Phongsavan Market Place

Known as 5Xen Market. Aka Phongsavan Market Place After coming here a lot of times, i can say the half or whole oven baked chicken is TOP. Yes. It's very good. Get the fresh chicken in the morning. I'm talking about "WS’ BBQ & GRILL". Traveling from MI, we always drop by this place. I always have to get my Chicken. Everything else is OK. The pho? I'm afraid to touch the pho since this place is hmong owned. "My Bubble Tea"? What can I say, I don't buy bubble from them. why? They make some crazy Papaya. Yes. Papaya!!! Excellent! It's so good, it rivals MN Papaya. Wow. I said it. Better than MN papaya. For now, this place has the best Papaya in WI/MN. Highly Recommended!

Pho was good but it could be better. Eggrolls were decent. Raw laab which I don't have a picture, was good. I will definitely go back there just for the raw laab again but the rice powder needs to be ground up for better eating.

The market has a great variety but the food at the Nkauj Yi Cafe is okay but unfortunately not worth the price. We had the pho and the shrimp fried rice and it was bad. The shrimp fried rice was bland and flavor less and it only came with 4 small shrimps so not worth the price. The egg rolls were decent though.

I've been eating there for many years, and even though they've had many different owners, it's still one of my favorite spots. They used to have a grilled beef option, but unfortunately, they don't have it anymore. If you come for pho, I highly recommend ordering their pork belly and sausage, it's always a great choice!

The food is pretty good, it has an A rating for cleanliness in the kitchen but, something about it makes me question it. I guess I mean to say it’s serviceable but it would always been cleaner. There’s also a bullet hole in the glass in the dining area, but the strange thing is if you look at it, it doesn’t seem possible it came from the outside. Like I said, it could be cleaner. I’m not expecting to eat off the floor but, I’d like to eat off my table or be okay with wiping my face with a napkin.

Very small market with one full kitchen that serves hot food, another with premade food and snacks and another even smaller one that's more a tiny convenience store that sells candy and the like. There used to be a side that did fresh produce but it's not there anymore. It's been drastically downsized from years ago because of poor management. Also, not very clean inside.

Nkauj Yi’s Cafe in Phongsavan: Khaub poong: 3.5/5 — Broth was bland and no meat but visually it looked spot-on!! Regular pho: 3/5 — Salty broth **Combo pho also pictured contains shrimp

Market 4 minutes from my house that i never knew about. Truly hidden in plain sight Authentic Asian shop with lots of goods, produce, hot food and tea. Great eggrolls.

Delicious food and market options!! Seriously one of the best Pad Thai I've had in my entire life. Friendly and fast restaurant service.

Stopped in on Saturday around noon to grab some food to go. The to go food is kind of hit or miss. Sometimes it's better than others. The pad kra pow and steamed rice rolls in the styrofoam container were excellent! Everything else was just meh. Haven't eaten from the hot food restaurant in awhile but last time I did the pork belly and beef were on point. Nice and crispy, well seasoned.

There are markets with different owners within the building; yes like a flea market. You enter the building to the grocery market, then other shops in the back contain Asian clothing, over the counter medicine, gifts, and of course, the deli. Parking was limited. We parked on the street and then made our way in. I remember back when they had two buildings but it seems that people backed out of their businesses and they consolidated everything into one. We entered the building with a lot of staring faces. It was probably because there was 10 of us, ranging from age 2 to 60 years. We only stopped by to grab some food before we head to the airport. So we walked pass the market. There wasn't anything that caught my eyes other than the homemade wrapped treats in the front. They looked like they have been sitting there for a while so I passed not them. The cashier stared at us with no greeting or facial expression. We head back to the food court. I remembered they have the hot food area and then another shop across, sold boba teas and other drinks. I stood in line for hot food then asked that they wrap up the chicken and rice in a container so I could bring it on the plane. I knew that when we landed at our destination, it would be too late to find anything for my mother-in-law who prefer rice dishes. When I got the food, nothing was wrapped. Good thing I purchased other items that had a resealable plastic container, which I packed the chicken and rice in. Their banh cuon (rice crepe rolls with minced pork filling) was ok. A tad more glutenous for my liking. I didn't like their tapioca rice balls filled with minced pork. It had a weird aftertaste that was displeasing. The tapioca wasn't cooked throughly either so some parts were still hard. I didn't get to try their chicken and rice but my mother-in-law enjoyed it once we got to the hotel. I've been to other Hmong flea markets and I rank this on the lower end. I appreciate that they have this but I was hoping for more options. A lot of the shops inside were closed even for a Sunday afternoon.

After coming here a lot of times, i can say the half or whole oven baked chicken is TOP. Yes. It's very good. Get the fresh chicken in the morning. I'm talking about "WS' BBQ & GRILL". Traveling from MI, we always drop by this place. I always have to get my Chicken. Everything else is OK. The pho? I'm afraid to touch the pho since this place is hmong owned. "My Bubble Tea"? What can I say, I don't buy bubble from them. why? They make some crazy Papaya. Yes. Papaya!!! Excellent! It's so good, it rivals MN Papaya. Wow. I said it. Better than MN papaya. For now, this place has the best Papaya in WI/MN. Highly Recommended!

This place is no longer like it used to be. The new restaurant open inside is not good. The first time I tried the restaurant the kapoon made me want to throw up after and my sister's pho was bland. Giving them the benefit of the doubt we tried it a second time after a while and the pork belly was so oily that me and my brother we felt sick after. The egg rolls here are 1.5/5. The old restaurant owner was better but don't know what happened to his family. Also seen little mice running around before lol don't recommend.

After moving to the area I had to travel a ways to get to this market but find that it had most Asian staples. While I'll miss Ranch 99's amazing selection I'm glad 5xen is close by to get my fix.

Three stars since I liked the little market and grocery store inside the building. However, I miss the old food vendors. The new food vendors have a lot to work on. Don't get me wrong - the service was fast and great! Food portion is a hit or miss. Noodle soups portion are quite large - a bit too much I would say. As for the hot/ready meat, the chicken leg is extremely small compared to what we are used to. It's the size of a baby chicken and with the rice combo, it's basically all you can eat rice with one bite of chicken. Literally. My husband and I also ordered a pound of pork belly and since we took it home to eat, we couldn't notify the owners of the smell and taste of the pork belly. Upon eating our food, we both noticed that the pork belly smelled and tasted as if it has been sitting out for a couple of days and instead of discarding it, they decided to cook it. We were hungry and were already home so we were picking at it until I just couldn't find any pieces that were ok enough to eat. The next day, we both ended up having stomach issues and new it was from the pork belly since that was all that we ate along with our mini chicken leg combo. Overall, the newly updated markets inside are cute and will be a place I would go to for misc. items.

Great shopping experience here today. I wanted to re-create my favorite Panang Curry recipe from a restaurant I frequented in Chicago. I found this gem on Yelp and off I went to get the proper ingredients. I got all the necessary supplies and off I went. Dinner turned out amazing - and I'll definitely be back for more Asian food items.

I was looking for a specific ingredient for a Filipino dish and although I couldn't find it at 5xen, I was able to get some bubble tea and peruse this awesome Asian Market. It was difficult to find at first because I drove into what looked like a parking lot of an abandoned building, but if you find yourself in the same parking lot- just keep driving because it'll be worth it. Promise, because once you get in the building they have a great variety of ingredients and products-once you pass the supermarket you'll find the food and other vendors. Most importantly, the bubble tea. Overall, an awesome spot to check out!

Did a takeout of pho, chicken, pork belly, whole fish and sausage from the restaurant. Entire family was happy. The pho had really good flavor and I love they give you generous amount of onions, cilantro and jalapeños. The hot sauce that came with the other entrees is out of this world good. So authentic. Can't wait to go back. Very reasonable priced too

I have been meaning to get over here for a long time now so when work was done it was just before 2 pm and lunch time so I thought I would grab some lunch and anything I found in the grocery store that caught my eye. If this means anything to you there is a sign that says the restaurant is in the new building across from the store building but people were also eating in the store building so I was confused by that. The restaurant in the new building has a large dining room with cheap cafeteria tables and chairs as you walk in and the order counter and kitchen on the right. The hot case had what looked like crispy skin bone in pork belly, egg rolls, fried whole fish, sausage, small birds quail maybe and four cooked dishes etc. The reg Pho for $5.99 and an egg roll would be my hot take home items I would try this time. I put the hots in my car and went over to the store building to see what I could grab even though I have no real idea of what I'm grabbing. The store is like of like an indoor flea market with what appeared like several smaller vendors and another restaurant offering a variety of authentic foods, vegetables etc. I ended up getting some sausage, beef meat balls, candy and various bags of noodle dishes that I have no idea what flavors they are because I never looked but I have never been disappointed with any of the authentic items that I have grabbed in the past and a very fresh Banh mi for later, pork. The small Pho was not that small and puts to shame most Pho that I have had in the past. If you don't mind the total lack of decor than this is the most inexpensive authentic food that you will find, definitely not a date night place but a solid meal. The regular Pho for $5.99 had a true garnish set up unlike that sorry Waukesha place with the excuses. Jalapeños, basil, lime wedge, cilantro, green onion, onion and pork rinds, no sprouts but that's ok. The Pho had a tasty broth because I tasted it before I built the bowl and yes I have a Pho bowl at home just for take out. The noodles were perfect firm and there was shrimp, sliced meat balls, flank steak for the protein. The pork rinds in the Pho is absolutely brilliant and definitely outside the box because it added another meaty flavor profile and a surprisingly great texture that most Pho is lacking. When it all came together with all flavorful ingredients this was some dam awesome Pho for for just $5.99. The egg roll was good with some nice heat and instead of veggies it had the thin noodles like I have had in the stuffed wings from another place and good. I'm almost pissed at my self for taking so long to get over and try them because I was completely impressed with today's visit and I will definitely be back again.

This is such a weird area to put a business like this. There is really not much happening in the area and the traffic isn't that heavy. It is also not the best area, but it is not the worst either. You can park on the street out front or there is a lot in the back. I was able to park right in front of the building so I skipped the lot. The buildings could definitely use some maintenance. There are weird stains on the floors and the landscaping leaves a lot to be desired. I think if it was maintained better, they would have more vendors and businesses working out of the building. There are two large buildings. The old building is almost empty. Small grocery, cold foods restaurant, hot foods restaurant and small housewares area are in old building. New building has more vendors (although there are a whole lot of empty stalls), a boba tea place and another restaurant on the first floor. On the second floor are medical offices, ballroom and a lot of empty space. There were not too many people there at 145pm on a Tuesday. A lot of vendors smoking outside the building very frequently. The outside not marked too well. There were advertisement banners all over, but no real helpful signs on where or how to access the building. I bought some Pho seasoning, glass noodles, chili paste, miso paste and rice wine vinegar. Good prices, especially on the rice wine vinegar and chili paste. Had some coconut curry, egg rolls, sausage and sticky rice (in old building). All very tasty, reasonable and good portion size. In the new building, I browsed all the vendors. I stopped at one and bought several health and beauty items. Most vendors speak English but some do not. I was with my Hmong friend who did all the translating. It was so nice. She was able to read labels and tell me exactly what I was looking at. Overall, it was a fun experience. Would it have been as fun to go without my friend? Probably not. Would I come back? Yes, I think I would definitely come back.

This Southeast Asian Public Market is truly the ugly duckling of Milwaukee Area shopping centers. It's a warehouse, or really two warehouses with grocery, clothing, CD and DVD, jewelry, and fashion accessory shops. If you love traveling and can't afford to (and don't speak any Laotian languages) you can feel like you crossed a few borders here. I needed a translator to make one purchase (a tasty Thai dessert that no one knew the name of), but friendly and helpful customers will help sales people bridge the American language gaps. So fun. The clothing is all for women size two or smaller, but there are fun knapsacks and purses than any size can use, cheap Chinese made toys, stuff of interest to Vietnamese, Lao, Cambodian but primarily most of the shoppers seem to be Hmong. The grocery is good, nice selection of fresh and frozen Southeast Asian vegetables, fruits, seafood, sausage, rice, cooking and serving ware. Sometimes there are live shows, and then even though it's still just a couple of warehouses, everyone with tickets is dressed in gala evening wear. However, the absolute best thing about this place are the two cafeteria style restaurants. They are absolutely scary looking but the service is excellent as is the very cheap but tasty food. There's a regular pho and a special pho, and when I asked what the difference is I was told (after a committee discussion in the back) that the special is "more." Not more soup or noodles, it's somehow more as in more special, more ingredients, more variety of ingredients, I'm not really sure in spite of much personal experimentation. Even though I'm not sure that the special pho is any different than the regular pho, I've decided to always order the special pho because I think I deserve it. The other decision is size, since the special is "more," but not more in volume, though it is just a tad more in price. I don't know how anyone could finish the large pho, it's bathtub size so don't think "oh it's only a dollar more," as the small is, hardly. I meant to somehow make that clause mean that the small pho is hardly actually small, but in spite of a trip to Strunk and White's Elements of Style I'm still stymied over that one. Never mind, the smaller size pho is more than adequate for even a big appetite, but all the other stuff that's served up is good too. Now, the only problem is that this place will become popular, and part of the attraction is that outside of local Americans from Southeast Asia, it still something of a secret.

Best place for a bowl of pho! And very convenient to have the grocery store right next to it! Definitely a 10/10! The workers there are very nice too!

This place is really hard to find. There are no signs that tell you there is an Asian market with Asian food inside. There is a sign that tells you one is going to be built, though. Kelsey P. was the first to tell me about this place. I went looking for it one day and couldn't find it. I Googled it for more info and found some dirty dining alerts. Normally, those don't scare me away. These had me think a bit. While I was thinking, a van pulled up next to me, the driver opened the door, the wind took the door, the door slammed into my car - HARD! My whole car shook. The driver was not excited to see me get out of the car. To make a long story short, I have a large ding in my rear fender. The driver worked out a mutually beneficial deal since he did not have insurance. Then I left and gave up on Phongsavan. A month later, I'm having dinner with a new foodie friend. She tells me about Phongsavan. I told her my story. She told me to give it another shot, so I did. I double checked my directions and looked at the address on the Google map and realized I was on the wrong block the day my car was hit, which made me mad all over again. I could have avoided the incident if I was in the RIGHT place. Anyway, I looked at the food case and say some cooked ribs, chicken and spring rolls. I was told the pho is awesome, so I ordered the "small" bowl for $7.95 and one of the stuffed chicken wings. The pho was amazing, definitely one of the top 3 I've had in Milwaukee. I say that because I didn't have to add any sauces to the broth for optimal flavor. The beef broth had a delicious rich flavor on its own. I ordered the combo, so every meat variety you would find in pho was there as well as shrimp and imitation crab meat. I loved it! The stuffed chicken wing was stuffed with rice noodles, pork, and a few bits of veggies. The chicken was moist and tender and the fillings were tasty. On my way out, I grabbed a spring roll. I couldn't resist. It was also one of the best I've had. It was light, flaky, moist, and full of flavor. I went back earlier this week to the food spot directly across from the guy with the pho because I saw Banh Mi photos there on my last visit. It turns out the Banh Mi's are pre-made and refrigerated for you to take with you and eat code or heat up. That's not what I was looking for. It seemed most of the pictured menu items were also refrigerated instead of made-to-order. No need for me to go back there, but I will go to their neighbor for pho in the future. Dirty Dining be d@mn3d! The food I had was great and I didn't get sick!

What an awesome place. I ventured here after accidentally finding it at an inopportune time. I went over my lunch hour, and entered through the front door of the giant warehouse. The sign out front makes it seem like a business that is "coming soon", however once you enter through the heavy metal "portal" you feel as if you've been transported to another world. I adventured through the winding aisles of tapestries, herbal supplements, fresh produce and foreign DVDs to the back section. There were mothers with their infants, young children running around like it was home, and most importantly, the comforting smell of barbeque and pho broth. I waited in line while taking in the smells and sights of bubbling meat. I ordered the stuffed chicken wing, egg rolls, and 'regular' (as opposed to special) pho. While waiting for lunch, I wandered over to the vendor across the way, who appeared to specialize in bubble tea. As most do not speak English, I was really thrown in and left to swim. I love trying new things, and find it more fun when I don't know what I'm always trying first. I bought five little cakes that were the brightest most beautiful colors - honestly looked like play-doh. Unfortunately the consistency was so heavy and thick that it made them unpleasant to eat. Still fun! The egg roll and chicken wing came out first. The egg roll was typical and tasty. The chicken wing took the thunder. The meat was cooked perfectly, leaving a juicy yet smokey meat flavor. The inside was stuffed with shredded pork, rice noodles and veggies. While it wasn't the most aesthetically beautiful food item, it was palate-pleasing to the MAX. I would order 50. The pho was good. The original included tripe, 'sausage", noodles, green onion...maybe chicken? I remember picking most of the 'meat' out and enjoying the broth. The pho itself was not my favorite. It was absolutely authentic and they offered it with the plate of fresh jalapenos, bean sprouts, lime and thai basil - a necessity - but it just wasn't quite up to the par of Pho Hai Tyuet in my mind. I want to come back here with plenty of time to poke through all the different vendors and booths, I think it would be a blast!!

Love this place. It has everything I need for cooking. If I don't feel like cooking, they had homemade pho, stuffed chicken wings, spring rolls, egg rolls, papaya salad, bubba tea, and more!!! When you just want something fast and good to eat, this is the place. The little small market shop are nice too if you want to test some items out. The people there are very nice. Everything in there is like home to me because of my culture. I'm so glad that they open every single day, even holidays. Thank you for opening all the time. I can always count on them.

Weird place. The produce and grocery options looked good but as far as prepared food, I don't even know what happened. I walked into a blank white warehouse on the north side...was I going into Fight Club?!? I didn't know where to order or how to decipher most of the menu. Do I pay before or after, at which register? These are questions they leave the customer to uncover themselves Everyone on Yelp says "omgawsh git the pork belly and sticky rice"...you'd think it was a meal. No. You go there and get pork belly (either whole or by the pound) and a side of sticky rice. I got the medium rice and it LITERALLY could have been a side for six people. The pork came out in large pieces in a container separate from the rice. It was a lot of work to combine the two for smooth eating--the hot sauce and condiment options were fun to experiment with though. The egg roll was on point. Not sure I will be back any time soon.

Grilled Pork Belly & Sticky Rice: You can't get any better than this. Seasoned pork belly cooked to a crisp. Chop it up and serve it with a side of Hmong pepper (dried chili pepper with fish sauce) and sticky rice and you have a meal reminiscant of my childhood days followed by my teen years when I played in Hmong volleyball tournaments. Pho Special (Small): The pho wass very refreshing, especially after a long day of craft beers and an occasional shot or two. The special is served with beef flank, meatballs, shrimp, tripe, pork rind, and imitation crab. It looks cheap but the broth was very good.

While I didn't really care for the location, in general I do care that the Hmong communities around many states are showing growth in the business sector. It's always great to see my "people" grow and be a part of the mainstream business communities. This place is more of a flea market than it is a department store or mall. It's got different little shops that range from clothing to food to groceries. Pricing overall is not bad however I honestly would only return to this place to get Hmong food that I crave for due to me living in California and not having much access to it. Sure I'll visit this place again if I'm ever in WI. Party on Hmong-ers!!

When we stepped inside, I thought we had been transported to an authentic Asian market. I am clearly not their usual clientele. But that's ok. I just really wanted to try pho for the first time and the people I was with said that this was the place to do it. The market is divided into 3 sections. Restaurant, food, and random asian market things. We started with the restaurant part and said if we had time, we'd browse. I got the "special" pho. I think that might have been a bit much for this pho virgin. The broth was extremely flavorful but the meats threw me off. There was beef, chicken, pork, sausage, tendon, tripe, krab and shrimp in it. The beef was chewy, the chicken was delish, the pork was not really pork....more like fat, the sausage had questionable chewy bits in it, the krab was krab, the shrimp was the standard precooked cocktail shrimp (still cold), and I couldn't bring myself to try the tripe. I was told it was flavorless but it looked like fuzzy tape and I guess I'm just not that adventurous of an eater yet. That being said, i gobbled up the noodle parts of the pho and sipped the broth so I think I'd come back and just get the "regular" pho which I think just has chicken and beef. The market aspect was super fun and interesting. I discovered some new food (shrimp chips anyone?) and browsed through the endless tables of random stuff people were selling. it was a fun little break from the usual work lunch.

I was brought here by a coworker....and I had no idea that this place existed. It is in a nondescript building - you wouldn't even know that this place existed if you didn't know about it. There are little stands that sell clothing, some household items and DVD/CDs for people. In the back, there are some groceries. They had some frozen items as well as fruit and vegetables. What I came here for was the prepared food. They had a variety of meats you can pick from such as Asian sausage and stuffed chicken wings, to name a few. They also have spring rolls, pho and white rice. I'm sure I am missing something but the food was delicious! If I actually lived close enough, I would be here at least weekly getting my fix of the stuffed chicken wing. Yum Yum! I highly recommend coming here for the yummy food.

Pros: The biggest Hmong store in the Milwaukee area. Also has basically everything you need in Asian products. And has a kitchen area in back that caters to your southeast Asian cuisines. Cons: Hot & Humid. Sort of like an indoor swap meet.

They recently opened the building next door. Spent a lot of money on construction for vacant stalls. The old building seems empty. The pho place in the old building is busy. The boba tea place seems to have a line all the time. I think that these two business is what keeps the market in afloat.

I hate to review a place I want to keep secret but they have awesome Pho and chicken and the beef-when you can find it--is so tasty. The Papaya salad rocks and the people are friendly. Such a fun, family friendly place. First--DONT run out of food so early. Second, get a phone so we can order over the phone! Third! Have duck! Fourth don't go as I don't want this place to get busier! It is a great place and Zhoua is the best chef in town!

I can't say I'm expert in pho or that I've traveled to SE Asia...I've tried it at maybe 5 different restaurants. This was amazing. I had the special and it came with different types of beef, tripe, pork crackling and all the fixings. I'm assuming this is about as authentic as it gets. Can't wait to come back with the family!

I was turned on to Phongsavan about four months ago. I think I'm nearing double digits in visits. I'm thoroughly addicted. I lean towards getting their pho which, is in my opinion, the best in the city. Flavorful broth, traditional meats/noodles, and a wide assortment of condiments if you choose. Really cheap too. I've done the special pho with tripe and tendon. A bit too much for me. You best get there early on the weekends if you want their specials. The thai beef, stuffed wings, and an assortment of roasted meats are available. Wings and beef are gone by 1pm. They are EXCEPTIONAL. The best thing about Phong aside from the food is the atmosphere. I'm not kidding. Walking through the vendor stalls into the dining area is like a trip through SE Asia. The sights and smells are intoxicating. The people are warm and welcoming. Phongsavan is a special place!

Only one shop, Pad Thai, that sells food. Don't come after noon on a Saturday, there's barely any food left. It has a long way to go to catch up to the MN flea markets. If you're headed to Chicago, then save the gas and keep driving.

Best Laos/Thai/Hmong food ever.. no restaurants in mileaukee can compare! And I am very picky !

Maybe it was the day that I went (Tuesday afternoon), but there wasn't much of a selection when it came to the stocked shelves of drinks and foods. I was specifically looking for certain things but didn't find any. BUT, they do have a pretty great fresh market there, I would go back to buy some fresh produce. This place seems to be big to the Hmong community, I'm Chinese and it's very different. I guess I went in with too much of a high expectation, thought I'd be finding all this Chinese product then to walk out kind of disappointed. I'll go back for another try, once my daughter gets older, I'll take her to buy some toys since they sell toys that I grew up with. I still have yet to find an Asian market that has all the things I'm looking for, even the simple coconut juice with pulp kind of stuff.

This place is a hidden gem in north Milwaukee. I've had some serious Thai/Laotian/Cambodian food in my day - especially my days in the Navy. This place has it all: shops in the front, a market in the back, and most importantly the restaurants. I must say - the banh mi and the ice Thai tea with tapioca reminded me back in Phuket and Pattaya Beach. As for the hot food, the menu is static with pho, sticky rice, deep fried pork chops, and other delicacies ... all of it is scrumptious! GO THERE. EAT THERE.

The pho and pork belly here are really good. It is a good place to order takeout. However, the place is a little dirty. If you are germaphobic and are planning to dine in, you might want to bring some Clorox wipe.

A few days ago, I read a review on Yelp about this place, then somehow it disappeared. Thankfully I remembered the name and a snapshot of a steaming bowl of pho, and with the help of a few Hmong websites and Google Maps, had an awesome adventure at Phongsavan, "Milwaukee's Asian Market" today. Located in a nondescript pink and white cement-block square warehouse in a dingy strip of Milwaukee's north side, this Asian market is there for you in your time of bubble tea, pho, and kung fu DVD need. Like the fabled wardrobe into Narnia, this place is WAY bigger than it looks from outside. About 15 vendors have their own little spaces, or stalls, and you have to travel through tables filled with bundled herbs, violent Thai movies, and bolts of vibrant shiny fabric used in traditional Hmong costumes before you start smelling cooked food. Two food stands face each other with a super-fresh produce area between. The pho comes in small or large, in "regular" or "special". The regular has well-done beef slices, tripe, and meatballs, while the "special" adds tail-on shrimp, crab stix and chewy, gross cartilage-y chunks, and very delicious pork belly slices with a weird little bone bit. I usually prefer a thicker rice noodle, but the thinner ones here are fine. The broth was darker in color than I am used to, but extremely beefy and helpful to one's general malaise. On each of the 4 tables is a large selection of sauces, including the usual hoisin, sriracha, fish sauce and oily chile paste, along with a green spicy pickle, chopped roasted peanuts, and thick, sweet, black soy sauce. Thai basil, mung bean sprouts, VERY spicy sliced jalapenos and lemon (instead of he more expected lime) wedges came alongside. So, it was great. I had the small combo, which was $6.99 and I couldn't finish it. Mostly because I was carefully working around the tripe and other odd items. Maybe I am a wuss, judge me not. Across the way is "Sister Cafe", which offers $4 banh mi, BBQ pork spring rolls with great peanut sauce (although the meat had a gamier taste than I was expecting). I also got two fried sesame balls, which I have had elsewhere and are usually filled with a sweet bean paste. These however, were stuffed with an extremely terrific gingery ground pork mixture that I am eating right now. I strongly urge you to eat about one million of these, in addition to the same amount of the crispy, greasy-good fried strips of taro and/or banana. OH YES PLEASE. There is also a vendor that sells plants, a dry-goods grocery, a cellphone nook, and a very pleasant, very short lady doing intricate embroidery in the aisle, but she is not in your way. At all.

Ohhhh nooooooo I was scared parking at the parking lot afraid of being robed or leave my car there... Scary and not much Asian produce at all. They don't even have bar code on a lot things so you just go check out the cashier will literally type in how much on the spot!

So my fellow Hmong were telling me about this place and I didn't not know that it was a replica of Hmong Village in Minnesota. Though it is not nearly equivalent at all with its size and variety of vendors and food, it is...umm... comparable, I guess. Not bad for Milwaukee. They do need a place like this. The food court was packed when I got there but the place looked very unsanitary and I'm not your typical pho and Hmong sausage kind of gal. Banh mi's were totally not fresh. And the produce was way overpriced. They did have a grocery store in there so that was nice. I would say this is the cultural center for the Hmong in this area. Just...ignore the curb appeal and surrounding area.

This place is so cool! Friendly staff! Lots of cool things! I picked up lots of goods for cooking but didn't eat there! Would love to next time! Kinda hidden but it's worth the trip.