Union Hmong Kitchen - Lake Street
Caterer · Carag
901 W Lake St, Minneapolis, MN 55408
Highlights
Hmong fusion cuisine with bold flavors like smash burgers and pork belly
Hmong fusion cuisine with bold flavors like smash burgers and pork belly
"This is where to eat a quick bite of excellent Hmong cuisine like salted pork belly and Kua Txob pepper sauce at a counter inside the Graze Provisions & Libations food hall. The build-your-own meals include a choice of protein and a side—get the well-spiced sausage and the chilled khao sen rice noodles—plus purple sticky rice and pickled vegetables. Smaller groups should split the whole fish grilled in banana leaves, but know there’s also The Mini Feast option where you can try the entire menu. If the weather’s nice, head upstairs to nab a spot on the rooftop patio." - stacy brooks
"Chef Yia Vang has opened a second location of Union Hmong Kitchen at his Hilltribe space on Lake Street, formerly home to pop-ups Slurp, Mee-Ka, and Mov." - Justine Jones
"Mee-Ka, which serves Hmong American comfort food, is chef Yia Vang’s latest pop-up on the bustling corner of Bryant and Lake. Modest decor keeps the focus on dishes like nqaij tsaws — which pairs tender braised pork with mustard greens and roasted veggies — spaghetti with Hmong sausage meatballs, and a smash burger with funky fermented radishes and hot kua txob ranch. Add a drippy fried egg for extra richness." - Natalia Mendez
"There’s an intriguing cheeseburger on the menu of chef Yia Vang’s new pop-up, Mee-Ka. At first glance, it looks like a typical smash burger, its two thin patties blanketed with American cheese. But a first bite reveals its nuances: a tangy layer of fermented radishes, nutty flavor from toasted rice flour that’s mixed into the beef, and a smear of hot ranch sauce on the underside of the bun. Mee-Ka also features spaghetti and meatballs, pork katsu sandwiches, and more." - Justine Jones
"Yia Vang foregrounds Hmong flavors learned after immigrating to the United States, translating family recipes and cultural memory into competitive dishes that emphasize identity and nostalgia; his presence on the show helped introduce Hmong cuisine to a wider audience and underscored the emotional context behind the flavors." - Matthew Kang
