Asian Food and Cooking

Best Twin Cities restaurants you haven't tried

These excellent metro eateries have been around for a while, but if you haven't paid them a visit, you should

Raku Sushi finds success with tradition

New Japanese fusion restaurant borrows from a few too many influences, but does traditional favorites well

Copper Pot's adventurous eats

Masterfully serving traditional and unconventional Indian food in Minneapolis

Top 10 Japanese restaurants in the Twin Cities

One hears "Japanese food" and immediately images of raw fish clinging delicately to pillows of plump and sticky balls of rice come to mind. But believe it or not, the good people of Japan do eat more than sushi and edamame. From gyoza dumplings to soba noodle dishes in fragrant miso broths to the fl ... More >>

Top 10 Indian restaurants in the Twin Cities

See also: Top 10 street eats in the Twin Cities Top 10 cupcake shops in the Twin Cities Top 10 dive bars in the Twin Cities Could Indian food be the perfect regional cuisine? Its exquisite blending of perfectly balanced spices beckon equally in the sultry days of summer or on frigid winter nights. ... More >>

Karta offers Thai with a smile

New Northeast spot has a lot to make diners happy, including the prices

Tadka and Ipotli: Go Indian for dinner, lunch, and … breakfast?

A Lake Street bistro and skyway grab-and-go will spice up your whole day

At Social House's happy hour, the price is right

Social House2919 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis612.824.6300; Social House websiteHours & Details:Daily from 4 p.m.-6 p.m.Monday-Wednesday 9 p.m.-midnight$4 house sake$4 house wine1/2-priced drinks1/2-priced small plates1/2-priced select maki rollsRecently, while meandering through Uptown, we decided ... More >>

Sushi Fix: Yes, you can get great sushi from a food truck

We heard a few people remarking, "Sushi from a truck?" suspiciously behind us, but we were too busy eagerly delivering another bite into our mouths to answer. Instead we waved enthusiastically with chopsticks before turning back for another dish to devour.The Sushi Fix truck is the realization of a ... More >>

Masu Sushi & Robata goes the extra mile for happy hour

Masu Sushi & Robata330 E. Hennepin Ave.,Minneapolis612.332.6278; Masu Sushi website Hours & Details:Happy hours: Monday-Friday, 3-6 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10-12 p.m. Sunday, 9-11 p.m.Late-night menu: Monday-Saturday, 10 p.m.-midnightSunday, 9-11p.m.Discounted menu items and various drink ... More >>

Masu Sushi and Robata makes list of best new American sushi restaurants

Just a month after being awarded Best Sushi in City Pages' Best of the Twin Cities issue, Tim McKee and Katsuyuki Yamamoto's Masu Sushi and Robata in northeast Minneapolis got a much grander shout-out when it made the list of Bon Appetit's 10 Best New Sushi Restaurants in America. Bon ... More >>

The Social House takes over Zeno in Uptown

Stylish setting with intermittently tasty food

Top 10 sushi restaurants in the Twin Cities

The Twin Cities may not be renowned for its fresh seafood, but we do have some respectable options when it comes to sushi. With the Japanese culinary staple becoming more and more ubiquitous, it helps to have an idea of which places consistently offer the freshest, tastiest sushi. A hot dog is oft ... More >>

Social House in Uptown: A first look

Yael GrauerSocial House's Albunai roll: More style than substance.​Social House is exquisite. The decor, that is. The restaurant, however, may still be a bit of a work in progress. We arrived to the buzzing Uptown eatery at around 8:30 p.m. on a Thursday, and were promptly asked if we were o ... More >>

Zen Box Izakaya hones in on Japanese pub grub

Washington Avenue location expands Zen beyond the skyway

Kinsen Noodles' ambiance outshines the food

Style over substance in Uptown

Ed Fong of David Fong's: Chef Chat Part 1

Ed Fong at David Fong's​David Fong's first opened its doors in 1958 as a small takeout chow mein joint. In 1966, it moved to its present location on Lyndale Avenue in Bloomington. David Sr. and his wife Helen started the business, and when they retired, they turned it over to eldest son Ed Fong, k ... More >>

Crave Galleria: A suburban happy hour of the week

Enter the suburban happy hour...​Crave 3520 Galleria, Edina 952.697.6000Hours and Details:Monday through Friday, 3-6 p.m. and 9 to closeSunday, 8 to close$3 pita & hummus, mini burgers, mini desserts, tuna roll, negihana roll, shrimp nigiri or edamame$4 mini margherita, pepperoni, or Italian p ... More >>

Masu Sushi & Robata is state's most impressive sushi joint

It's a Japan grand slam

Hopkins gets three new worldly restaurants

Check out Samba, Curry 'N' Noodles, and Aji

Masu Sushi & Robata: A sneak peek Inside

Masu Sushi & Robata Japanese meets Nordeast​Take the pop of a Shea-designed restaurant, add the sizzle of a Tim McKee-produced menu, a dash of sustainable seafood, served with a twist, and you'll find yourself with Masu Sushi and Robata, the latest venture of Minneapolis's own menu whisperer. ... More >>

Jasmine 26's long, foodful happy hour

Many, many happy hours​Jasmine 268 E. 26th St., Minneapolis612.870.3800Hours and Details:Daily, 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.-close$3 selected beers$5 martinis and cocktails--cucumber martini, ginger fizz, margarita, pom bomb1/2 off all wine and sake by the glass and bottle$4.95 appetizers--te ... More >>

Naviya's and On's Thai spice up the Twin Cities

Two new Thai restaurants in Linden Hills and St. Paul

Indochin now open on Grand Avenue

Indochin arrives on Grand Avenue.​Last month, sisters Ha Tu and Thu Nguyen, owners of the Que Nha restaurant at 849 University Avenue in St. Paul, opened a new restaurant, Indochin, at the nearby location of 1702 Grand Avenue. The Asian American Press reports that the Indochin menu will initi ... More >>

Korean food 101: Intro to banchan

Kei TerauchiKorean meal is never complete without banchan​Recently, the Hot Dish received a letter from a reader suggesting an article on banchan, the little dishes that automatically appear on tables at Korean restaurants. I find that whole process alienating, since I have no idea what I am ... More >>

Tsuyoshi Nishioka, new Twins infielder, spotted at Origami downtown

MLBNishioka tries out taste of home in MN​For the Minnesota Twins, spring training starts in less than two weeks in Fort Meyers, Florida. With the harsh winter we've been having, you'd think they might make an early migration. But one brand-new Twin was embracing the cold and trying out a local re ... More >>

University Buffet, a Chinese food glutton's paradise, opens near Capitol

Lu LippoldOne of the many shrimp options at the buffet​My fortune cookie at the University Buffet said, "Think about your own mistakes rather than blame on other's faults" (sic). Had I not received this advice, I might have tried to blame someone for the soggy wontons in the soup or that weird ... More >>

Pho Tau Bay vs. Pho 79: An Eat Street pho face-off

Danielle LenzPho 79's signature pho: like a hug in a bowl​You may have heard by now that when it comes to Vietnamese food, Minnesota serves up some of the best in the country, at least according to Anthony Bourdain. We couldn't agree more. And with the recent arctic temperatures, this is fortu ... More >>

Local playwright Aditi Kapil serves a multicultural menu

Playwright Aditi Kapil juggles dishes from many cultures​Local playwright Aditi Kapil is in a unique position: Her new play Agnes Under the Big Top: A Tall Tale will be staged simultaneously next month at Mixed Blood Theater and Long Wharf Theatre in Connecticut. The play, an international fab ... More >>

Gorkha Palace: A meal in photos

Kate N.G. Sommers​ I was excited to hear that the delicious momo I seem to crave on chilly Saturday mornings from the Mill City farmers market would be served at the new restaurant, Gorkha Palace. Gorkha features Indian, Nepali and Tibetan cuisine in the old Mairin's Table location, a cozy lo ... More >>

Twin Cities south Asian hot spots

Gorkha Palace, Darbar India Grill, and more

Happy Hours

Thom Pham's Wondrous Azian Kitchen: Will it lift the curse?

Popular restaurateur boldly closes Azia to embark on new challenge

Lunch at Obento-ya: a photo tour

Sharyn Morrow​ Having friends who are chefs means you have to sneak time to hang out with them during random days off, or before they go to work. On this particular day, we headed to Obento-ya for lunch with Chris Olson.

The best thing I ate this week

Treating yourself to chicken tikka.​What would I have to do to get a little tandoor in my kitchen, to supplement the workhorse Caloric? I could cook up skewered meats and puffy disks of hand-patted naan, while warming up the whole house with the oven's 900-degree heat. Or, I suppose, I could j ... More >>

Szechuan Spice takes over the Zen space in LynLake

The spicy new kid on the LynLake block​​Move over, Zen, Szechuan Spice has taken over your old digs in LynLake. Open since August 9, it focuses on Szechuan flavors with the greatest hits of Chinese-American cuisine thrown in for good measure. Owner-chef ChangFu Xue has worked in China and New Yo ... More >>

Thom Pham's Wondrous Azian Kitchen now open

www.wonderousmpls.comStep right up and get your dim sum!​The bright, Vegas-style sign at 6th and Hennepin is all aglow: Thom Pham's Wondrous Azian Kitchen is open. The deep red color scheme and antique artifacts suggest a throwback to mid-century Chinese-American restaurants like Minneapolis's ... More >>

Josh Grier of Tapes n' Tapes loves Letterman's cookies, Surly's beer

No napkin required​Tapes n' Tapes singer Josh Grier is a guy after our own heart: He knows the exact number of steps between his home and his favorite bar, and when it came time to submit a photo, he offered to dig through his extensive stash of food-on-face pictures. Throw in addictions to su ... More >>

Bukhara Indian Bistro coming soon to Minnetonka

Out: Turkey. In: India.​Joginder Cheema, former owner of the Taste of India and India Palace restaurant empires and current owner of three India House restaurants in St. Paul, Fridley, and downtown Minneapolis (India Express), is bringing Bukhara Indian Bistro to the former home of Istanbul Bi ... More >>

Origami vs. Tanpopo in a battle of noodle soups

Lisa Gulya​ If you've seen the Japanese film Tampopo, you know the power of a perfectly prepared bowl of Japanese noodles. Heck, even if you've never heard of Tampopo, you probably know someone who subsisted on ramen noodles when times were tough. This Food Fight is for them. We want to make ... More >>

Pizza Luce, Nick & Eddie, and more: The most popular dishes at your favorite restaurants

Photo: PizzaLuce.comHere's what's hot at Pizza Luce​When you go out to eat, do you ever stare at the menu for minutes on end, waffling over what to order? Do you ever wonder if the restaurant's regulars know something you don't? Here's a handy guide to what customers order most at some of the ... More >>

Fuji Ya Uptown: Happy hour of the week

​ Fuji Ya Uptown (lounge only). 600 West Lake St., Minneapolis 612.871.4055 website Hours and details: Tuesday-Thursday 5 p.m.-7 p.m. and 10 p.m.-12 p.m. Sunday 8 p.m.-10 p.m. sushi $3.50-$8.00; appetizers $3.00-$6.50; select domestic and imported beer $3.50; sake small $3.50, large $4.50; ... More >>

Raku and Pairings fit right in in western suburbs

One is Japanese and the other favors a "total meal concept"

Sushi in a tube: weird foods

​ ​ Since we are going to have sushi in Lowertown, why can't we also have sushi in a tube? Guess what, you can have it all.

Fusion: Happy hour of the week

​Fusion2919 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls612.824.6200websiteHours: Daily 4 p.m.-6 p.m., late Tuesday and Wednesday, 10-close, Thursday-Saturday, midnight-close.Details: 1/2-price drinks and beer, $4 signature martinis, $10 bottomless house wine, $20 bottomless premium wine, 2-for-1 select appetizers,&nbs ... More >>

Szechuan and Grand Szechuan spicing up the suburbs

Dan Dan noodles might be the new pad Thai

Food Fight: Sen Yai Sen Lek vs. True Thai tom yum

What better way to preface a flavorful curry than with the mild, citrus-y tang of a bowl of tom yum.

100 Favorite Dishes: Bento Box at Obento-Ya

Our favorite thing to order at our favorite budget-friendly Japanese restaurant.

Om Restaurant serves up nirvana on a platter, Indian-style

Vik Uppal has a new spot in the nightclub district

Epic Sandwich: Modern Café's pork, kimchi and hog fat sandwich

The Modern Cafe in NE Minneapolis seemed like the perfect lunch spot on a cold day, but I made an unfortunate sandwich selection.