Chin Dian Kitchen

This was a good place for lunch and the food was pretty good. This was also the first time we went there so we weren't sure of the spiciness of their scale... If you're looking for spicy, go higher then you think. We both asked for a medium spice and since we were unsure I'm guessing they went conservative. We had the General Tso Chicken, Yellow curry, and wontons... All of it was very good. The dishes were full of spice, but not as hot as we'd have liked but very good none the less. The vegetables were crunchy and cooked and were well matched with the chicken. The chicken in the yellow curry was very tender(amazing)! They do have very short hours, only lunch time, but we didn't confirm that, just saw it on the door. The wait time was great for how good the food was but it was a Friday so maybe it's less busy. The wait staff were very nice and respectful, knowledgeable regarding the specific spices in each of the dishes and were able to explain the flavoring well! It was a little spendy for a lunch meal but it was worth it. Will be back!

Went for lunch on a Thursday around 1130am. Work in the area but this is my first visit. Very quiet for a lunch hour but it was a rainy day so that may be a factor. The tables are set with no condiments napkins etc. so that appears not as inviting. I sat and was brought a menu. It was pointed out that over by the wall there is help yourself water and silverware etc. The online menu showed lunch entrees at $8 but on the printed menu they were $12. I got sesame chicken and for lunch it comes w egg roll. The egg roll had excellent flavor and came w a sweet liquidy dipping"juice" (not a thick sauce). The sesame chicken on the plate came w white rice. I asked for additional spice. I was brought a small cup of what looked to be Sriracha. I was hoping for chili paste and other choices. All very good but at $12 lunch entree it should not be self serve on water and silverware. With a soda and tip my total bill was $17+. Spendy for lunch.

Hole in the wall place. Always drove by on East Hennepin. Last night ordered take out. Not sure they have any seating usually, none present when I came in but I did get there 30 minutes prior to closing. Ordered vegetable fried rice. My wife loves it, but when we have ordered it from other places she was always unsatisfied with the vegetables... till now. Crunchy broccoli, onions, carrots. Looked good and tasted great. Singapore curry and Singapore noodles also fantastic. Right amount of heat for "medium". Owners and staff smiling and friendly. We loved it and will be ordering again. Try it, you'll like it.

Typical Chinese food with a little Indian cuisine added into it. I wasn't fond of the chicken but I loved the paneered fried rice. It's vegetarian friendly and a cute hang out.

Genuinely love this place and was gutted when they had to shut down late in the pandemic. I relied on Chin Dian for lunches and dinners as it was on my 1.5 mile route to and from my former office, just blocks away from their location. We often ordered catering for business meetings and there were rarely leftovers. One of my top three favorite dishes EVER is their House Curry Chow Mai Fun with mock duck. My family will order it with shrimp or chicken at very different spice levels and it is always devoured. The owners, Nina & Thomas, were there nearly every time, handing us our take-out with a smile during lockdown. As a vegetarian/often vegan, I don’t know what I would have done without your curry noodles, spicy green beans and veggie samosas every week in 2020. My sincerest understanding as to why you had to close, but if you are re-opening... Please post your new hours so we can start coming in or ordering out again soon!!! I’ve never had a bad experience or meal here and hope you get enough support to thrive again.

This place is exactly what I've been hoping for for years! Amazing street type food with great ingredients, gluten free options and crazy good spice! They also put thought and care into their ingredients. Sourcing organic, local and grass fed. So yummy food without the gut bomb:) We went with our 3 little kids. We all ordered something different and everything was a hit. My son loves calamari but we haven't been able to have it for years due to gluten intolerance. We were able to order it here and it was soooo good! The place wasn't hopping but it should be! People just don't know about it yet. Prices were really reasonable. GO HERE!!

Read a few reviews of this place so I decided to check them out for lunch last week as it was not far off that day's commute. I must say, the lunch was really good and distinct from your average American/Chinese restaurant. The order itself was for sweet/sour chicken w/ sauce on the side. The pieces were big and meaty, not your average batter fried piece of meat. The prices were slightly higher than I'm used to but the quality made up for it. I'll be back.

Very good food. I read a previous review that said the service was a little slow, but I do not see that as a negative. I think it indicates that each dish is prepared right after you order it. I will definitely be going back there. I also will try to get my Friday Night meeting to go there as we go to a different restaurant each week. I mentioned this to the proprietress and she said that they close at 9 on Friday's but if we get there before the doors close they'd be delighted to serve us. That's flexibility.

Chin Dian catered to my work and the fusion in the sesame chicken was awesome with taste was amazing! Would recommend to anyone who wants to try asian fusion food A+! Service was Great too very Friendly!

My friend and I come here regularly because it's convenient and has a nice lunch menu that seems to have something for any mood. We usually order the spring rolls, a filling meat salad in a rice wrapper. I also like to get a lunch menu item that has a samosa on the side. The samosa filling is hearty with just enough Indian spice kick, fried suitably enough in a wonton wrapper. The lunch menu has a reliable selection of popular Asian dishes. I've enjoyed the Chinese chicken dishes (sesame, General Tso's, etc.) with flavorful sauces that don't drown out the fresh vegetables. Last time I went I ordered General Tso's "spicy," which would probably be about "medium" in Little Mekong--just right for me. I was a little disappointed that the noodle dish on the lunch menu seemed to lack moisture and flavor, but mostly I've been happy with the food. Sometime I'd like to go back for dinner, as those dishes seem more adventurous. The teas complement the dishes nicely, especially when I order something fried. I usually have the zingy ginger tea, a favorite for both my friend and me. Recently I found Nina's hot lemonade surprisingly refreshing on a hot day. The service is friendly and attentive. The space is airy and fresh. I come in hungry, and leave full and satisfied. There is not much more we can ask of a regular lunch place, and we'll keep coming back!

Meh. I guess I had great expectations coming here, and thought they'd bring some crazy fusion food, or some eclectic South Asian dishes...something to satisfy this Asian Foodie. Nope it was none of that. Their menu was some Chinese, some Indian, some southeast Asian, but none of it looked good to me at first glance. And OMG the prices are insane. We're not in Uptown, people. And not the trendy part of NE. Not even close. I opted for the ChinDian Fried Rice. It was really nothing special...just bad American-Chinese style fried rice with curry thrown in. And I was still hungry after I ate the whole thing...and steaming mad cause I spent $15 on bad fried rice dinner for one. Won't come here again.

Can't believe it took me this long to get to Chin Dian (they're just up the road from me)! My friend and I went on a Friday night-it was both our first time, and we were intrigued by the Asian fusion theme. I ordered hot loose-leaf tea that had jasmine in it...really floral and delicious and perfect for a chilly night. For our entrees, I ordered the Curry Chicken with a medium spicy level preference, and my friend got the Sesame Chicken (also medium spicy). I loved mine-the curry was a bit thinner than I've had at other places and wasn't too rich/didn't have too much coconut milk in it. Warning...if you like your medium on the weaker side (think medium Tostitos salsa), you may want to go with a mild spicy level! I liked the spicier medium, but it was a little too spicy for my friend. Portion sizes were perfect-I ate about half and had the other half boxed up (our waiter even included extra rice in the cutest little to-go containers). Service was excellent. I think this would make a great date night (romantic or friend) restaurant! Will be back.

Love love love this place family run and the owners go out of their way to please! Still just carry out but any time I am in town I am sure to order. Hot and sour soup is so good can't get enough.

Chin Dian is a wonderful family owned local business. Nina and Thomas run a very clean and healthy operation. Their food is tasty and generous portions. We do take out via their website and eat in. There is a dedicated parking lot on the east end of their building or street parking on Hennepin. We like the vegetarian choices. Menu include beer and wine.

Three words for you: Kwe Tieu Goreng. Eat it. It starts at medium spicy, and it's amazing. Shrimp, tofu, eggs, noodles...delish. You shan't be dissapointed. EAT IT. Ok, seriously. If you order to go there more than once, they will know you by name. The family that owns the place is super sweet, and you will usually see their beautiful little girl toddling around the restaurant. :) I can't stress this enough--eat their food! :D

Took my mom here for an early dinner. It was only 5 something and the place wasnt busy so we were greeted and seated right away. I think it was Nina, one of the owners, who served us. She was so lovely, very helpful and attentive. We ordered 5-spice calamari, zesty green beans, and madras chicken. The calamari was very good. It was lightly breaded and mixed with the Chinese 5-spice .. very tasty. The star of our meal though was the zesty green beans. It was very delicious. The green beans were cooked perfectly .. not too mushy soft and still crunchy. The flavor was very good. It went so well with steamed white rice. Man oh man .. I wish I could make this dish myself. The famous mandras chicken though was just ok. It was good. The veggie in that dish was very fresh, but it just wasnt as flavorful as the other dishes. Overall, it was a great meal.

Chindian cafe is just down the street from me, so after living here for a month, I decided to check it out. Now I'm convinced that I will be thoroughly addicted and spend way too much of money here. First of all, literally everything on the menu sounds awesome. I ordered a dish that I can't pronounce and definitely can't remember how to spell, but it was delicious. Noodles, bean sprouts, tofu and shrimp in a spicy sauce. I'm usually a medium to mild kind if girl, so to me, this was quite spicy, but it hurt so good. I also ordered egg rolls (delicious) and the server brought us garlic green beans (super, super, crazy, delicious). Nina, who owns the restaurant with her husband, was very friendly and personable. Her and her husband both stopped at our table to admire my friend's new iPhone 6+. She asked our names and we chatted about how long they have been in the area (almost 10 years). I was very pleased with the service and the food, and it will definitely be my new "take-out restaurant of choice" from now on.

Not impressed. I will start by saying that I generally don't love Indian spices but read some good reviews on this place and wanted to try the fusion. I walked in right before another woman and we both walked to the counter to order or be seated. There were 3 people cooking and two people preparing what appeared to be a large catering order. We stood there for at least 1-2 full minutes without anyone acknowledging us. It was very strange. Then a woman very abruptly asked what I wanted to eat. Keep in mind that she hasn't asked if I want to dine in. I tried asking a few quick questions about the menu but quickly realized that I was keeping her from other tasks and she wasn't interested in answering many questions. I asked what type of curry the "house curry" was explaining that I don't love Indian curry. She said "we can do mild" and answered the phone. I have worked in restaurants so got the hint that they were hella busy and crossed my fingers and ordered the Chow Mai Fun. I left my tip on the receipt since I didn't have cash to leave on the table and sat at one of the few tables that were set. Nobody approached me, brought a drink or even looked my direction. I'm not sure if they were overwhelmed with the large order that they were preparing but I was pretty shocked when 20 minutes later, the same woman leans out of the kitchen to shout "YOUNG LADY ITS READY." Clearly I was NOT dining in and she handed me my bag and turned back to the kitchen. I was a bit shell shocked so went ahead and grabbed my bag and left. When I arrived back at work, I was able to try the noodles and they were super dry and STRONG Indian curry flavor. I also asked for no onions and it was loaded with onions. Also considering I ended up paying $18 for the entree (including tip) it was a tiny portion. Not impressed and won't be back.

I really like this place! I go here with my husband for lunch occasionally. The owners are very nice and the food is consistently good. It has taken a few times of going here to figure out what the best dishes are, but we've now got several items that we go to from the menu and love. Excellent dishes include: Spring rolls (SO fresh) Calamari appetizer (really, really good) Vietnamese noodle salad Sambal chow mai fun (I dream about this) The Shrimp in black bean sauce and the Fried tofu dishes were okay but not as awesome as their other stuff.

This review is inspired both by the food and also by their cute story. I got food delivered from here back in 2016 (?) and loved it. I did not realize that this place is just about five blocks from where I lived. Today, I went with three other friends. I had Chin Dian Manchurian with paneer and I loved it! The first thing that struck me was how fresh the paneer tasted. It's not a wonder as the website says they source their ingredients locally :) the spice level was very beatable and their Manchurian sauce was one of the simplest and yet best tasting Manchurian sauce I ever had. My friends who had various chicken entrees shared the same opinion on the freshness of the food and the authenticity. I know I will be visiting this place again this summer to taste their other vegetarian dishes. If you are amazed by the waiter's knowledge of the food they serve, remember that the waiter may be Thomas, a co-owner and chef :)

Our friends recommended us to try this and wow on point ! Egg rolls were a great size not too big and not too small, Singapore Mai Fun was amazing spicy curry goodness, Garlic Ginger Chicken was spectacular. We have been looking for a good Chinese restaurant and finally found it. Excited to try the rest of the menu !

It was another of our awesome team lunches and the new guy said, let's go to Chin Dian. We hopped the bus and we entered a little hole in the wall near Dinkeytown. I thought to myself, "This is going to be good!" The place seats about 50, and the owners are the servers. Plus One on the score level. I ordered the Chicken Madras with hot sauce. The service was impeccable, just awesome. The proprietors seemed to love us there. The place was about half full at noon on a Friday. After we were done, the owner split the checks individually, another win. My dish was beautifully served on a dish with a big glob of wonderful rice which was drenched with heavenly spicy sauce and large chunks of chicken and onion and pea pods, with generous helpings of shaved carrot shreds. The overall experience was sooooooo gooood. The flavor was heavenly, I ordered hot and it was just the right amount of heat for a heat junky. The rice was perfect and the green sauce they had on the side was a perfect complement. I really can't explain it, it was like a sweet pesto, yet spicy dipping sauce. Pure bliss. Plus it was only $9 if you go at lunch. All my coworkers said their dishes were awesome as well. We were all talking about it 3 hours later. It is seriously a great place that many pass by on their way home. I have never had one of our lunches where coworkers are still talking about it 4 hours later. A 5 Star by far, great service and great food. We were all satiated and very happy.

Every time I've been here, I've loved what I've ordered! If you order spicy, it's actually spicy and not just MN spicy. I LOVE the egg rolls and the sauce that comes with them (not the neon pink goo, like at some restaurants). Over the years Ive tried the Nasi Lemak, Sambal and Singapore Chow Mai Fun, Swai Ginger Scallion (a personal favorite), Fried Tofu Shiitake Mushroom, 5-Spice Calamari (another favorite!), and Samosas - everything has always been incredibly delicious. Not only that, the service is kind and friendly - today I had a takeout order on a cold and blustery day and I received a complimentary ginger tea to keep warm on my way home. Great food, great service!

The wonton wrappers for the samosas almost worked, but the edges hardened, twas like gnawing on shoe leather. Also could have used more than 1.5 ounces of mint sauce. We were seated at a rather sticky table and ordered the Chin Dian Manchurian and the Chow Mai Fun. The former was not salty enough and the latter was rather bland. There are no condiment caddies at the tables, so we had to ask for salt.

The service here wasn't the best at lunch time, but the food was REALLY good. I had the lunch General Tso's and split the chicken & chive dumplings (fried) with a friend. Good sized lunch portion and everything was fresh; large pieces of chicken, lightly breaded and fried crisp. The egg roll that comes with the lunch special was also awesome. Service 3/5 Food 5/5

The edamame appetizer came slathered in a sticky sauce; we wrongly assumed that the "sweet and tangy sauce" would be served on the side for dipping. The Hot and Sour Soup was quite tasty, the best part of the meal. Although I made a point of asking for the two entrees to come after soup and appetizer, they were delivered immediately after soup and appetizer; they just sat there getting cold until we were ready for them. Moo goo gai pan and Chicken Madras were nicely presented but rather bland. A single waitress tended to all 5 occupied tables, ran the takeout operation and helped cook. If we were going to come back, which we aren't inclined to, we would specify spiciness level 4 "on a level of 1 to 5" instead of the 3 that seemed a reasonable response.

Caveat: My review is based solely on take-out experience. "There is a little bit of Chinese in every Indian" - Mahesh K. Growing up in India, I had the privilege of eating some of the most delicious "Indo-Chinese dishes" from street corner food trucks to classy, upscale restaurants in Hyderabad and Bangalore. Believe me the blend of Indian and Chinese cuisine is great what with distinct flavors and tastes. Indo-Chinese is surely one of my favorite cuisines in the world. Chin Dian Cafe is born out of the owners' diverse ethnicities - Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian and Malaysian. The diversity clearly shows in their recipes. I had heard about Chin Dian from a friend almost a year ago. I finally got a chance to order take-out from Chin Dian last night. The order included Cream Cheese Wontons, Chin Dian Fried Rice with Paneer minus Egg and Chin Dian Manchurian with Paneer. The order was ready within 15 minutes of placing and neatly packaged. The prices were just about right for the quantity/portion size. The food was warm enough even after a 10 minute drive back home. Everything tasted very good with the right amount of spice and flavor. The Paneer was well cooked and the gravy was excellent. Cream cheese wontons were on par with the ones you get at Jasmine 26. The fried rice was exactly how I imagined it to be, close to my Indian taste buds. The restaurant is located off the beaten path on E Hennepin in NE. When I walked in to pick up my order, I noticed the small red booths by windows and the kitchen right up front at the entrance. The smells reminded me of my days in India, eating Chinese Fried Rice and Gobi Manchurian at street corner food trucks.

I had takeout from Chindian for dinner tonight and it was exactly what I've been looking for. I've found myself at a loss lately when craving spicy asian food - I somehow relocated to one of the best parts of the city, but haven't found one reliable joint yet that I can count on for delicious and spicy Asian cuisine with vegetarian options. The stars were aligned tonight because I found Chindian - on Yelp, as a matter of fact. We ordered Chin Dian fried rice with shrimp and an order of the mock duck with broccoli. Not super adventurous, but we were first time diners and unsure of what to expect. Mmmmmm! The veggies were obviously fresh (and the menu lists the local farms that it sources from). Both dishes had that slow burn that made your temperature rise first, made you cough second, and then your body adjusted and you could relax and enjoy. Most of the places that we've found around here don't let you order what level of spice you'd like for take out - you add it yourself if you're dining in anyway and the same rule applies if you take it home (how many people have fish sauce with chiles readily on hand?) We may have gotten a little overexcited about this option because we ordered our dishes hot - "not Minnesota hot, but I also don't want it to burn my face off" were the exact words that came out of my boyfriend's mouth - and the owner had heard it all before. He said he could make it as hot as we wanted it. And I have to admit he delivered. Whoever could take a complicated, vague order like we placed and turn it into exactly what we wanted is an individual worthy of celebration. I would have gone back and ordered more for lunch tomorrow, but they closed before we were halfway home. This is my new favorite spot. I also happen to be really picky about mock duck - typically I dislike it - and whatever they serve at Chindian is really succulent and tasty. At less than $20 for two of us (although I'm pretty sure I ate at least $15 worth) I definitely plan on being back again soon.

This is why I love Yelp! I've lived in Minneapolis all of my life, but have never heard of Chin Dian until browsing this site for some tasty Asian food. And tasty Asian food was definitely found. I'm a happy girl. The chicken and chive dumplings were so so so good. I got an order to-go thinking I'll have half now, half tomorrow. Nope. They were all gone in one meal. The sauce that was drizzled on top (is it oyster sauce?) was fantastic and really made the dish. Sprinkled with green onions on top and my eyes are rolling back into my head they were so good. However, think more wontons than potstickers for these dumplings. I also ordered the Nasi Lemak, even though I usually shy away from anything remotely fishy. The sambal anchovy sauce is more of a spicy, salty tomato paste. Don't be skurred if you're also not a huge fish eater. The coconut rice + egg + fried chicken was really tasty, but I ate the cucumbers on the side and mixed everything else together. Is that how you're supposed to do it? I don't think I would have ever stumbled upon this place if it weren't for my Yelp-stalking and I am so glad that I did! I will be back as I love supporting neighborhood businesses that make such good food. Now that I've discovered this gem, I want everyone to go check it out. Eat well and prosper, fellow Yelpers.

What happened to this place? The prices are much higher, the portions are much smaller, and Nina's service on our visit was terrible. Just because you start serving your food on a small white square plate and get some good reviews doesn't mean you can jack up the price and be rude when someone asks for a recommendation. Definitely never coming back.

Chindian sounds like it would be cool, bringing together Chinese and Indian foods into a fusion whole. Sadly, this place is not cool. It's basically a glorified Chinese take-out joint with little to no Indian influence, but lots of influence from Chinese restaurants that serve chow mein and fried rice. I had a fried tofu with shiitake mushroom stir-fry ($8.25) that was basically just tofu, carrots, onions, scallions and some shiitake in a garlic-brown sauce. It was really simple and not particularly interesting, especially not with flavorless, unhealthy white rice. Vegans beware to ask questions about ingredients, as some of the dishes contain fish/oyster sauce or egg. The only dishes that the waitress could recommend for vegans were the mock duck with broccoli, the fried tofu with shiitake, and a chown fun with vegetables. There were two Malaysian dishes that sounded unusual and interesting, but they could not be modified. Why not offer some Indo-Chinese dishes such as veg. manchurian? Granted, Indo-Chinese food was wholly developed in India, so it's not a true "fusion," but it tastes good and is hard to come by in Minnesota. I can get chow fun and garlic stir-frys anywhere. Chindian, live up to your concept and offer something that would make the drive to Northeast worthwhile.

What's on the Menu, isn't what you get.... I went here for lunch because there was a really good Living Social Deal for it. $8 for $20 worth of food. I ordered the 5 Spice Calamari and the Sesame Chicken with Medium Heat. I cannot eat onions, so I ordered without scallions on both. Here is the description on their menu for the 5 Spice Calamari (Lightly breaded calamari tossed with ginger and scallion). This makes it seem like there is only ginger and scallion with the calamari. When I got it though it was literally a box of cooked onion with a few calamari pieces thrown in. Granted the calamari was delicious and gingery, but I couldn't eat 3/4 of the dish. Talk about disappointing. The Sesame Chicken was pretty good, although definitely not as good as some other places I have been too. This place is a little expensive for the amount of food you get. You get about half the food you normally do from Chinese restaurants. Won't be back to the place even though I live only 4 blocks away. I'd rather go to Lucky Dragon on West Bank.

I was very surprised by the reviews for Chindian Cafe. I thought the food was average, so in that regard this place deserves about 3 stars. What led me to a 1 star review was the service. After a very average meal, my friend gave our server his credit card. About 30 minutes later, the server returned and told us that he misplaced the credit card. WTF. So he and another person (possibly the owner) search for the credit card for another 15 minutes. They finally find it on the floor somewhere between our table and the cash register. Again, WTF. When the credit card slip finally arrived to us, to our shock, they had charged us for the entire amount. Not one thing was complimentary. That is wrong. Terrible customer service. We left zero tip, but that didn't make up for the 45 minutes of lost time and the unnecessary worry caused by the stupid error of the server. Imagine if the card had really been lost!

The issue with this place is the inconsistency. This is a collective opinion from a group of us who grew up in Southeast Asia. The char kuey teow is a hit or miss. What happened to the wok/ charred taste it used to have when the restaurant first opened? I am starting to question if the Malaysian dishes on the menu are really authentic Malaysian or it just ordinary Chinese food. :( The sambal that came with the Nasi Lemak was also seriously pathetic. You could definitely put more on the dish. It is not too much to ask. Since it was a take-out, I didn't really want to go back. Come on, owner! You are Malaysian so you know exactly what I am talking about. It will be hard to get your locals back if things don't improve. I sure hope these constructive criticisms will help you re-evaluate the food in your restaurant and hope you will continue to flourish in this business. You are a great addition to the diversity of food and culture in my neighborhood so I definitely want you to stay opened for a very long time. Good luck!

Note: Asian person here reviewing Asian restaurant. My expectations/experience may have differed from yours. I came here for lunch with a friend (who paid for everything) after he had been raving about it for a long time. And ever since then, I've been battling with myself over what Yelp rating to give it. I decided on the harsher option because some of the crimes were simply unforgivable. We first shared an appetizer of shrimp toast. Whatever. Typical white-boy fare. Wasn't expecting much, but it was better than expected. He ordered the beef chow fun (spicy level: hot) and I ordered the chow mai fun, singapore style (spicy level: medium). My thoughts about each dish: Beef chow fun should never be cooked spicy. It's incorrect to even offer it. If the patron wishes to make a special request or add hot sauce later, that's their choice - but to offer it standard is simply wrong. My Singapore rice noodles were cooked fine, but there were way too many onions for my taste. Also, this dish should not come with a variable spicy rating - it has curry powder in it. Just leave it at that. But whatever. We finished everything, so clearly it wasn't that bad. Everything else being fine, I'd have given this place a 3-star review. BUT. Each dish costs $12. The no idea how much the shrimp toast cost, but man, that's really pricey for mediocre noodles. I can go to any real Chinese restaurant get order either of the dishes for $8-$9 and I'd get enough to feed myself for two meals. In my mind, they charged my 25% more than they should have and gave me 50% less. Ambience be damned if you over-charge me for noodles.

I should have known something was up when I realized it was called a cafe. They have the basics yet like Emeril says, everything is kicked up a notch. Nothing really is normal, which is a pleasant break since there are so many Chinese restaurants, and as good as they are and you will expect a familiar flavor. John is a great waiter and was very helpful for this first timer. I started with shrimp toast. Shrimp fried on small full slices of artisan bread, not the usual squares and generously drizzled with a sweet mustard sauce. We got the moo goo gai pan, kung pao chicken, and house fried rice. As different tasting as it gets, almost weird. But when you eat out so often, a unique fusion "cafe" is more than welcome.

I come here almost every other day for lunch. Its amazing. I get the Chicken Chow Mei Fun and love it. Lots of gluten free options and if you want spicy they can really hook it up.

I think even if there were a lot of good Chinese places in the Twin Cities (there aren't) Chindian would be my favorite. Could the decor be better? Sure, but it's still charming. Could the service be faster? Maybe, but I don't think I've ever seen more than three people working at a time there. In any case, the food is consistently fantastic.

One of the best places for Indo-fusion food! So far we've been there three times, and each time the food has been excellent. It's a small place, but the staff is very friendly and courteous, sometimes the owner, Nina, will also come by and chat. I'd recommend their samosas, cream cheese wontons, Madras chicken, chicken manchurian, and their fried rice. Everything's made fresh and the spice level is customized! Love it!

This is more of a 2.5 star review but I'm rounding up for groupons. This was my 2nd visit, but I only vaguely remember the first visit 3-4 years ago. I think in 3-4 years this visit will be largely forgettable too. Arrived around 645 and the place was dead. We had a reservation but obviously didn't need it. Started with the Nina's tasty ginger iced tea and some cream cheese wontons since sometimes you just have to give into the craving of completely inauthentic Chinese food. They were good. Lots of cream cheese. Not so hot that we spat them out after trying to eat them. I was going to order the Nasi Lemak but our server said if I hadn't had it before it was pretty unimpressive. I had trouble deciding where to go from there since it seemed like most of the other menu items were standard inauthentic Chinese. Kung Pao chicken, general tso's, etc. I opted for the curry chicken instead and husband ordered Chow Mai Fun. For a rice dish and noodle wok dish, they tasted surprisingly similar. Maybe because both were chicken, onions, and carrots with a lot more sauce to mine. I felt a little overpowered by the flavor of curry. I like curry and Indian food, but I'm used to curry being a more complex taste than generic green curry powder. The noodles were tasty, but again a little too much curry powder for flavor. Our food was quick and tasty, just not outstanding. Wasn't sure if I found the server's comments on the Nasi Lemak helpful or just odd.

Chindian has quickly become one of my default places to go when I do not want to make dinner. Everything I have had, both eating in and ordering takeout has been fantastic. I recommend the egg rolls (which I believe are hand made) as an appetizer. I frequently order the Chow Mai Fun, or General Tso's chicken and have not yet been dissatisfied with the food. Another positive to Chindian is that the owners and staff are always extremely friendly. I have occasionally ordered food just a few minutes before they closed for the night, and have never had a problem.

I met a colleague on a weekday right away at 11:00 am when the restaurant opened. I recommend getting there early just because it's nice when there isn't a lot of people. It tends to get noisy pretty quick due to it's small size and tile floors. The place had a bit of a funky smell, like a urinal cake kind of. I got used to it pretty quick and once they started getting the food cooking, I couldn't smell it anyway. I got the house tea which was very sweet, but good. I was feeling a little under the weather so it really helped with that. We ordered a plate of spring roles. Very refreshing and fresh. My meal was the lunch order of General Tso's chicken with cream cheese wantons. It was a truly delicious meal. They will ask you what level of heat you want to your food. I said medium and I would say it was spot on to what I was expecting. The person I came with got curry chicken and he couldn't say enough good things about it. He was adamant that he needed to bring his wife to the restaurant to try it. The only complaint I would have is the portions are not the heaping falling off the plate type that I am used to when eating at a Chinese restaurant. Perhaps that's a good thing, just a little unexpected.

I've been here a couple of times now and I can't stop ordering the Nasi Lemak. I think it's the coconut rice. The Vietnamese Noodle Salad is really good too, extremely fresh! I was there last night and had the Calamari as an app. The 5 Spice on it was great, but a tad oily. Nina, one of the owners, has always been very friendly and personable. She has her own line of sauces that they use in the restaurant. We bought the "Black Sauce" last night. We'll see how it tastes! A great local business to support! p.s. They now serve Beer and Wine :)

Best Egg Rolls you'll ever have. o g Everything here is local, but priced much lower than you'd expect. I also really like the Asian/Indian fusion they've got going here. We live on the South Side, and drive all the way up here to get these amazing eats! The location is poor, and attendance is poor as a result of that. Neighborhood in NE side is on the mend, lots of vacant storefronts in the area. BUT businesses like this need our attention, because they make really good food, with good materials for a good price. You can also tell it's a family business. The owners daughter (about 3 years old) was wandering around the restaurant. Personally, I like that. It makes me feel like I'm one of the family.

How can an ambience be hipster? Does that mean overeducated and clueless nonetheless with a great sense of style? Chin Dian. Marco Polo meets Genghis Khan after being tackled by Shaolin Monks while forced into OM submission by the Buddha himself. Every bit, morsel and detail is transcendent. Everyone deep fries something but, when you order street food hot anywhere on the planet the key is to keep it light and hot. Samosas can be heavy and overbearing--these East Indian delights are sinful clouds of hot aromatic air with the right amount of stuffing. The pastry breaks apart revealing the perfect blend of cardamon, turmeric, caraway and some other witchcraft. A man smiling in the kitchen is all I witnessed as he brought out this app with a just made to order mint chutney--bright and green. Vietnamese glass noodle shrimp salad; delicate, sweet, salty, spicy and easy to share. All of the Malay dishes are impeccable. Nasi Lemak and the Sambal Chow Mei Fun all contain the 4 essentials of Asian and East Indian cooking; balance, spices, fresh ingredients and correct cooking and presentation. I am glad to have an option when I am in the industrial corridor of NE/SE Minneapolis.

The food in this little joint is simply yummy! Their hoagies are like no hoagie anywhere else. I had the pork hoagie with extra spices. Messy to eat but very good tasting! The prices are very reasonable too.

I'm always fearful of a Chinese restaurant that delivers in plastic containers. It usually means disappointment. We ordered: Sambal Chow Mai Fun: Disgusting, unflavored, just a horrible dish. Pork Mixed Vegetable - ordered spicy level "hot". It was not hot, but an OKAY dish.

Some of the best Chinese I've had in a long while, maybe ever. Although, "Chinese" isn't really the right word, as all the dishes we tried incorporated elements from several different cuisines. Many dishes I still want to try, so I can't recommend any in particular. I would definitely recommend the eggrolls, which were definitely the best I've ever had. Really delicate, crispy wrap, and flavorful, juicy filling.

great for lunch, tasty sides and most noodle dishes are satisfying. Love the concept, and friendly staff. the GREEN SAUCE... I could drink it by the gallon. Good on basically everything. Chow mai fun that everyone raves about is just ok for me, a little dry, but the flavor is there. will be back if in the area

Chin Dian is absolutely my favorite Asian restaurant in Minneapolis. That they now offer delivery via Bitesquad proves to be very dangerous. I pretty much want to order it every day, and sometimes I do. Everything I've tried has been good, but my primary addiction is the Tofu Chow Mai Fun. There's another review on the site which describes Chin Dian's Chow Mai Fun as under seasoned. I'm sorry, but that person must have a taste bud issue. It's to die for. I am also very fond of their curry chicken, egg rolls and wontons. These are the menu items which keep me up at night. As an added bonus, though sadly not on the delivery menu, they usually offer some type of delectable baked good. I've had both their Carrot Cake and Bread Pudding. Both were worth the trip alone. They also make and sell a ginger syrup with is fantastic in tea (and I don't even like sweetened tea) or on ice cream or in a vodka martini. Chin Dian is a gem. Thank you for being so very awesome.

Great food, great service. The owner is almost always there, they buy local and support local as members of the metroiba. Most food options can be made vegetarian friendly. They even offer take it to go sauce, the owner perfected a great selection of sauce that is sold at Lund's or you can get it there. The egg rolls and won tons are superb. They also are a sponsor of dining out for life they give 35% for dinner whats not to love about a small local place that gives back and has great food.

Good food, one of the nicest restaurants in the area. Worth a visit and a second visit.

What didn't we eat here. . . .starving when we go there because I made my friend wait while i went to spin . .. got there around 8pm - it was pretty packed - i think quite a few people in the place had the groupon (we did). The spring rolls were good - i wish they were with peanut sauce though . .. We had the samosas - also good - the mint sauce - amazing! I'm just not a huge fan of fried stuff - so while good - not to my taste - my friend was a big fan. I would get the spring rolls again and she would get the samosa again. Apparently the shrimp toast is amazing - need to go back and try that. Next up - green beans - they were HEAVENLY!!! I'm going to be dreaming of those later. . .. I got the Kwe Tieu Goreng - yum-e. That was quite delicious. The other dish that we got was the madras chicken - we didn't actually order it - but it was loud and she must have not heard quite right .. .But man am I glad the mixup happened - it was amazing. The spices in it were perfect - kind of curry-ish, but not quite . .. Wow. We didn't get any rice - didn't need it - but that would have been really good with some rice to sop it all up . .. We got talked into dessert which was a ginger bread pudding and I can't say that I regret it at all. We left very full and very satisfied. I'm a little ashamed that there were no doggies bags that came home with us. . . Oh well :) - check it out. Delicious.

I've never had Asian food quite like the dishes I ate at Chin Dian Cafe. This place is off the beaten path on Hennepin Ave but I'm glad I stopped in. The quaint little restaurant is decorated with vibrant colors and has cozy booths along the windows. Since we were the only ones in the restaurant, we had a very relaxing meal and quickly noticed most people order take-out instead of dining in. Either way you'll get great food! I ordered egg rolls, shrimp fried rice, and Madras chicken. The fried rice wasn't the best I've ever had but it wasn't greasy - some Asian restaurants are overloaded! The Madras chicken on the other hand was fantastic - very unique curry flavor - delicious! I will definitely return to Chin Dian soon.

Shrimp in the Malaysian noodles and shrimp toast were exceptionally and surprisingly fresh. Hot and sour soup was a tad too salty as you continue to sip it got overwhelming. The interior is very clean, organized, and inviting. I would go back, to try a smoothie and some sassy green beans. Shrimp toast wasn't what I expected, it was battered and fried and with the mayo on it it didn't seem different from the fried cod you would get at a bar. If I separate it from my expectations it was good for what it was & we ate all of it.

Ordered from foodsby. The eggrolls were very good. But the spicy peanut noodles were so gummy i could hardly eat them. Way too much cabbage as well.

Got a take out from this place ... The food was spicy and tasty....wish the potion where little more bigger :) .... Would go back again ....