Kurdtober Fest

This Friday, October 21st, we're heading to Babani's Kurdish Restaurant in St. Paul. When Babani's opened its doors in 1997, it became the first Kurdish restaurant in the United States. Kurdish food consists of a variety of fruits, vegetables, and meats (most commonly lamb or chicken) served with rice or flat bread.

According to the restaurant's website, Babani men are "known throughout the land for their patriotic sentiments, their fierce fighting habits and their sexual prowess." When the owner, Jamal, heard on the radio that women in Minnesota are "strong, blond, and beautiful," he headed to the Twin Cities. Rachel, here's your opportunity to land a Babani! ;)

So join us at 7:00 PM on Friday, October 21st @

Babani's Kurdish Restaurant
544 St. Peter St.
St. Paul, MN 55402
651.602.9964

A Southeast Asian Nation

This month, we're heading to Peninsula for some Malaysian cuisine. Located in Southeast Asia, Malaysia is described as a "bubbling, bustling melting pot of races and religions." The cuisine is inspired by a mix of Indian, Chinese, and Malay flavors.

At Peninsula, come watch chefs work in the restaurant's open kitchen, preparing such specialties as roti canai, Buddhist yam pot (pictured above), and beef rendang. And for all you vegetarians, their chili tofu ranked #46 on City Pages' 100 Favorite Dishes of 2011. Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't plug the chow fun noodles, which City Pages described as "silky as rain clouds"...sounds like something I'd read in one of my students' papers!

Join us Friday, July 1st at 7:30 PM. You can RSVP here. FYI: A government shutdown is not a sufficient reason for not joining us. You will be ridiculed.

Peninsula Malaysian Cuisine
2608 Nicollet Avenue S.
Minneapolis, MN 55408
612.871.8282

The Year of the Rabbit

According to the Chinese zodiac, most rabbit years are quiet, positive, and inspiring. Family, diplomacy, and personal development will be highlighted in 2011. CNN tells me this is not entirely accurate, but here's hoping for a turn of events in the coming weeks!

Join us Friday, March 25th at the authentic Evergreen Restaurant. Located in Minneapolis, Evergreen serves a variety of Chinese and Taiwanese dishes. For recommendations, you can check out some reviews here.

Friday, March 25th at 7:30 PM.
Evergreen Restaurant
612.871.6801
2424 Nicollet Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55405

We'll get there eventually...

The Great Wall of China will have to wait for another day! After some last minute changes, our new destination is Japan.

Mt. Fuji offers "traditional and French style sushi, tempura, teriyaki, noodles and rice, and hibachi entrees." In a City Pages review, the owner describes French style sushi as a "fusion approach to creating elaborate rolls topped with special sauces. Rolls might be stuffed with mango, wrapped in pink soybean paper, and decorated with intricate edible garnishes—one made from twisted daikon radish ribbons looked almost like a peony blossom."

We're still on for tonight @ 7:00 PM:

Mt. Fuji Restaurant
612.872.1778
2819 Hennepin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55408

The Taj Mahal of Indian Food

This month we're hitting up Gandhi Mahal, a Bangladeshi and Indian restaurant located in Minneapolis. The owner and executive chef, Ruhel Islam, features "dishes cooked from recipes that have survived in our family for many generations."

What would put this stop completely over the top? We'll be dining with our long lost cohort member! That's right, the Amelia Cotton Corl and her future hubby are back in the Twin Cities for one weekend only. Join us on Friday, October 29th at 7:00 PM. Please RSVP by Wednesday, October 27th (you know who you are)!

Gandhi Mahal
3009 27th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55406
612.729.5222
(map)

"The Tallest Taste in the Twin Cities"

In just over a week, we'll be enjoying some fine Nepali and Tibetan food from Everest on Grand. Nestled in the Himilayas, Nepal is home to eight of the world's ten highest mountains.



But they also have great food...

Nepali cuisine is "a blend of tastes from rice-based, North Indian spicy curries and sweets, to dumplings and noodles from Tibet and China." Typical Nepali dishes include the steamed juicy momo (dumplings) and daal-bhaat (typical Nepali combination meal - shown below) with curries, soups, and achaar (specialty house sauces).

Please RSVP if you can make it on July 23, 2010 @ 7:00 PM. This is one you don't want to miss!

Everest on Grand
1278 Grand Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55105
651.696.1666

April showers bring May rice paddies

Indonesia is the world's fourth most populated country. Over 44 percent of the 95 million workers are agricultural workers, producing, among other things, palm oil, rice, tea, coffee, spices, and rubber. Indonesia mastered wet-field rice cultivation, shown above, as early as the eighth century BCE (thank you, Wikipedia), helping it to become the main staple food.

Indonesian cuisine is a collection of dishes from all over the 6,000+ islands that make up Indonesia. Rice, together with poultry, beef, seafood or lamb make up many of the common dishes. Indonesian cuisine has combined its own native spices and cuisine with influences from India, the Middle East, China, and Europe to create a richly-flavored offering. Popular Indonesian dishes include satay, beef rending, and sambal.

Bali, the next stop on the Twin Cities World Tour, is described as “Indonesian soul food in a sleek and striking modern space.” So join me there on Friday, April 30th at 7:00 p.m.

Bali Indonesian Cuisine
1410 Nicollet Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55403
612.354.3302

Stop #3

This month we'll be dining in the 'burbs at King's Restaurant in Fridley. Winner of City Pages' Best Korean Restaurant Award in 2007 and 2009, King's is a "Korean-karaoke spot with some of the best spicy comfort foods around. The room can get pretty loud sometimes, as Korean moms sing their hearts out in front of karaoke monitors full of cherry blossoms. Still, King's--with its full bar, friendly service, late hours, low prices, and giant bowls of chile-laced soups to cure whatever ails you--is one of the best restaurants in the underserved north/northeast/Columbia Heights/Fridley corridor."

For the brave, we may have to do some soju bombs to muster up the courage for karaoke (blame Wes for the idea). Dinner will be Saturday, February 27th, at 7:00 PM. Please RSVP by that Thursday so I can make reservations in advance!

Here is the restaurant address:
1051 East Moore Lake Rd.
Fridley, MN 55432
Google maps directions from Uptown

It's about 20 minutes from the city, so let me know when you RSVP if you are interested in carpooling (or have room in your car for another person or two) and I'm happy to organize ridesharing.