Food was very unique here and I enjoyed everything that was recommended. On Wednesday nights they…read moremake a burger which is about 20 bucks (maybe a little expensive at first glance) however it is very unique and cooked with a Lao twist that makes a flavor profile you're not gonna find anywhere else. Highly recommend. Very kind staff and chill vibe. Would come back again.

Our Friday evening experience at Soul Lao did not disappoint! Had always wanted to try their food…read moretruck and was determined to get there now that they have a brick and mortar spot! We were graciously greeted upon entering and offered complimentary shrimp chips as soon as we seated ourselves. We ordered the egg rolls, OG wings, crispy rice salad, and grilled short ribs! We enjoyed it all! especially enjoyed the egg rolls and accompanying sauce, the crispy rice was full of herbs and Lao sausage and the OG wings are crispy, well done and come off the bone easily! (might be considered a bit salty for others due to fish sauce) but not for me! The short ribs were also good - just wished they had more grilled/craggy texture since they said "charcoal grilled" but they were very tender! The sticky rice and tomato jeow that came with the ribs was also very good if you can handle the spice of the jeow The lager was given "on the house" and is super light and complimented our meal perfectly. The standout here was definitely the service and hospitality! This is a family owned restaurant and it was obvious they take tremendous pride in serving you their modern take on traditional Lao dishes! The restaurant is small and informal but all around pleasant and delicious! Will be back!

I have a deep appreciation for Asian cuisine, particularly Vietnamese dishes, so I made a stop at a…read morevibrant food stall in Hmong Village Marketplace early Wednesday morning. I've been eager to check it out for quite some time, and I finally seized the chance. I decided to try the Hmong sausage and a stuffed chicken, wing along with sticky rice.There is a soy sauce based concoction that accompanies the dish--it's absolutely bursting with flavor and spices, truly a delightful experience that left me wanting more. The Hmong sausage was incredibly tasty, packed with rich flavors. The variety of intriguing dishes on display has definitely piqued my interest, and I can't wait to return and sample more culinary delights.

Stop by this place for lunch. It have a lots of home cooked foods to choose from. Their pho is a…read morehuge portion and service is always friendly and helpful. Nice clean and they have hot deli selection to choose from. Easy parking. Recommend this place for who likes authentic home cooking foods.

I have been wanting to try this place for a long time! And boy, it was worth the wait!! Definitely…read morea new top favorite in the twin cities for me!! There is free street parking surrounding this place! There is also valet if you want a more elevated experience. The decor in this place is so warm and welcoming. It feels like you have been transported out of Minneapolis and somewhere in California! Our server and the hostess were both friendly and did a wonderful job! When we arrived we were given a nonalcoholic shot, which was very tasty! This place is pretty strict one sending in your whole order at once, so appetizer and entree go in at the same time. They can stagger how they bring out the dishes though! The food was incredible! We started with the basil wings! Those are a MUST! The wing is so juicy and has great flavor! As entrees, we had the New York strip laab. This is a chilled steak dish. Our steak was more "luke warm" but the flavor was explosive! The steak was also done to a perfect medium the whole way through! The salad was bright and paired so well! This was our favorite dish! The green curry octopus was tender and the green curry tasted so fresh! The peas in this dish felt overpowering and we did not care for them. The scallop crudo was light, melt in your mouth! The coconut milk and citrus paired so well in this dish! Unique! My only complaint was that it was not as pretty as it was on the webpage. For dessert we got some cocktails! Their version of an espresso martini was pretty good but I have had better. The gold coffee bean was a nice touch! The show stopper was the orange blossom pistachio cake! Oh my gosh!!! Each bite just got better!! I will be dreaming of this dessert!! So delicious!! This place is worth the hype and I will definitely be back!!

Khaluna is easily one of my favorite restaurants in Minneapolis! The flavor profiles here are…read moreincredible -- every dish feels thoughtful, unique, and packed with bold Southeast Asian-inspired flavors. It definitely leans more on the $$$ side, but the quality and overall experience make it worth it for a special night out. The vibe of the restaurant is one of my favorite parts though. It has such a warm, stylish atmosphere that feels both upscale and welcoming at the same time. The lighting is cozy, the decor is beautiful without feeling overdone, and the whole space has a trendy but relaxed energy that makes you want to stay awhile. It's perfect for date nights, catching up with friends, or celebrating something special without feeling overly formal. The staff has always been friendly and attentive too, which really adds to the overall experience.

Excellent drunken Udon noodles! Service was super and drinks were great! Had the ginger mule and…read morewould have loved to stay for more.

I was in Minneapolis for a work conference three weeks ago. My colleagues and I enjoyed our last…read moresit-down dinner at Gai Noi. This was my foodie destination dinner spot. I'd read about the restaurant and wanted to try a few of their Laotian dishes on the menu. We ordered a bunch of dishes and ate family style so we could try a little of everything. Below is what we ordered as a group: -- Crispy Pork Belly (this was a hit at the table) -- Laab Seen with Sticky Rice (like a meat salad - I liked this a lot) -- Mok Paa (steamed white fish in banana leaf - aromatics off the charts good) -- Peanut Noodles -- Lemongrass Chicken Skewers (thumbs up) -- Pad See Ew (thai fav of one colleague) -- Yellow Curry with Chicken & Jasmine Rice -- Mango Cremeux (always leave room for dessert - light and tasty) If you dine here, please be aware that there is an 18% Service Charge that is added to all orders. 100% of this charge is paid to the service team as additional wages.

We think Ruam Mit Thai has the best Thai food in the Twin Cities! Service was excellent too.read more

We ordered takeout rather than dining in, but even picking up the food it was clear the restaurant…read morehas an upscale ambiance that feels polished without being stuffy or intimidating. It's the kind of place that looks like it would be just as great for a relaxed dinner as it is for a special night out. The food absolutely delivered. The spring rolls were crisp and fresh, the tofu dishes were especially flavorful and well-seasoned, and the bun salad was bright, refreshing, and perfectly balanced. The peanut curry really stood out, rich, comforting, and deeply satisfying without being overly heavy. One thing that truly impressed us was the accuracy of our order. Coordinating takeout for eight people can easily turn into chaos, but everything was correct and carefully packed, which speaks volumes about the care and attention they put into their service. Overall, a fantastic experience even without dining in. Great food, thoughtful service, and an inviting atmosphere. We're already looking forward to coming back and eating in next time.

Insanely good food with adequate portions. The spices really reminded me of the taste back home.read more

We accidentally discovered Cheng Heng Restaurant when I brought my daughter shopping in the area,…read moreand it turned into a very memorable experience. A waiter from Hong Kong introduced himself and mentioned that he and his wife are co-owners of the restaurant. He also shared that Cheng Heng is the only Cambodian restaurant in town. When I told him I was from Malaysia and wanted to try something different, he immediately recommended two off-menu items: Cambodian Khmer soup and taro sweet rice dessert. Both were amazing. The Khmer soup reminded me of otak-otak back in Malaysia: rich, comforting, and familiar in the best way. The taro sweet rice dessert reminded me of bubur cha cha: smooth, fragrant, and deeply nostalgic. We also ordered several dishes to go, including Fried Rice with Prahok Ktiss Sauce with shrimp, Nhum Salad with no celery, and Plear Salad. I enjoyed the salads very much, and the fried rice had a unique and tasteful flavor. My daughter said she still preferred the Thai version, but we both appreciated trying something different. The ambiance was okay, but for me, the food matters the most, and the service definitely made the experience stand out. Another fun surprise was meeting two Malaysians from the same town where I was originally from. How cool was that? People sometimes ask me why I either go to the one restaurant I really like in town or cook at home. I often joke that it is my "eat or die" spirit from Malaysia: I would rather wait for food that is truly good than compromise on something forgettable. It is not easy to find authentic food that is genuinely good, especially when many places seem to invest more in marketing than in real taste. For me, good food has to be honest, flavorful, and memorable. Cheng Heng felt that way. Overall, this was a wonderful dining experience. The food felt authentic, the service was warm, and the off-menu recommendations made the visit feel personal and special. I would definitely go there more regularly in the future. Cheng Heng is a place I will remember and return to.

If you are in the area, come visit this place! Awesome food at reasonable prices. The staff members…read moreare great and friendly. Cannot go wrong with sticky purple rice and pork belly. One of my fave is their sausage too! Definitely a must!

Closer to a 4.5 in terms of rating, just like the North Loop location, but with different…read moreexperiences with the food. I remember noting that the crispy pork belly bits were some of the best I have had but I couldn't finish them all because they were too oily. Well this time, they were not too oily, and dipping them in the sauce I could finish them easily. However, they also didn't taste that outstanding. They were still really good, juicy, tender, succulent, etc., but just didn't have the wow factor that I had in the North Loop location. The Hmong sausage came with spicy chili oil which was very spicy for me, but the sausage did have its flavor elevated with the sauce. The chicken was as good as I remembered and I would still recommend eating it with the provided sauce. In April, they had bao poon as well, which was due to a collaboration with Bao Bao Buns, and the buns tasted pretty good. The bao poon had chicken, curry, coconut, bamboo shoots, herbs, and some spices, so it tasted like it didn't actually need additional sauce. But dipping it in the chili oil did offer a different experience which I also highly appreciated. Finally, I don't think I see the coconut tapioca pudding dessert anymore, and I remember not enjoying it last time. Just an observation. I also just checked UHK's website and it looked like they had revamped their North Loop location menu, so returning would actually mean a brand new menu. I look forward to returning sometime!

Whelp, stopped by today when they opened at 1100 am on Friday. I was greeted at the door and was…read morethe first person there. I ordered the Papaya salad and fried dumplings to go. I was then told that the "Cook not in yet". Okay, I asked when the cook will come in Reply: Cook come in at about 1 pm. But you open at 1100... I just turned around and left. Nope.

Even in this economic environment, the prices are outrageously expensive! No fried rice on the…read moreplanet is worth over $10-12.00 dollars.

Service: Decent but short staffed Ambiance: Odd black diner…read morelook with metal cups which is a tad weird but the lack of people makes it nice and calm. Food: Springrolls are ok with a not great sauce, pineapple fried rice was ok but the pineapple was not good at all, The Pho King Good was great and while not being top tier it was very filling with a good broth.

Visited 8/16/25. Really fun place and they accommodated a really large group of us which I greatly…read moreappreciated. We started out with cream cheese puffs and egg rolls. The cream cheese puffs were decent but if picking between them I would definitely recommend the egg rolls. These had so much flavor and I loved them. For dinner I got the drunken noodles which I also enjoyed. Lots of flavor and fun vegetables throughout. Would order again. The only slight let down was on the rice dishes, as they would've tasted better with sticky rice or sushi rice! Still really tasty place!

When they were open, they never had enough ingredients for their dishes. I say that because every…read moretime I stop by there now they are always closed.....are they still in business?