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by Abdul Basit
The University is home to students from more than 50 countries, and the restaurants in the surrounding community display almost as much diversity. With Middle Eastern gyros, spicy Indian curry, Vietnamese noodles, casual African food and much more, the campus offers many temptations for trying something new. I’ve evaluated each restaurant on a 10-point scale. My scoring is by no means a science--but then neither is gastronomy! The main consideration in scoring was quality, freshness, and taste of the food, but scores were adjusted for creativity of the cuisine, ambiance, price, and service.
LITTLE CHEF
Greek/Mediterranean
Rating: 7.9
307 Oak Street SE
612-378-0095
Typical meal: $6-8
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Recommended: Chicken Gyro, Falafel
Little Chef is one of the newest arrivals on campus, having just
moved into a space between Chipotle and Oak Street Cinema
at the end of fall semester. The theme is Middle Eastern fast
food. Every thing from the pita bread to the yogurt is made
fresh daily, a fact that becomes abundantly clear when you bite
one of their gyros or sandwiches. The menu includes chicken
and beef gyros, kabob, shwarma, falafel, humus, and five salad
options. Being a deli, it seats only 12 guests. The interior is
decorated with pictures of Middle Eastern cities. They have daily
combo specials, and a lunchtime deal of $5 makes it pretty reasonable
for a deli.
VILLAGE WOK
East Asian/Chinese
Rating: 7.4
610 Washington Avenue SE
612-331-9041
Typical meal: $4-8
Hours: 11 a.m. -1:45 a.m
.
Recommended: Sweet and sour chicken, chicken corn crème
soup
Located across Washington Avenue from the Radisson Hotel, the
Village Wok offers tasty Chinese food in a no-frills atmosphere.
The Wok is packed at all hours in the day and night--probably
the most ringing endorsement any restaurant can get. This may
be more due to the reasonable prices than the food; their $4.75
lunch special makes an especially good deal. Their hours are also
a plus for students staying late on campus. Village Wok’s specialty
is Cantonese seafood, which is typically expensive but priced
just right on the Village Wok’s long menu of seafood specials.
The restaurant floor is packed a little close, and with 70 guests
to serve at a time, the service is sometimes less than impressive.
Overall, it serves well as an inexpensive Chinese eatery.
JEWEL OF INDIA
South Asian/Indian
Rating: 7.2
1427 Washington Avenue S.
612-339-0002
Typical meal: $8-15
Hours : Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., 5 p.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday-
Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.
Recommended: Tandoori chicken
Jewel of India is one of the few good restaurants on the West
Bank campus. Don’t let the unimpressive facade turn you away.
Inside, the paintings on the walls of this family-oriented restaurant
give a clean picture of Indian culture. The restaurant offers
seating for 30 guests on the main level and two additional levels
set aside for big event reservations. (It also has its own parking
lot.) It is a modest, tidy restaurant with excellent service and
traditional Indian music that blends in very well with the food.
The menu, with over 50 food varieties, has more temptation for
meat lovers than vegetarians. It is busy at lunchtime, thanks to
the fantastic lunch buffet for $6.99. The food is otherwise rather
expensive but good in quality and taste; the curry dishes are
neither too spicy nor too wimpy, but have a distinctive Indian
aroma. Once you are out of the restaurant, you will definitely
praise the food--but you might not appreciate the smell of your
clothes.
BONA
East Asian/Vietnamese
Rating: 6.9
802 Washington Avenue SE
612-331-5011
Hours: Saturday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Typical meal: $5-8
Recommended: Shrimp lomein, hot and sour soup
Bona was voted the best Vietnamese restaurant by the Star
Tribune--a great endorsement considering the number of Vietnamese
eateries all over the Twin Cities. And the food does
indeed taste good. The restaurant’s décor is different than the
Village Wok’s, especially in the bright lighting, but it can only
seat 40 at a time and has very few servers. The lunch special is a
draw at $4.35 for a selection of up to 20 dishes similar to those
in the normal menu.
SHUANG CHENG
East Asian/Chinese
Rating: 7.7
1320 4th Street SE
612-378-0208
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 11
a.m.-11 p.m.; Sunday, 4 p.m.-10 p.m.
Typical meal: $4-9
Recommended: Sesame chicken
Shuang Cheng is a full-service Chinese restaurant. It is a little
different than other Chinese eat-outs around, with better lighting,
more seating (almost 70), bigger serving staff, and--above
all--a better kitchen. They have a reputation for high quality
ingredients, but the taste is about average. The menu features
more than 100 dishes, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. The
interior is decorated with paintings portraying Chinese culture.
The rushed servers may not make you feel welcome, but their
sesame chicken is worth a visit. Lunch specials for $3.75 also
make it the best deal on the campus at that time.
LORING PASTA BAR
European/Pasta
Rating: 6.7
327 14th Avenue. SE.
612-987-3444
Typical meal: $12-14
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m.;
Sunday, 4:30 p.m.-1 a.m.
Recommended: Pasta
With its Bohemian glamour, the Loring Pasta Bar has mastered a
kind of elegant sophistication. It is not easy to run a restaurant
with great food and service. It would easily win any prize on
campus for exterior decoration, and the eclectic mix of Bohemian
wood and rock art make its interior more striking. Beyond
its (delicious) namesake pasta, there is still much to enjoy at the
Loring. One of the most praised meals is Salade Sauvage featuring
pears, walnuts and blue cheese. This salad, the Loring’s
fresh, crusty French bread, and a cold glass of pinot grigio made
a fantastic and elegant light lunch for under $10. Quality musical
performances also helps fill its 220 seats. Local musicians
have evening contracts with the bar, mainly presenting Salsa,
Tango, Reggae dances, live piano, and guitar performances, so
it’s no surprise that the pasta is incredibly popular for dinner.
Although a little pricey for students, the Loring is a classy place
for a special occasion.
NOODLES & COMPANY
Pasta
Rating: 7.1
233 Cedar Avenue S.
612-659-7777
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Typical meal: $6-8
Recommended: Japanese Pan Noodle, Wisconsin Mac n Cheese
Known for its Japanese Pan Noodles, Noodles & Company offers
the most variety in noodles of any place around the U. But
if you want to try something new and are unsure about the
choices, rest assured that menu of 10 noodles, four salads, and
two soups will not overwhelm you. Their East Asian motel look
together with the slow music gives it a warm feeling to accompany
the warm noodles in your bowl. They have a small parking
lot and are able to seat 50 at a time. The quality and taste of the
noodles is the best I have tried.
KILIMANJARO CAFE
East African
Rating: 7.0
324 Cedar Avenue S.
612-333-2211
Hours: 11 a.m.-Midnight
Typical meal: $8 - 10
Recommended Dishes: Injero
Located a block from the Carlson School on the West Bank,
this is one of three African restaurants next to campus. It seats
only 40 and might well be unknown to most students, despite
its impressive food. Be prepared to eat with your hands since
most dishes are served with flat bread on large platters without
silverware. The 45-dish menu lists many choices for vegetarians
as well as meat lovers, including sandwiches and platters. The interior
features African art, with paintings, lighting, and hanging
beads modeling a typical east African home. The staff is friendly,
and the cafe also educates its guests about the African culture
through its selection of African music. With its medium prices,
the restaurant is good choice for students on campus.
