Friday food

Last week I had the pleasure of having lunch with Teen 2 at one of our favorite places, on one of our favorite streets:

Eat Street, the section of Nicollet Ave. in Minneapolis that runs from about 14th-28th streets and is jam-packed with different kinds of restaurants and food shops. Our previous visit to Eat Street had us on a Burger Quest. This time, no burgers--but, as Teen 2 would say, lots of nom nom nom.

Peninsula Malaysian Cuisine, right across the street from the Black Forest. I love this place. The menu is huge, and while there are some higher-priced items or market-price entrees, there are also many, many delicious things to eat that won't break the bank. Plus they make killer smoothies.

 

Complete with tapioca pearls and an oversized straw to slurp them up.

The appetizers are fantastic and could easily make a meal by themselves. Like the satay chicken:

 

Skewers of perfectly cooked chicken served with a mildly spicy peanut dipping sauce.

Or how about the shrimp puffs:

Chopped shrimp wrapped in bacon and fried. Oh my.

The entrees are generally huge and could easily serve for two meals, especially with appetizers. Unless you happen to be dining with a teenager who's grown three inches in the last six months. Here's his favorite:

Char Kway Teow, which is also one of my favorites. Stir-fried flat rice noodles with shrimp, squid, eggs, and bean sprouts in a spicy soy chili paste.

But this is very good too:

 

Indian Mee Goreng, stir-fried yellow noodles with tofu, shrimp, potatoes and bean sprouts topped with a spicy squid sauce and chopped peanuts. Definitely good for whatever ails you.

Not all of the dishes are spicy. And the choices are extensive--the menu goes on and on, and vegetarians will have no trouble finding something to eat here. Is it authentic Malaysian? I don't know. Everything I know about Malaysian food I've learned at this restaurant. But authenticity takes a backseat to excellence in my opinion, and this place rates high on the latter.

The interior is simple but nice.

Service is generally quick and cheerful. Parking is sometimes an issue at lunchtime, since it's street parking, but after 6 p.m. there's free parking in the lot across the street.

 

Teen 2 says, I don't want to go home. I want to stay here and eat some more. Because I am a bottomless pit.

Check it out. If you like any variation on Asian/Indian food, you won't be disappointed.

Comments

[Matt Lee]

Have you tried the durian smoothie drink? It's all kinds of weird. It's a little like an onion milk shake, but slightly better than that sounds. Slightly.

[Angela Nickerson]

Seriously, I am now starving. Going to go have lunch. If only I could get to Eat Street. That sounds amazing! :)

[Miss T]

Oooooh.

[Eileen]

Oo, yummy! A new restaurant to take my sister to next time we're doing something in her general vicinity!
:D

[Brett Borders]

Wow.. that Malaysian food looks great..! I love exotic eats. I confess I would rather have a big spread of that, than the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, anyday.