for the most part - very unfresh given the cloudy eyes and fishy aroma (take it from someone whose grandfather was a commercial fisherman in Northern Japan until his 70s)
Best Breakfast Ever - Your Favorites
I have been there twice - 2 weeks in a row!!!! I have not been the Minneapolis one but I really liked the atmosphere in there. I tried their flapper with the maple syrup and then last week their flapper sandwich with the egg & cheese. I really like the flavor of the flapper but find that their thickness makes them feel/taste undercooked in the middle - I took half of my egg/cheese flapper home because it was so huge and re-baked it the next day and found that it actually tasted better as it crisped up on the outside and cooked up through the center.
Bottom line - I recommend it - check it out if you haven't gone. Both times, I went during the week -once around 7:30 and it was pretty quiet and the other time around 10am and it was crowded up I was able to get a table. Friendly service and the woman at the register is super nice.
"Tonkotsu Ramen and Curry House" - is it open yet?
butunless things have changed, no ramen, though :(
Arepas to purchase and bring home
Wanted to see if anyone else can tell us about where to locate arepas (besides the Hola Arepas truck) - I have a major craving for some
Red Wing: Looking for Lunch Downtown Recs? [Moved from Minneapolis-St. Paul Board]
I am heading to Red Wing for a meeting - where in the vicinity of Red Wing's Main Street would you recommend for a nice lunch besides the Saint James Hotel? I've been to the St. James and would like to explore other places within walking distance of Main Stereet. Bev's Cafe? Others?
Thanks.
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Main Street
106 Main St, Star Prairie, WI 54026
Write up of Asian Deli on Western in St. Paul Featured on HeavyTable.com
Glad to see that they are getting some publicity!
http://heavytable.com/asian-deli-in-st-paul/
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Asian Deli
388 Western Ave N, St Paul, MN 55103
Asian Deli at 388 Western - What a GEM
This gem is turning into a family favorite. Location wise, it's off University going south on Western where Mai Village is located. We've only gone for dinner and the food has always been eyepoppingly fresh and flavorful. Restaurant is immaculately clean (unlike some of the Asian places on University between Rice and Victoria that we have gone for pho, banh mi or bun noodle salads).
I don't know what the lunch crowd is like but both times we've gone for dinner, we've been the only ones there. They are not open on Saturday or Sunday - which is a shame because perhaps more families would venture there on a Saturday. If the owners are reading this, I'd suggest that they maybe consider closing Sunday and Monday and opening Tuesday - Saturday to see if their business will grow. I hope that they remain in business and are successful because it is a true addition to the food in that area.,
If you haven't gone, check it out and support this place. We've tried a couple of their soups - tom yum and their red curry coconut noodle soup, their chicken wings and egg rolls as well as their pad sew yew and red curry. Consistently good and a wonderful find.
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Mai Village
394 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55103
Where to get Corned Beef?
I noticed Byerlys/Lunds are advertising a "kobe style beef" corned beef brisket. Has any one tried it? I wonder how different it is in taste/texture from the traditional corned beef....
HMong Market 1001 Johnson Pkwy
Jim - do they just sell food or is it also a market? Also, any idea if they are open at night or are the strictly a daytime operation? Thanks!
Mandarin Kitchen Dim Sum: LOUSY
Can anyone confirm that the new Peking Garden does indeed serve dim sum? When they moved a couple of years back, I was told that they didn't offer dim sum at the new location.
Give Pagoda Restaurant's dim sum in the University of Minnesota area a try - I've been there twice on Saturdays and have been pleasantly suprised - much better IMO than Mai Village.
Also, while it's not the Hong Kong style dim sum with carts, I hear that Tea House on University Ave is offering a Shanghai style breakfast on weekends that I'm looking forward to.
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Mai Village
394 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55103
Peking Garden
1488 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55104
Asian Deli at 388 Western - What a GEM
Does anyone know if they are open for dinner or is it just a lunch place?
Need A MSP dim sum Round Up
I know that Pagoda in Dinkytown has had some mixed reviews for Dim Sum but we've been there twice in the last couple of months on the weekend and I've found that they are much better than our experience with Jun Bo and comparable to Mandarin Kintchen. Food was warmer than Jun Bo where some of our dishes were stone cold coming off the cart and the flavors were authentic (I've had dim sum in Hong Kong and other places in Asia), service carts came around more frequently and the staff were patient in explaining the various choices with people who had not had dim sum previously. I'm not sure that they have the "90 types of dim sum" that they purportedly offer all at the same time.
Best bets - baked bread buns and their steamed items that have a filling in them - the shiao mai, chive dumplings and stuffed fried tofu skins. For their fried items, ask how warm they are or how long they have been on the cart - if you can get them warm, their sesame balls and taro balls are awesome. The best thing that we have had are their various baked bread items - their pineapple buns (stuffed with custard), coconut buns, meat buns and red bean buns. Evidently they are special baked just for dimsum and they are available for carry out - both times, we've gotten 4 additional buns to take home to eat the next day - warm them up for about 5-10 minutes at 200 degrees in the oven and they taste just as fresh as when you get them at the restaurant.
Never seems to be a wait compared to the hordes that are at Mandarin Kitchen - the downside is that they don't offer parking since it's in Dinkytown so you have to park at a meter or somewhere on the street.
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Jun Bo
7717 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55423
Mandarin Kitchen
8766 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55420
The New Teahouse
Evergreen Restaurant has it on Saturdays and Sundays and having lived in Taiwan, I can tell you that it's pretty good and authentic. The toasted sesame bun was probably the only thing that I didn't think was that great - they had both sweet and savory hot soy milk and a glutenous rice roll that you can buy on the street carts in Taiwan in the morning.
I have been to the U of MN Teahouse about 2 months ago with high hopes as the one in St. Paul was a ways away to be going there regularly. I loved the decor but the food service and food itself seemed to lack the authenticity that I've experienced in St. Paul. Also, menu was more limited and prices about $2-3 high for each entree. It's a nice date restaurant but I prefer food quality of ambience .....
Banh Mi Sandwich - Best Place in Mpls or St. Paul?
I went to Trung Nam Bakery in St. Paul and got their delicious croissants last week and also tried one of their banh mi sandwiches. While I thought their banh mi bread was excellent - crunchy on the outside and light on the inside, I didn't think much of their meager fillings and quality of their pate / meat. Also, they just had one meat sandwich and one vegetarian/tofu variety.
I haven't tried the banh mi sandwich at Saigon Restaurant on University Ave and not sure if they are made fresh. The ones at Quang on Eat Street in Minneapolis seem to be premade.
Chowhound experts - where else in Minneapolis / St. Paul should I check out for great banh mi - awesome bread, great flavored fillings, mayo and pate?
Looking for Black Sesame or Goma Ice Cream
I haven't found it in an Asian grocery store already made - mostly see Green Tea and Red Bean / Azuki ice creams. I did make a wonderful black sesame ice cream using black sesame power I purchased at United Noodle - used an ice cream maker and it turned out wonderfully. Good luck.
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United Noodles
920 E Lake St, Minneapolis, MN
Fresh figs
Saw some at Surdyks last Thursday - the cheese shop - there were $1.29 each - I purchased 2 of them to go with some cheese.
Indian grocery?
Depending where in Ramsey county you are located, off 694 and Central Avenue going south is a grocer called "Pooja Grocery" - they seem to carry a pretty wide selection of goods and fresh produce.
Trung Nam bakery now serving pho ($4.99 through tomorrow)
If anyone gets there and can score a copy of their menu, would it be ok to post it? If I get there in the next week, I'll try to do that.
Trung Nam bakery now serving pho ($4.99 through tomorrow)
Thanks for sharing. I'm going to have to check it out. Did they serve other dishes besides pho - bun noodle salad, cha gio spring rolls or other foods?
Mankato, MN | Restaurant Recs Other than Chains
Have to spend the weekend in Mankato and am seeking out family friendly restaurants that aren't a strip mall chain. Purusing the restaurant listings, I'm seeing various pizza joints, fast food, sandwich joints, Panera, Applebees, Perkins, Old Country Buffet, Chipotle, Famous Daves and Noodles & Company.
Any suggestions for independently owned restaurants in the Mankato area that would be a moderately priced family friendly dinner?
Moderator: please move to another board if this is in the wrong board.
Where oh Where oh Where can I find Scallion Pancakes
Thanks for the update on the Tea House menu! I know where I'm going this weekend!
Where oh Where oh Where can I find Scallion Pancakes
Ditto Tea House in St. Paul off 94 and White Bear Ave - not sure if the newly opened Tea House on University Ave in Dinkytown serves them.
great happy hours in downtown minneapolis
I think this might only be Sun-Thursday but Palomino's in DT Mpls has a good happy hour with great wood fired pizzas and other appetizers. Might not be late night - I go there after work and it's always happy hour around 4pm or so.
Mobile Food Vendors/Minneapolis
I work downtown and am sad to report that outside of the normal hot dog vendor on the corner of 7th and Nicollet, those food vendors are a rare sighting yet.
No more short ribs
Are you looking for the short rib meat hunks? I was at Costco the other day and saw a package of boneless short rib meat pieces sold like 6 to a package. If you are looking for short ribs cut along the bone like you might have at a Korean barbeque place, I think that the Korean market up near Hilltop off Central Avenue might have some.
rice palace: hmong buffet in st paul!
I went there about 6 weeks ago - it used to be called something else like Kings Buffet and was more focused on Korean barbeque - bulgogi and other specialties. Also a whole area of Korean pickled vegetable and appetizers as well as sushi. Back then, their bulgogi and kalbi were awesome - freshly made, well sauced and generous portions. So when we went there, we went there with the original intention of going to the old Korean BBQ buffet and found it to have changed to Rice Palace - given that we were starving, we decied to give it a try.
Honestly, I didn't think that the price / value ratio was there compared to the old Korean buffet restauant. The qualtiy of the food was okay, not great - some good dishes in their laab salad, papaya salad and fresh spring rolls. However, I didn't care for their hot dishes - seafood didn't taste fresh and their flavors just seemed off. Their non Hmong items were also ineptly prepared - I'd make a run for the Great Moon Buffet for Chinese food on the other side of White Bear Avenue. I guess in addition to what I thought was a downgrade in quality compared to the previous owners was that they did keep the kalbi but restricted you to 1-2 piece at a time - sort of a stingy policy given that it takes 5-10 minutes to cook the Kalbi to begin with.
My assessment - good "survey course" of Hmong food in one place but it's not a place where I'd return - there are so many other yummy places to check out. It's not a horrible place but it just doesn't seem to be worth it.
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Great Moon Buffet
2950 White Bear Ave N, Saint Paul, MN 55109
