Gai Noi, Minneapolis,MN

Wowza, this place was amazing and I cannot wait to go back. My spouse agreed to drive me to a baby shower that was north of us, but not so far as Minneapolis, but we really wanted to try this restaurant, so we made the extra effort. Why? The New York Times names it one of the fifty restaurants in the United States that they were excited about, and a restaurant in our town made that list--it is not just our favorite restaurant now but our favorite restaurant of all time in our place, so we are quite intrigued by this list. Suffice it to say that this was knock it out of the park amazing food. We over ordered, we would get a different variety next time, but what we got both amazed us and left us hoping for a next time. Here is some background from the web site: Gai Noi, short for khao gai noi, is a type of short grain glutinous rice emblematic of the northern Xieng Khouang regions of Laos, where chef Ann and her family are from. Also known as ‘little chick’ due to its spotted appearance and small shape, khao niew (sticky rice) is a staple of the Lao diet and is eaten in tandem with nearly all other dishes. So important is sticky rice in Lao culture, most Laotians refer to themselves as ‘luk khao niew’, or ‘children of the sticky rice’, as sticky rice is the sustenance of the people; the central component of any meal and gathering. The restaurant is open 11AM-10PM seven days a week, and so it is also a great find if you want to eat at non-traditional hours, or like us in our later years, want to eat in the early evening, when a lot of restaurants have yet to open. One caveat--we arrived just at 5PM and it was already hopping. We were able to get a table, but when we left, there were at least 40 people waiting to be seated. They do have shared tables, which can augment availability, but it is a place that favors those of us who eat at off hours. None-the-less, this place would be work the wait. It has a fun atmosphere and good people watching as well.