The Lotus Street Food & Noodle Bar

Chef Yia Vang New Pop-Up Mee-Ka Forges Hmong and American Cuisine | Eater Twin Cities

"I found an intriguing cheeseburger on the menu of chef Yia Vang’s new pop-up Mee-Ka: at first glance it looks like a typical smash burger with two thin patties blanketed in American cheese, but the first bite reveals a tangy layer of fermented radishes, nutty toasted rice flour mixed into the beef, and a smear of hot ranch on the underside of the bun. Mee-Ka is devoted to what Vang and others call “third culture” cuisine—melding Hmong and American ingredients and themes—and the menu leans into those memories, with a thin-sliced pork katsu sandwich; spaghetti and meatballs made with ramen noodles, Hmong sausage meatballs, and a red sauce with a shrimp-paste base; a Cobb larb salad; and a Stouffer’s-inspired meatloaf dressed with oyster-sauce ketchup and served with rice and sautéed mustard greens. Vang stresses that this is “forging” rather than fusion, and the pop-up format (open Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday 11 a.m.–3 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.–8 p.m.; takeout available, no reservations) gives him room to experiment." - Justine Jones