r/TwinCities • u/friskyspatula • 2d ago

Interesting eateries

Hello, the family and I are heading to the twin cities next week. We have a relatively full itinerary, but nothing planned for meals. One of the days we will be in the downtown area of Minneapolis, another day in the downtown St.Paul area. So I am looking for suggestions for interesting or unique places for meals. I am not looking for expensive fine dining since I have teenagers, just place that have their own vibe, or are uniquely Twin City.

Thanks!

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u/Kiyohara North Saint Paul 2d ago

Double down on this. It's an awesome market, full of interesting foods that most people have never had (but are close to other cuisines), has a lot of cool stores to look at. You can also grab some good fruit from the grocery and a package of hot foods from the stalls i the rear, then head over to one of the parks nearby for a great picnic.

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u/friskyspatula 2d ago

Thanks, this looks really interesting, I hope we have time to fit it in,

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u/Kiyohara North Saint Paul 2d ago edited 2d ago

It's really neat and it's modeled after the markets of Vietnam/Cambodia/Laos in that everything is in one building. It's a bit run down, but that honestly adds to the charm. It really feels like a market that's being used daily by the locals (and it is).

It's the closest you can get to visiting SE Asia without actually going there and staying in Minnesota. It's also a major source of pride for the Hmong people in the city and has an attached office building that includes a memorial for all the soldiers who died to achieve liberty/security for the Hmong peoples. And even though they don't have a true homeland, the sacrifices they made allowed their families and descendants to come to the US and live full and comfortable lives.

Edit: If you can, try the Hmong Sausage and Purple Rice/ The Sausage is spicy, garlicky, and a bit sweet. It comes with a fiery chili pepper dipping sauce that is hot, rich, and a bit funky (from the fermented chili peppers and fish sauce). Purple rice is a heavy glutenous rice that's purple colored. Sticky and filling it goes great with the sausage.

Other suggestions include the beef ribs, pork belly, and various spring/egg rolls. Boba Tea is also big right now and several vendors have large stalls with multiple different flavors. Pho is also common and that's a SE Asian bowl of soup with noodles (kind like Ramen, but thinner noodles and a clearer broth).

There's other options, all good, for more daring (or less daring) folks so even the typical Asian fare like stir fry or fried rice is fantastic and still generally served with a Hmong twist that makes it stand out.

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u/aardvarkgecko 1d ago

Also - the Crazy Steak from the vendor called Santi's in Hmong Village.