People in Chicago have been raving about this place so much that I decided to give it a try when I was in Minneapolis. I ordered the skirt steak and enjoyed every bit of it. The asparagus was so delicious and couldn't get enough of the coconut rice. I'm sure that I will be visiting this place everytime I'm in Minneapolis from now on.
I'm Hmong and I had lunch here. I recently watched the episode of Chef Yia Vang cooking on Iron Chef and was inspired to come try his food. I ordered the chicken quarter leg with noodles and the asparagus. The food came out fairly quick. The chicken was fully cooked and tasted delicious. I really enjoyed his take on my Hmong food. There were also three types of pepper I asked for. All three tasted great. I would highly recommend everyone to come eat here. I would also encourage my fellow Hmong people to open their mind and enjoy Chef Yia Vang's take on our food as he brings awareness of our people to the larger community. Keep up the good work Chef Yia. You're an inspiration to us and our kids. Thank you for raising the bar for our community.
I really wanted to love this restaurant because I always want to support Hmong people and their businesses. The food is decent but it is not representative of what Hmong food is. This is more like Asian fusion food? I ordered the grilled pork and chicken Happy Meal platters. The sticky rice was dry and the meats were under seasoned. Hmong food should be bright and full of flavors that stimulate your taste buds. Their pepper sauce was not even spicy. Listen if you’re new to southeast Asian food, then yes go eat here it’s safe enough to try. But if you’re expecting anything authentic or flavorful, then go to Hmong Village or Hmongtown and grab food from the food stalls there. I am a fan of Chef Yia and I’m excited that he’s putting Hmong cuisine in the national spotlight. I hope his new restaurant will showcase what Hmong food is or can be.
I like the concept of this location but a little dissapointed in the execution. Tried to order the skirt steak "Happy" meal, they were out, then they were out of the BBQ pork, so onto choice three - the Hmong sausage. My favorite part was the charred asparagus and the couple of pickled vegetables that came with it. The sausage was fairly spicy and the sticky rice, once removed from it's sandwich baggy was extremely sticky and bland... Maybe just a miss for me but the seasoning seemed to be extreme or non existent. I'm also not a huge fan on the 18% surcharge for counter service, but appreciate they don't ask for a tip on top. It also took quite awhile to come up for what it was...
I was excited to come and try this. Grabbed every meat portion to try and each meat we got was brunt. Sadly. I could grill better than this and I barely grill. Chicken was undercooked and beef was dry Service was nice and sweet though. Probably first and last time eating this. Also got the hangover noodle. It was okay. Not in my tasting
I am very sad to give this restaurant such a poor rating. The 4 of us were so excited to finally get to try Hmong food. We had 2 of the skirt steaks and 2 of the chicken sandwiches. The skirt steak meal was $18 and the sandwich was $15. The prices are high for the service that you get. They even charge an 18% tip for you to order at the counter and pick up and throw away your garbage. I don't mind paying for a tip when you get service, but we served ourselves and had no choice in paying a tip. It was added to our meal without us being told about it. After reading the reviews, it doesn't sound like we even really had Hmong food!We all agreed that our meals were tasteless. The steak was the best, but it could have been served anywhere. There was no distinct and different flavor. We thought that the Purple Sticky Rice and noodles were also flavorless. The Taro Chips and Asparagus Salad were ok.I had heard of the Chef and the restaurant on many local TV programs and assumed this was going to be a great place to take my family.We won't be returning!
don't ask for non-spicy or vegan options because the chef will call you a racist
The zoo siba meal with BBQ pork, fried Brussels sprouts, and purple sticky rice is incredible. It's unique and very flavorful. The tiger bite hot sauce has a lot of kick so be ready for that. They have a strawberry-guava drink that is homemade and really tasty. Food comes out quick here too and the vibe of Graze is fun. I can't recommend Graze and Union Hmong Kitchen highly enough.
Not to be dramatic, but this is one of the best foods I’ve ever had in my entire life. I got the Zoo Siab meal with the BBQ pork and fried Brussels. The tiger bite hot sauce really pulled everything together but even each thing on its own was spectacular. Great flavor and spice. Awesome portion size too; I have some left over. Highly recommend. (In the photo, the dish on the left is from The Fabled Rooster, which he also REALLY enjoyed)
Hmong food done right! This place highlights the complex flavors of Hmong cuisine while also demonstrating its versatility in form. The taro “nachos” are to die for, and the pork with the cold noodles are the perfect combination. Do not skip this place at the food hall!!!