We were at Wandering Leaf Brewing when we noticed someone nearby eating food that looked…read moreincredible. After asking where it was from, we found out it was Soul Lao. We ordered on the spot, and it ended up being one of the best decisions of the day. The mango sticky rice was the standout--perfectly sweet, creamy, and easily one of the best I've had. The crispy pork belly had an amazing crunch while staying tender inside, and the wings were juicy and packed with flavor. If you order either, don't skip the fish habanero sauce. It adds the perfect balance of heat, tanginess, and flavor without overpowering the food. Everything tasted fresh, the portions were generous, and it paired perfectly with a beer next door. If you're at Wandering Leaf (or anywhere nearby), do yourself a favor and order from Soul Lao. We'll definitely be back to try more of the menu.

Wanted to try some SE Asian grub after a day at the Zoo, and Soul Lao popped up. Menu was simple…read moresnd to point. Lots of classics but with their twist. Kitchen and cashier were extremely friendly and hospitable. Ordered - Crispy Pork Belly (4.5/5). Probably my favorite dish. It can stand on its own, was very favorable, crunchy and had a good meat to fat ratio leaving you wanting more - Duck Noodles (4/5). Flavor profile was a good balance of sweet and salty. Good but nothing memorable - OG Wings (4.5/5). Always fun to see other places try this dish. Last few years the rise of fish sauce coated wings has been a hit which is awesome since my mom's been doing it for decades. Packed a 1,2 punch. A bit salty so make sure you chase it with rice Food was by in large great and if you're expecting fusion then this is what you will find. Price is a bit steep ($25 roughly per dish) so you be checking your Apple location to figure out why you're paying NYC prices in MN ha :)

I have a deep appreciation for Asian cuisine, particularly Vietnamese dishes, so I made a stop at a…read morevibrant food stall in Hmong Village Marketplace early Wednesday morning. I've been eager to check it out for quite some time, and I finally seized the chance. I decided to try the Hmong sausage and a stuffed chicken, wing along with sticky rice.There is a soy sauce based concoction that accompanies the dish--it's absolutely bursting with flavor and spices, truly a delightful experience that left me wanting more. The Hmong sausage was incredibly tasty, packed with rich flavors. The variety of intriguing dishes on display has definitely piqued my interest, and I can't wait to return and sample more culinary delights.

Stop by this place for lunch. It have a lots of home cooked foods to choose from. Their pho is a…read morehuge portion and service is always friendly and helpful. Nice clean and they have hot deli selection to choose from. Easy parking. Recommend this place for who likes authentic home cooking foods.

Had an incredible meal at Khaluna! The service with our…read morewaitress Annie throughout our visit was fantastic. Our waitress was extremely attentive and gave us several wonderful recommendations that guided our entire order. Everything we tried was memorable: - Basil Wings: Hands down my favorite of the small plates! The chicken came out piping hot, fresh, and perfectly crispy with great flavor. - Salmon Eggs Benedict: Beautifully poached eggs over rich, flavorful salmon patties (pan fried) gave it a nice crunch with the egg and English muffin. - Coffee Crunch French Toast: A delicious blend of sweet and coffee. The French toast is seasonal and was definitely something I would get again. It was just the right amount of sweetness. - Duck Congee: Comforting and savory. The duck meat basically fell off the bone. Overall, a top-tier dining experience with phenomenal food and warm, knowledgeable service. The vibe had a great atmosphere. Can't wait to go back!

I came here for a work dinner and my favorite Minneapolis foodie booked the restaurant…read more I was so excited to try this place since I have a Laotian friend and he swears by the food! I quickly browsed the menu a week before but was so excited to see the space and order dinner and a few drinks. Right when you come in the doors, it feels like you're transported to a completely different area. The decor is absolutely beautiful and the indoor outdoor living and seating was something out of this world this place is a must see and must try food. The service is quick and everyone is there to help. So my Laotian friend told me that I needed to order the Siin Swan as an appetizer and then the New York strip Laab with sticky rice since that's like their traditional meal. We also ordered these the basil wings that was served with this amazing spicy tomato paste and then for the entrées we did a green curry octopus that was cooked to perfection. I've never had octopus like that before. We also ordered the duck fried rice and the Massann curry everything was so delicious. We were wanting more, but we were so full. We took one quick look at the dessert menu and we had to order the pistachio cake again absolutely phenomenal, fantastic flavor and the crunch of the pistachio was perfect. I cannot wait to come back here and tell everybody about this place to make sure that they come here when they're in Minneapolis area.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Gai Noi! Definitely one of my favorite spots. I went with a group of girls, and we…read moreshared a handful of dishes so we could try a little bit of everything. I honestly loved it all! Every dish is packed with flavor and has such a unique, authentic taste. I would definitely recommend the Basil Wings, Drunken Noodles, and Shaken Beef -- all three were SO good! On top of the amazing food, the service is always great, and I absolutely love the ambiance and decor. Such a fun spot and one I'll continue coming back to!

A friend and I had an event to go to next-door so we decided to stop in for lunch. Was good to know…read morethey had some large specials and we took advantage of that. I love this place and this is not my first time and felt that the lunch special did not live up to my expectations. We stayed on the 2nd floor which is a great green space in the city. I always love the ambiance here. I had the Gai Basil chicken lunch special and I felt that everything was prepped even before I ordered and generally my food was lukewarm at best. The coleslaw didn't look appetising at all, but it did taste good. It was very cilantro forward. I also expected it to have the fried egg as Thai basil chicken should but I suppose that was cut out for lunch. My friend had the Panang spaghetti lunch special which she said was pretty good. I will stick to the main menu next time. Service was ok, they probably have less staff at this time, I feel like no one was making eye contact when we needed to find someone until our server was in view.

Service was good and friendly…read more Food came out so hot and fresh. Forgot to take a photo of the nam khao. Food runs slightly sweet but soooooo good and authentic. Drinks were too sweet but I added water and it was fine! Pork pineapple fried rice hit the spot. Smokey. The bites with onion was amazing. Stuffed chicken was really good. Sizeable and shareable. No need for the pineapple garnishment. Would have preferred a different sauce. Papaya lao style was so good. The fermented paste was strong. Loved the Jerky. Nam khao 10/10 crispy. Perfect. Balanced. Will return

I came here with a friend for my first lunch in downtown St. Paul. It was a cute restaurant and…read moreservice was nice but they were busy. We had to ask for our drinks a few time because of the lunch rush and they were very apologetic! We ordered Thai Iced Teas, Pad Thai, Pineapple Fried Rice, and Cream Cheese Wontons. My friend loved her Pad Thai. The Pineapple Fried Rice was okay. It didn't have a lot of pineapple in it but it was very good. I was skip the cream cheese wontons because the wonton wrappers were still doughy near the crease/fold and wasn't very flavorful. The Thai Iced Teas were really sweet so be forewarned to let your ice melt in it a bit to make it less so. Our bill came to about $70 for appetizer, two drinks, and two entrees. Not bad but not great. Overall 3/5 for food and overall service.

This was my first time visiting St. Paul, and made it a mission to eat here, and I'm really glad I…read moredid. I ordered their Somlaw Koa Kou and it was delicious (menu item #45A). If you're looking to try a dish that is uniquely Khmer, this soup is one of them. The soup has flavors from roasted rice and kreung, a fragrant blend of lemongrass, makrut lime leaves, garlic, galangal, tumeric. Cheng Heng's version had green beans, round green eggplants, spinach, young papaya, and kabocha squash, plus a protein choice (I chose chicken). The somlaw was hearty, and very filling. The portion was more than enough to share. I can imagine myself ordering this on a cold winter evening. Their menu was full of amazing Cambodian dishes, but unfortunately, I was one, otherwise I would have ordered other items like the Somlaw Machu Kreung, and Somlaw Machu Angkor as well. I would love to return but with company, so I can taste more of their dishes.

This was my first time trying Cambodian food - everything here was so good and affordable!…read more Spring rolls were only $4.95 and really good - they had chicken, shrimp, and a variety of herbs inside. Chive cakes had a nice chewy texture inside and crispy outside from being fried. The noodle soup bowls here are a great portion size... they range from regular-L-XL. Regular was a good size for my friend and I, especially when combined with our apps. The roasted chicken was tender and had really good flavor and color. Both noodle soup broths are on the sweeter side. Overall would highly recommend this spot to anyone looking to try Cambodian food for the price, quality, and portion size.

If you are in the area, come visit this place! Awesome food at reasonable prices. The staff members…read moreare great and friendly. Cannot go wrong with sticky purple rice and pork belly. One of my fave is their sausage too! Definitely a must!

Closer to a 4.5 in terms of rating, just like the North Loop location, but with different…read moreexperiences with the food. I remember noting that the crispy pork belly bits were some of the best I have had but I couldn't finish them all because they were too oily. Well this time, they were not too oily, and dipping them in the sauce I could finish them easily. However, they also didn't taste that outstanding. They were still really good, juicy, tender, succulent, etc., but just didn't have the wow factor that I had in the North Loop location. The Hmong sausage came with spicy chili oil which was very spicy for me, but the sausage did have its flavor elevated with the sauce. The chicken was as good as I remembered and I would still recommend eating it with the provided sauce. In April, they had bao poon as well, which was due to a collaboration with Bao Bao Buns, and the buns tasted pretty good. The bao poon had chicken, curry, coconut, bamboo shoots, herbs, and some spices, so it tasted like it didn't actually need additional sauce. But dipping it in the chili oil did offer a different experience which I also highly appreciated. Finally, I don't think I see the coconut tapioca pudding dessert anymore, and I remember not enjoying it last time. Just an observation. I also just checked UHK's website and it looked like they had revamped their North Loop location menu, so returning would actually mean a brand new menu. I look forward to returning sometime!

We tried takeout at Crystal Garden the other day while shopping at the strip mall. A new family…read moretook over the restaurant in February, I believe, so I'm not sure how well the ratings stand if they were from the previous owners. We thought everything was very tasty. The egg rolls with dipping sauce and the cream cheese wontons were both great appetizers. We had ordered sweet and sour chicken, which came with tender white rice, and we had ordered a side of fried rice. It had such good flavor that I mixed both rice cartons together to extend our leftovers for the next day. The chicken in the lo mein tasted grilled or it was seasoned well. My husband had commented on how much he liked the chicken. The helpings were generous so we had enough for dinner the next day and it all still tasted really good!

Incredibly quick (~10 minutes) great portions for what you pay for. Fed me for two days. 2.9 stars…read moreis ridiculous - this is the spot.

Driving in it does not look like much but do yourself a favor and stop. Amazing food, great…read moreservice. Really busy with the take out orders. We ordered the Panang Curry with Shrimp and the Roasted Garlic - Ginger rice soup with shrimp. Both dishes are perfect.

This place was recommended by family and friends but it did not meet our expectation…read more Service: there was only one worker, a very young boy. He definitely did not want to work because he didn't look happy and never smile throughout the time we were there. He also did not greet us nor was he attentive. He even forgot our drinks, water and a can of soda. For visual, we were the only customers during our visit. Food: dishes were either too salty or bland. They were not flavorful and the portions were small. Inside: The restaurant had very poor ventilation. They had the AC on and blowing but the entire restaurant was full of fog from the kitchen cooking. It was so bad some of us had to step outside with our babies. The employee serving must had been oblivious to it because he didn't even seem to care. He continued to work like he wasn't walking through any fog.

When they were open, they never had enough ingredients for their dishes. I say that because every…read moretime I stop by there now they are always closed.....are they still in business?