Vinai
Restaurant · Sheridan
1300 NE 2nd St, Minneapolis, MN 55413
Highlights
Hmong cuisine with wood-fired meats & flavorful dishes
Hmong cuisine with wood-fired meats & flavorful dishes
"The restaurant led by chef Yia Vang received recognition at the Media Awards (June 14) when the chef was honored in the Lifestyle Visual Media category alongside the Twin Cities PBS producers of Relish." - Emily Venezky
"A Hmong restaurant that collaborated with a beloved local ice cream maker to offer scoops of mango and toasted milk—the team tasted about 20 flavors and narrowed the selection to two complementary options, a partnership that lets the restaurant feature distinct, signature frozen flavors while expanding both businesses' reach." - ByKate Kassin
"Yia Vang’s long-awaited Hmong restaurant, Vinai, debuted in Northeast Minneapolis’s former Dangerous Man taproom in July. A love letter to Vang’s parents and the greater Hmong community, Vinai’s menu is divided into seven sections: Khoom Noj (snacks), Yog Peg Xwb (“It’s just us,” or smaller dishes), Zaub (vegetables), Nqaij Ci (grilled meat), Nqaij Hau (braised meat soups), Mov (rice dishes), and Kua Txob (hot sauces). Vang’s personal favorite dishes include a flame-grilled whole chicken in a ginger coconut sauce and confited mackerel served with lime and a mound of purple sticky rice. Make a reservation on Resy." - Stacy Brooks
"Chef Yia Vang’s Hmong restaurant, Vinai, is as accommodating of sit-down feasts as it is easy happy hours at the bar. Order a dish or two from the Khoom Noj (snacks) menu — maybe a curry rice ball stuffed with blue crab, or oil-packed mackerel in a tomato and chile confit — to pair with a refreshing culantro highball." - Natalia Mendez
"At Vang’s Minneapolis restaurant Vinai, the open-fire cooking can take the form of the Vinai feast, in which flame-grilled meats and seafood — along with rice, noodles, and vegetables — are laid out on a bed of banana leaves, or as Vang refers to them as 'nature’s tinfoil.' The groundbreaking restaurant was recently awarded a spot on Eater’s 2024 list of the best new restaurants in the country. Named for the refugee camp in Thailand where Vang was born, Vinai pays respect to the nomadic culture of the Hmong, a people with roots throughout Laos, Thailand, and other areas of Southeast Asia. For the feast, a communal meal meant to be eaten by hand, Vang builds a fire with Minnesota oak and charcoal. He stuffs red snapper with lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and shallots before placing the fish in a grill basket over the flames. Deboned chickens are next to cook, the fat dripping from the basket, followed by pork accompanied by a 'Hmong sofrito.' Ribs seasoned with a coffee rub also cook low and slow over the fire. And head-on shrimp are marinated with salt, fish sauce, and chile oil before taking their turn in the heat." - Monica Burton
