Yael D.
Yelp
Back home in NYC, I love nothing better than spending hours in Chinatown, stuffing my face with dumplings, bao, buns, noodles and such. Hey, I don't have a problem with Asian-inspired carbs. What makes you think that?
Delicious doughy diversions aside, I was determined to stop here on a recent Minneapolis trip:
Now wouldn't you just know, the first thing to catch my eye was Chicken Curry *Noodle* Soup. Got this from stand a called 'Her.' Loved the thick, rich, coconutty, heady broth! I think this was called something else on the menu, but can't for the life of me, remember what that was... Only caveat was that the Soup was on the lukewarm side so I'd suggest ensuring it will be served hot when you order. The people who operate this particular stand, on our visit at least, were super friendly and accommodating.
Got some Sausage & Purple Sticky Rice from here as well. Hubby was a particular fan of this, declaring, "The Sausage is much less greasy and fatty than the one we tried from Hmong Marketplace."
Tried the custom-made Papaya Salad from Mai's too, and gotta agree with Missi V. : Go with two chiles when they ask you how many you want in your salad. Maybe even one if you're a wimp. I happen to be into heat and feel like three would have been over the top for me. Really liked how we were offered a taste of the finished dish before buying. And the Salad itself was fresh and vibrant tasting. Again, much better than what we tried at Hmong Marketplace. Only bummer was that there were no tiny bits of raw eggplant which kind of grew on me after I tried them in the Marketplace version.
The kid got a Bubble Tea from Blueberry and I have to say, I don't get the numerous raves. It was crazy sweet and the boba were mushy, aka overcooked.
Bottom line: Wish I'd had more time and tummy room to explore more here. Dug the experience over the one I had at smaller, more low key Hmong Marketplace in terms of the vibe, energy, dining space, and most importantly, food. If you have to pick one, I'd go with this.