Hmong/Cambodian in Minneapolis

I'm heading up to the Twin Cities this weekend for some art and architecture and want to hit a few of the culinary highlights during my stay. I'll swing by 112 for sure, but I'd like to have a taste of local resources, and I understand that there's a large Hmong population in Minneapolis. Can anyone recommend a place for Cambodian/Vietnamese/Laotian/etc. food? I understand that there is a large Somalian culture there as well, so I'd take a recommendation for that, too.

What about Duluth?

chezbrad wrote:I'm heading up to the Twin Cities this weekend for some art and architecture and want to hit a few of the culinary highlights during my stay. I'll swing by 112 for sure, but I'd like to have a taste of local resources, and I understand that there's a large Hmong population in Minneapolis. Can anyone recommend a place for Cambodian/Vietnamese/Laotian/etc. food? I understand that there is a large Somalian culture there as well, so I'd take a recommendation for that, too.

What about Duluth?

I do not think I ever posted on my Somalian experience in Minneapolis. Maybe because it was one of those best Somalian I've ever had/worst Somalian I've ever had kinda things. Plus, my overriding memory of the food was...

...bananas. When one eats Somalian food, at least Somalian food in Minneapolis, one eats bananas. No Somalian in the Twin Cities has a potatssium shortage. Now, the place I went to, I cannot name, but I can tell you exactly where it is, so you should be able to find it easily. It is right across the street, to the West on Lake, of the still new-ish market/food plaza called Mid-Town Global Market. If you are coming from Hennepin, you will see this place right before the market, on the north side of Lake. Get you there? Then, you can eat your bananas.

Before I went to this place, I had never eaten Somalian food before, but my logic was the same as yours (and the Somalian presence in Minneapolis is larger than some might imagine). I expected it to be like Ethiopian food. It is not. It is much more like Middle Eastern food. There were really good beans, like foul. You use the bananas, as a scoop, but also as a palate referesher. Some of the customers would eat 3 or more with the meal. You just go up by the cashier and grab some. I will say that the people at the restaurant were very, very nice and helpful. Don't expect a lot of choices on the menu.

As to Hmong/Cambodian, I do not know. I believe that TonyC has posted on some Vietamese places, and some of these places are actually Hmong. There are all sortsa interesting Asian places along University, both in Minneapolis and St. Paul. It would be a good street for an athon.

Hit the Mill City Farmer's Market.

My wife and I really enjoyed our meal at Cue. Maybe I can dig up some pics.

Do report back.

chezbrad wrote: Can anyone recommend a place for Cambodian /Vietnamese/Laotian/etc. food?

I cannot give you specifics. However, there is a large Vietnamese neighborhood with a couple of large markets near the state capitol building in St. Paul, MN.

Not much to add except that the stretch of University Avenue in St. Paul from Snelling Avenue east to the capitol is where you'll find the wealth of the SE Asian restaurants here (for future reference).

The main reason for my post is to point out that the Somali and east African influx into the Twin Cities, while significant, is relatively young. Certainly more recent than the emergence of the Hmong and other SE Asian communities. Both communities, unfortunately, largely consist of the economically depressed starting out.

What this means is that, despite the significant influx, businesses, including restaurants are slow to follow. In simpler terms: lots of new Somali people, few Somali restaurants. Yet.

I think we've just recently hit the point, after about 10-15 years, where the "authentic" SE Asian restaurant scene has mainstreamed and has built up that critical mass of interest. There are indeed lots of options.

I actually searched up and down LTH (and thru google) to find no ACTUAL mentioning of pho in MSP. pho in MSP rules. MSP eatin' rules in general.

the one i like:
Pho Tau Bay
2837 Nicollet Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55408
(612) 874-6030
(pho rivals Tank's, speed exceeds Tank's)

the one i THINK i'll p'bly also like but didn't actually get to try:
Quang
2719 Nicollet Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55408
(612) 870-4739

s'posedly Quang has killer banh mi. don't take my word for it. like any metropolis, it's the battle of the 2 neighboring pho joints.

pho anh was renamed:
"Ngon Vietnamese Bistro"
a few months back:
799 University Ave
Saint Paul, MN 55104
Phone: (651) 222-3301

seen a few reviews, but only the decor seems interesting.

searching thru chowbaby yields 25+ vietnamese/hmong restaurants. g'luck!