Ted R.
Yelp
Twenty years ago "Asian" meant Chinese, in terms of restaurants. The good news is that the Twin Cities have diversified and now include Hmong, Thai, Japanese, Malaysian, Korean, etc. The bad news is that it's hard to find a GOOD Chinese restaurant.
My favorite Chinese restaurants (not including Dim Sum) have been Shuang Cheng in Dinkytown and Rainbow on Eat Street. However, finding a QUALITY restaurant in the suburbs has been a challenge.
However, I just learned of House of Kirin, located near Highway 280 & 85th Ave in Brooklyn Park. One of my favorite dishes at Shuang Cheng is lobster with black bean sauce. However, the price of lobster there has risen to the point where I can't justify the price. Live lobster not available on many menus.
House of Kiren has its own lobster and crab tanks (see photos) with a very large inventory of both. The night that I was there, the price of lobster was $38 per lobster ($70 for two) and $35 per crab ($65 for two). In addition, they had a special that if you spent over $100, you received a free lobster or crab. Although my check was under that, it would be pretty easy with a group of four or more to qualify for the free lobster (or crab).
The first thing you notice at House of Kirin is that the ambiance is really nice. Let's face it; Chinese restaurants are often decor-challenged. Although this isn't nearly as important as the quality of food, it certainly sets the atmosphere and makes dining more pleasant. They get bonus points for a very tasteful decor.
As others have noted, they have two menus. Unlike others, we were presented with both menus: traditional Chinese-American and more authentic Chinese dishes. I would recommend combining the two menus into one menu, with two sections. I think then it would feel less like a "White American" vs. "People of Asian descent."
The second menu change I would make, is to put a description of the dishes. They have some photos, which help a lot, but only a few dishes have photos. For example, what is "Kiren House Special Stir Fry," "Hometown Style Stir Fry," "Overlord Ginger & Onion Chicken"? What is "Macau Style Roast Pork," or "Hong Kong Style Clam"? None of these have ANY description. In fact, NOTHING on either menu has a description, other than a category and the name of the dish. Some are generic, "Beef Steak with Asparagus" or mysterious like "Zhenjang Style Pork Chop." How are these prepared? What main ingredients do they use? What are the different styles? The American Chinese menu is the same way -- name of dish only, but at least I think most people know what Kung Pao Chicken is.
Why we didn't ask for an explanation? Firstly, our waitress didn't really understand English very well, even when I asked how big were the lobsters (1.5 lbs), so I knew she wouldn't be able to explain the details I wanted. Secondly, and more importantly, there were many dishes that seemed interesting, but way too many to have to ask about each one. I actually took a take-out menu home and Googled many of the dishes, but I was still confused, or I failed to find the name on Google. I think there are many people like me who would be more adventurous, if they had an inkling as to what these dishes are. I don't want to be in General Tzo's Chicken or Orange Chicken hell when there is a whole world out there!
OK, let's talk food. We started with the pork-filled dumplings. There were six to an order for $8.95. The dipping sauce was excellent and full of ginger and soy flavoring. The dumplings were well-filled, but I thought they were a bit doughy. It's kind of a quibble, but I would try something different next time.
I had the lobster and it was excellent! Worthy even of Shuang Cheng, but at a better price (and easier to eat because the shell was thoroughly cracked open. There are several ways to order it (same price): Hong Kong style, Salt and Pepper, Ginger and Onion, Back Bean sauce, or Steamed. The Google difference between Hong Kong style and Ginger and Onion aren't clear to me. You can also get a "Golden Egg" for three dollars. Google says this is an egg scrambled in the shell and then hard boiled.
The Black Bean sauced lobster was excellent. It was flavorful, and included red and green bell peppers and sliced onion, as well as a bowl of white rice. The sauce was great. Fortunately, they also bring lots of napkins. I would rate this dish a 5/5.
My wife had the Chicken Pad Thai, which is (surprisingly) listed under House Specialties. She ordered it mild. She said it was good, but bland. In her defense, a dish ordered mild, should still be flavorful.
I asked for tea and got a huge pot, which I appreciate. We were not changed for it. I'm not sure if this is standard. Also, they gave us a free dish of sliced oranges after the meal, which was a nice touch.
I would like to sample many more dishes here and see if this restaurant is as good as it seemed from my first visit.