Friday food

Note: You can also find my suggestions and opinions at my new weekly column at WCCO.com.

A couple of weeks ago, when Teen 1 and I were getting his extra credit in St. Paul, I desperately tried to convince him to try one of the many acclaimed Asian restaurants along University Ave. in St. Paul. He was equally desperate to not try one. In the end, we settled for a Korean barbecue which was quite good. But I've been wanting to go back to University Ave, and so I finally did.

I pointed this one out to Teen 1 on our previous excursion, and for some unknown reason (yes, I did ask, but I never got an answer) he didn't want to. I've heard many good things about it, however, so on a recent trip to St. Paul, I hopped over for a quick lunch.

Holy cow! Is this place ever good! Unfortunately, my interior pictures did not turn out well, but it's nice. Not fancy nice, but comfortable nice, with a tasteful, understated Asian theme. They've got a "quick" lunch menu, not quick in the timeframe sense, but quick in the "it's short and easy to decide" sense. Then there's the dinner menu, which is substantial, and has items ranging from "only for the adventurous diner" to "I grew up on hotdish and don't want anything too weird."

It was hard to choose, because I'm willing, most of the time, to try new things. So the longer dinner menu was a thing of joy to linger over, but my somewhat crabby server clearly felt I should be more decisive. He wasn't overly crabby, just curt and businesslike, and I noticed his manner applied to all his customers--an equal opportunity crabby server. I can live with that. Not overtly rude, just not overtly friendly.

In the end I ordered Kung Pao Shrimp, not the most adventurous choice, but it was what sounded good on a drizzly gray day. And oh, it was good indeed:

Sadly, as I mentioned, my interior pictures didn't turn out well, so you can't see just how pretty the shrimp were, how delicately they were battered, how perfect the steamed white rice was, and how charming the teapot was. The shrimp was exquisite, spicy and flavorful. I meant to save some and bring them home, but...one thing lead to another, and before I knew it, the plate was empty.

Quite a successful venture to University Ave. Already the conundrum begins: of course I must go back to that street, but do I go back to Little Szechuan, which is well worth a repeat visit, or do I try one of the many other places? Decisions, decisions...

Comments

[Eileen]

Here, I live close by and never have tried it... definitely next on our list of 'adventure meals'!

(If you have a chance, try 'The Black Sea', also on Snelling, just south of the bridge over Como Ave. - the Turkish couple that own and work the little restaurant are charming, and the food is good and inexpensive - go during non-peak hours, however, as the Hamline students pack the teensy spot during mealtimes, and having a chat with the owners is half the fun)