Five Dishes to Try at Chef Ann Ahmed’s New Restaurant, Gai Noi - Eater Twin Cities
"Chef Ann Ahmed’s newest restaurant, Gai Noi, opened this week in the former 4 Bells space on the edge of Minneapolis’s Loring Park. A successor to Ahmed’s restaurants Khâluna, Lat14, and Lemongrass, Gai Noi’s menu is expansive, spanning from a stellar snacks section (crispy basil wings, tempura green beans, watermelon salad topped with shrimp flakes and roe) to grilled salmon skewers and a creamy, tomato-rich khao soi. Certain dishes carry extra narrative weight: Ahmed has traveled extensively in Laos, and she has said her biggest inspiration for Gai Noi was Luang Prabang, a northern city that has sat at the junction of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers for thousands of years. There are three kinds of larb, the national dish of Laos, on the menu, as well as shaved Luang Prabang-style papaya salad, mok paa (fish steamed in banana leaves), and four kinds of jeow, a spicy, salsa-like Lao dipping sauce. Notably, Gai Noi is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, making it a great spot for brunch or lunch in a city that’s a little short on daytime restaurants. (Or for date night, for that matter — the cocktail menu offers no fewer than 16 drinks, curated by Earl Giles’ Nick Kosevich, which highlight tropical fruits and spices.) Here are five dishes to try at Gai Noi." - Justine Jones
