Hai Hai
Southeast Asian restaurant · Holland ·
Vietnamese street food, craft cocktails, lush tropical decor
Vietnamese street food, craft cocktails, lush tropical decor
"For a tropical cocktail, look no further than James Beard Award-winner, Hai Hai. In 2017, chef Christina Nguyen and Birk Grudem transformed a divey neighborhood strip club into a lush Southeast Asian restaurant and bar, Hai Hai. The drinks here (think: chile-rum slushies with Vietnamese cinnamon grenadine and Thai tea-steeped bourbon) are juicy and balanced, an antidote to a long Minnesota winter night. The full food menu is available at the bar, too; the shrimp toast and water fern cakes are musts. Reservations are available on Resy." - Natalia Mendez
"A Minneapolis spot whose chef Christina Nguyen served English pea wontons in a tom kha broth that demanded quick slurping to avoid spilling, offering a playful, hands-on tasting experience." - Sam Nelson
"Hai Hai’s semi-enclosed, covered patio — called the “chalet” — is kept warm with heaters and strung with dreamy paper lanterns and fairy lights. The water fern cakes, shrimp toast, and Vietnamese crepe are all highlights on James Beard-nominated chef Christina Nguyen’s menu. But the Balinese chicken thigh, served with macerated kale and coconut rice, may be the standout winter dish. Online ordering is available on ChowNow, and reservations can be made via Resy." - Justine Jones
"A Northeast favorite from a Beard-winning chef where you can eat pork belly and shrimp banh xeo, blending Southeast Asian street-food influences with a dining-room approach." - Stacy Brooks
"Last year, Christina Nguyen took home the Best Chef: Midwest award." - Emily Venezky