661625 Thu Oct 22 19:37:35 -0700 2009 71 8 Midwest 0 5124226 After attempts to find Americanized Chinese to his liking jfood feels like Giuseppe O'Toole. Who is Giuseppe O'Toole? He left France in 1491 in search of America, and he failed. Likewise jfood has failed. Maybe it is a different taste that he grew up with back east, maybe there is just a difference between NJ/NY/CT Americanized Chines versus what is available in MSP. But with all the great other choices and his total lack of success, jfood will call it quits on this venture. He claims success on the Cheesburger and Ice Cream Tours, but he he gives himself an "F" on the Chinese venture. Oh Well. Jfood returning in two weeks and already has a reservation at Bar La Grassa and the Taste of the NFL. Thu Oct 22 19:37:35 -0700 2009 11290 jfood 1 5124245 And you're going to deprive us of all the gory details? I haven't seen you writing about any of this bad Chinese food. Thu Oct 22 19:48:44 -0700 2009 5124226 11890 faith 2 5124271 No gory details at all. Just not to his liking but each place was thriving with locals enjoying. So jfood will take the hit on this one. No need giving bad reviews if it is not the restaurant's fault. Just different strokes for different folks syndrome. Thu Oct 22 19:57:35 -0700 2009 5124245 11290 jfood 1 5124281 This made me giggle -- "no mas" is what we say to Miss Dog when all of her treats are gone. Is there really no decent Chinese in MSP? Seems like there should be something. Thu Oct 22 20:04:58 -0700 2009 5124226 11995 pikawicca 2 5124598 pika, there is indeed decent Chinese food here (my favs are Little Szechuan and Tea House; but Pagoda (it's pan Asian, including Chinese), and Mandarin Kitichen aren't bad; also there's Shuang Cheng for Lobster, Keefer Court for bakery, Yangtze (per ScoopG--I haven't been yet) for passable dim sum) but good AMERICANIZED Chinese is difficult to come by, in part because it depends on what Americanized means to you. We even have (about 15 years after the curve) have a new upscale pan Asian restaurant Ginger Hop that's getting a lot of buzz. For Americanized, I think the cream cheese won tons here are pretty good here, but I hadn't really encountered them before, either, so they define cream cheese won tons to me. I don't understand the bizarre bologna stuff that comes on chow mein here. I get my Americanized Chinese food from Grand Shanghai on Grand Avenue in St. Paul. Little Szechuan has a decent, though not extensive, Americanized menu, though I haven't ordered from it in yonks, because I go there for the Szechuan menu. ~TDQ Fri Oct 23 02:22:44 -0700 2009 5124281 12005 The Dairy Queen 1 5124523 Americanized Chinese food is very different here in Minnesota. We have weird and seemingly singular taste when it comes this and I have no idea why. Heck, I'm still searching for the old-fashioned Minnesota brown Chow Mein of my youth. You'd probably really hate it, but it's what my tastebuds remember. One thing that's very different about our "Chinese" food is that it's usually packed with sugar. Also, over the past couple or so decades it's become much more Vietnamese than Chinese. I personally go for Broccoli in Garlic Sauce in most places and it's wildly different everywhere I've tried it. I kind of like that it's so unpredictable but I'm thinking that would frustrate most people. Thu Oct 22 23:48:38 -0700 2009 5124226 10516 MplsM ary 2 5124798 "Americanized Chinese food is very different here in Minnesota. We have weird and seemingly singular taste when it comes this and I have no idea why." Agreed wholeheartedly. Fri Oct 23 06:15:49 -0700 2009 5124523 253508 Bill Roehl 1 5124926 I can understand the wanting to give up. But if you can't find something to love at Pagoda, you're not trying at all. (Which reminds me, have you taken my advice to get a burger at Good Day Cafe yet?) Pagoda has hundreds of dishes and a constant array of changing specials -- everything from Americanized to standard Chinese Chinese food. All of the...let's see....25-30 (?) dishes I've tried there have all been between good and amazing. When Mother Nature is pissed off like she seems to be right now, their hot pots and soups are the perfect cure for the shivers. I wish I was having lunch there today. Fri Oct 23 07:25:22 -0700 2009 5124226 11110 MSPD 1 5125042 I found Pagoda's dim sum to be so-so and not as fresh as Yangtze. Also Pagoda offers a mixture of Chinese, Japanese and even Thai items if I recall which is always bad news for a Chinese restaurant. Has Jfood tried the quintessential Midwest Chinese-American dish: Chow Mein - a mixture of ground pork (or turkey) and celery in a sauce served over the crispy Chungking Brand style noodles with rice on the side? Big take out item. I've not seen this elsewhere in the USA although I've heard it used to be served in northern NJ. I tried to find an old thread on Chow Mein from the MSP board but did not have time...here's a start with four places but I expect every local neighborhood Chinese serves it: http://search.chow.com/search?search_board_id=8&query=chow+mein+in+msp&sort_mode=newest&search_boardgroup_id=4&from_date=1+year+ago&type=Topic&page=3 Fri Oct 23 08:08:38 -0700 2009 5124226 148845 scoopG 2 5125141 Dim Sum and the regular dining are two different things -- my comments are re: the regular dining. Fri Oct 23 08:46:47 -0700 2009 5125042 11110 MSPD 3 5125174 i went to pagoda for dim sum the first weekend they offered it, and it was a durn good improvement over mandarin and the like. but since then i've been working weekend mornings. has the dim sum at pagoda just sucked lately, or is yangtse just that much better (i haven't been)? i look forward to dim sum sometime when i get a weekend morning off next month, so this is big for me. help me out, hounds! :) Fri Oct 23 09:01:17 -0700 2009 5125141 46030 soupkitten 4 5126393 In my once only taste tests of both both Pagoda and Yangtse, Yangste won hands down. Some of the dumpling skins at Pagoda were withered or cracked and overall just not as fresh as Yangstse. Fri Oct 23 16:51:34 -0700 2009 5125174 148845 scoopG 1 5125051 if i was trying to get good chinese i'd go to tea house, LS (though i am concerned about a recent LSndownhill report by Bob s? i think? someone very reliable in any case), or pagoda (i like pagoda's dim sum). keefer court is a good chinese bakery. if i was trying to get mn-americanized chinese i'd go to rainbow or ping's (i don't ever go). it's also dead easy to stumble into a leeann chin's or it's ilk, esp in the burbs. i hope that Jfood did not have the bad luck to encounter this type of restaurant. many "chinese" restaurants in the msp area are actually vietnamese, so you have to know what you're looking at.-- vietnamese is a more solid food scene here than chinese in any case, but there are decent chinese restaurants here, just not a big chinatown scene. agree wholeheartedly with TDQ about the cream cheese wontons. they are a funny thing :) they are not authentic to anything, obviously, but i think they would be the state appetizer (as fried cheese curds would be WI's). they are gooey and delicious, usually served with an unfortunately sweet gloopy sauce, and enjoyed by all. even the authentic chinese places need to have them on the menu because they are just screamingly popular with everyone. you really haven't dined in msp until you've sampled CCW-- they are totally like the jucy lucy. i can't type this with a straight face. i really can't even believe i typed it. but i think it's true. doh. Fri Oct 23 08:12:02 -0700 2009 5124226 46030 soupkitten 2 5125874 Cream cheese wonton booster, here. The best versions to me are purse shaped, made with wonton wrappers NOT egg roll wrappers - too crunchy. If they have jalapenos in them, so much the better. The goop should be cut with hot mustard for me. You are right it is just so wrong. I think we can thank Leeann Chin for the now ubiquitous CCW and I'm happy to do so even if the CCWs at Leeann Chin outlets kinda blow, thanks to the way they keep them warm. Oddly enough, Thai places have the best cream cheese wontons/puffs. Fri Oct 23 12:54:40 -0700 2009 5125051 10516 MplsM ary 2 5126396 I noticed no drop off at LS during my visit this past September. I did not get to TH in Plymouth again but would certainly go back. Fri Oct 23 16:53:18 -0700 2009 5125051 148845 scoopG 2 5128809 Thanks for the kudos, sk. I don't know if I was the one whose report you saw. I had a mediocre lunch, but I don't know if I'd say it was completely downhill. I chalked it up to poor ordering myself. I've heard some reports here that say that things are as good as ever. I haven't been back recently - it's the other side of the river for me - but I'm definitely willing to try it again. Sat Oct 24 22:38:50 -0700 2009 5125051 12826 bob s 1 5125110 yes. I have suffered too. But I think I found something in Peking Garden? in the Midway Rainbow strip mall. Cod with black bean sauce is my favorite and they are open till 2AM on the weekends...so close to the turf club can't be beat! Fri Oct 23 08:33:49 -0700 2009 5124226 1118525 stepawayfromthetable 1 5125231 I have fond memories of a place near the U of M campus called The Village Wok. To my, then-unsophisticated, palate it was exotic and delicious. Has my memory been clouded by time, or is it really as good as I remember? Fri Oct 23 09:20:27 -0700 2009 5124226 56780 Monch 2 5125238 If you mean "good" as in a little greasy, but great before or after drinking, yes it's still good. I don't sense any change in VW in the 10-15 years or so that I've eaten there. Fri Oct 23 09:22:34 -0700 2009 5125231 12826 bob s 3 5125708 OK, I don't think I remember where I left my Beer Goggles.... Everything was new and exciting then......I'm older now. Fri Oct 23 11:57:20 -0700 2009 5125238 56780 Monch 2 5126399 I used to love the beef noodle soup at The Village Wok years ago but have not been back. Yes, it once was pretty darn good in the 80's. Fri Oct 23 16:54:34 -0700 2009 5125231 148845 scoopG 2 5131641 The wonton noodle soup at Village Wok is still pretty boss. All porky and shrimpy and sesame-y and scallion-y. It used to be only on their late night menu but I believe it's now on the regular menu. Mmm. Mon Oct 26 09:28:54 -0700 2009 5125231 13324 diesel 1 5126041 I miss Yummy, which had good dim sum and good dinners. What about Evergreen? Fri Oct 23 14:00:54 -0700 2009 5124226 263371 kevin47 1 5126505 jfood -- I also grew up with northern NJ Americanized Chinese food, and agree that I have not yet found that flavor profile here in MN. However, I also lived in SF for a number of years -- arguably the mecca of Chinese food in the US -- and could not find the NJ flavor profile *there*, either. (Although out there, there were a lot more authentic Chinese restaurants that more than compensated for the lack of NJ-style Chinese.) I have mostly given up on Chinese food here, other than LS/GS. But I would re-open that search if it meant finding a good Chinese place that would have delivery/takeout to SW Minneapolis. Has anyone ever tried Xin Wong at 48th and Nicollet? Curious -- I drove by it the other day and noticed it for the first time. Fri Oct 23 18:00:55 -0700 2009 5124226 1103740 chrismpls 2 5126552 So, what is it that marks northern NJ Americanized Chinese? I mean, it seems cream-cheese wontons and lots of deep-fried stuff with sweet sauce (i.e. Seasame Chicken, Sweet & Sour anything) indicate predominant Minnesota style of Americanized Chinese. Salt & Pepper Prawns? Are those Authentic Chinese? Minnesota Chinese? NJ Chinese? I'm so easily confused. I like Grand Shanghai. I don't think it's particularly authentic chinese, but I'm not in China, so I'm willing to eat the tasty green beans and other dishes they make. I also like Tea House/Tea House 2/Little Szechuan, but the last two or three meals at TH2 and LS seemed like they've started coasting and I fear they won't recover. Village Wok is usually a good restaurant. I just don't know if their food is NJ Americanized or what... Seems like some kind of taxonomy might be needed, like with BBQ and all the regional variations. Fri Oct 23 18:31:22 -0700 2009 5126505 27956 JimGrinsfelder 3 5127032 Am not sure what constitutes northern NJ Americanized Chinese food but you are right about all this battered, deep fried sweet and sour meat is gloppy red sauce is not Chinese. I would say Chow Mein is something I've not seen outside the upper Midwest. Sort of like a Cashew Chicken dish that is every Chinese place serves in Springfield, MO. Salt and Pepper dishes are featured across many of the Chinese cuisines - will have to try the Village Wok as it used to be a a solid mainstay years ago but that might be several ownership changes ago... edit: here's the Cashe Chicken link http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/119964 Sat Oct 24 04:23:38 -0700 2009 5126552 148845 scoopG 4 5127035 And I am sure New Englanders in the Twin Cities heartily miss their Chow Mein Sandwiches! http://newsblog.projo.com/archives/2007/02/chow_mein_sandw.html Sat Oct 24 04:29:49 -0700 2009 5127032 148845 scoopG 4 5127097 What? "Americanized Chinese" that includes chow mein and deep fried sweet and sour meat in gloppy red sauce, is most certainly not exclusive to the upper Midwest. ~TDQ Sat Oct 24 06:01:40 -0700 2009 5127032 12005 The Dairy Queen 5 5127140 Oh - gloppy red sweet and sour can be found everywhere - but Minnesota “Chow Mein” - celery and ground meat in sauce over the crispy Chungking style crispy noodles with rice on the side - I've not seen outside of the upper Midwest. I think it was also once found in northern NJ. This American style Chow Mein is not to be confused with the real McCoy – Chao3 Mian4 (Chow Mein in Cantonese) 炒面 which is stir fried noodles. Sat Oct 24 06:40:59 -0700 2009 5127097 148845 scoopG 6 5127154 Oh, gotcha. Well, I think that's primarily the influence of the Iron Range's own Jeno Paulucci and his discovery that he could get celery trimmings for cheap. http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Luiginos-Inc-Company-History.html ~TDQ Sat Oct 24 06:49:50 -0700 2009 5127140 12005 The Dairy Queen 7 5128266 Thanks - never knew the Jeno connection to Chungking and celery trimmings! Sat Oct 24 16:48:17 -0700 2009 5127154 148845 scoopG 6 5128852 I'm thinking that gloppy celery chowmein with the crispy noodles used to be a mainstay at East Coast Jewish events like weddings and bar mitzvahs... Sat Oct 24 23:28:48 -0700 2009 5127140 11890 faith 6 5133310 This is something i never got over in six years of living in minn. growing up in sf "Chow Mein" was pan/stir fried thin (not ridiculously thin or anything) noodles. Chow fun would be the same dish but with wide rice noodles substituted. I arrive in st paul to find that gloppy brown mess with rice served with it, and ill say that the only time i was more disappointed than the first time was when i forgot about my unfortunate discovery while ordering some late night post-drinking delivery and all i wanted were greasy noodles and instead i got an inedible tub of gross turkey/celery gravy. As some anecdata for you - at a central (though almost northern) NJ highly americanized chinese restaurant (family function i got no say) just yesterday my uncle ordered vegetable chow mein which was basically a plate of steamed/greasy mixed veg with a bowl of thickened brown sauce (he may have been offered a choice of white or brown sauce). there were no crispy noodles. he doesn't eat rice (!?!) so i cant say definitively if thats normally part of the service. Mon Oct 26 19:04:49 -0700 2009 5127140 108056 tex.s.toast 7 5133657 Hey tex -- miss your posts here now that you've moved. Check in when you have an opinion or when you're back. Mon Oct 26 22:26:26 -0700 2009 5133310 123744 karykat 7 5151270 Yeah I can see where it would be hard to stomach if you didn't grow up on it! Tue Nov 03 01:36:02 -0800 2009 5133310 148845 scoopG 5 5129785 Has anyone tried the storefront chinese place with the neon sign with a bowl of noodles over on 26th AVE S, next to Rainbow Foods, just north of Lake Street? I saw it a couple of times this summer when I was driving a particularly strange kid-dropoff run*, but I never got a chance to eat the food. * start at Grand and Snelling, go to Seward Montesorri, drop one, drive to 43rd and Nicollet, drop two, drive to Broadway and Central and work. Sun Oct 25 14:21:42 -0700 2009 5127097 27956 JimGrinsfelder 6 5142442 Oh, you do not wanna go there. I tried it. Place was dirty (god knows what was on the pepper shaker I picked up) and the food was ... well, I couldn't finish it, and that's saying something. Shrimp rubbery and weird. Sauce gelatinous and flavorless. Not going there again. Fri Oct 30 06:25:23 -0700 2009 5129785 34128 fendel 2 5127025 The mecca of great Chinese cuisine in the US is found in the San Gabriel Valley (not LA), the Bay area (not San Francisco) and Flushing, NY. Have not tried Xin Wong but it is near the ages-old Cathay Chow Mein... Sat Oct 24 04:15:46 -0700 2009 5126505 148845 scoopG 1 5126750 Ah jfood...I lack your sophisticated flavor palate, but I know me some good junky chinese food when I taste it. I had a favorite back in Chicago, but have not yet found anything to take it's place here. So far my best replacement has been Red Pepper in Richfield. Plenty of brown sauce, a good fried rice, and my feet don't stick to the floor when I walk in to pick up my order. Fri Oct 23 20:42:08 -0700 2009 5124226 265047 puddin head 2 5127939 best that i can recommend is Cheng's Chinese Garden (Nicollet/Lake St. Officemax shopping center)....again - it may not be what you're looking for....but after 2 years in NYC Hells Kitchen area, we were addicted to a very similar restaurant.....I've usually got tunnel vision with the pork lo mein, gen tso's, dumplings, etc.....so i haven't really tested the waters. But I haven't been dissapointed yet..... And your feet will definitely stick to the floor.....(had a good laugh from that comment - thx puddin head...) Sat Oct 24 13:41:35 -0700 2009 5126750 121745 nymoving2004 3 5128483 thanks NY, I will definitely give them a try the next time I have a craving..I have a similar tunnel vision when it comes to orange chicken and beef and broccoli. I'll be sure to wear my teflon shoes :) Sat Oct 24 19:00:21 -0700 2009 5127939 265047 puddin head 1 5127945 This is GREAT!!! Minnesota Nice meets some good old fashioned A-Type competitive DNA. Will be in MSP for a bunch of November and will definitely give some of these a try. Thanks all. Sat Oct 24 13:47:11 -0700 2009 5124226 11290 jfood 2 5151233 Okay. I have to post again. Peking Garden is good. I just had their Ma Pa Tofu and asked for some baby bok choy in it. It was excellent; hot *spicy* oil from the pork, soft fresh tofu, bright peas and bok choy. and for under 10 bucks. it may be the best Ma Po Tofu I've eaten. Wish their fresh whitefish and black bean sauce wasn't about 20 bucks...but will be back for it on date night. Open till 2 on weekends...and late on the other nights. Mon Nov 02 23:48:49 -0800 2009 5127945 1118525 stepawayfromthetable 1 5153630 I always enjoy PF Changs. The crab wantons are to die for IMO. Although I did eat at their counter-part a couple weeks ago (pei-wei) (Sp?) and it was really bad :( Tue Nov 03 17:22:02 -0800 2009 5124226 1121517 boardsurfer 1 5155826 I know jfood usually sticks around the Minneapolis area having read his posts, but I have to recommend The Great Mandarin in Eden Prairie. It's actually in Eden Prairie Center, but if you park in the north side of the lower Von Maur parking lot, you can use the mall entrance between Von Maur and JC Penneys to get to The Great Mandarin without having to traverse the mall. The Great Mandarin was a staple for me when I was in high school, and their cream cheese wantons are the best I've ever had. My mom always gets their Cashew Chicken, and she's pretty finicky about her Chinese food. I like the Sesame Chicken myself. Plus they have an awesome staff. It's really worth a visit. Wed Nov 04 12:27:19 -0800 2009 5124226 323693 seacatte 2 5165102 Note that JPFood gave himself an F on Chinese food in Minneapolis vs an indictment on the availability of good Chinese cuisine. So let's get very specific. We refer to dining, not dim sum, and we mean authentic food -- not cream cheese won ton or other horrors. I'm going to excude Szechuan cuisine, because there's a real confusion between spice and flavor. For example, Tea House West has become incredibly spicy, but flavor has significantly dropped in my opinion. For well cooked Chinese cuisine, my favorite has always been Seafood Palace on Nicollet and 25th. This is disciplined Cantonese cooking with an emphasis of freshness. Every dish taste different, like the way it's suppose to taste. Subtle dishes, like steamed oysters, retain their delicacy. The quail is to die for. Mandarin Kitchen has some excellent dishes, pea tips and fried tofu, but their duck is to be avoided. Sun Nov 08 10:13:58 -0800 2009 5155826 176814 discus 3 5165135 Actually, it seemed to me jfood specifically was seeking "Americanized" Chinese food in the Twin Cities and having no luck. As far as I recall, he hadn't really even posted (either in this thread or outside of it) that he's looking for good, authentic cuisine here. If you want good Americanized Chinese in the Twin Cities, recommendations for places that serve good cc won tons (which I find completely crave-worthy, and not at all horrific what's not to like about deep fried cheese, when they are done well, though even then I consider them 95% Minnesotan and 5% Chinese), seem entirely appropriate to me. I'm actually pretty psyched about some of the cc won tons rec'd in this thread as, before now, I hadn't even known how good they could get. Thanks for the tip on MK's quail--I shall add that to my list. ~TDQ Sun Nov 08 10:35:44 -0800 2009 5165102 12005 The Dairy Queen 4 5165367 Thanks all. Jfood has 4 meals in MSP next week and given the Wolves play Houston he will probably pass on that game. So far Bar La Grassa and Alma. Probably one up in SP for a Selby or University event and then maybe a Chinese. He may also try for Masa since he was unsuccessful last week. He normally likes some fried dumplings, a chicken dish (sadly he likes Gen Tsao) and possibly a beef/pork. So he will re-read all of these and try for something. Thanks everyone BTW - Jfood has never heard of a CC won ton and not sure he is better or worse for it. Sun Nov 08 13:20:09 -0800 2009 5165135 11290 jfood 5 5165388 Consider the cc won ton a local delicacy, the way you would jucy lucy or walleye sandwich. EDIT: P.S. in my opinion, nothing wrong with liking General Tsao's chicken. There's room on the delicious continuum for even "inauthentic" foods. ~TDQ Sun Nov 08 13:33:04 -0800 2009 5165367 12005 The Dairy Queen 6 5165392 that's what jfood thought yet it started getting included in NJ Chinese. In NJ CC goes on bagels. Sun Nov 08 13:34:31 -0800 2009 5165388 11290 jfood 7 5165421 You're in dairy country now. There's really no inappropriate application for cheese, especially fried. You've tried deep fried cheese curds, right? They are nothing like cc won tons of course, but another MN must do. ~TDQ Sun Nov 08 13:49:32 -0800 2009 5165392 12005 The Dairy Queen 8 5165449 (Hanging head) No, Ma'am. Sun Nov 08 14:02:18 -0800 2009 5165421 11290 jfood 9 5165457 Oh my goodness! We've been shamefully delinquent in our tour guide duties! I can't remember, have you been to Town Talk Diner in Minneapolis yet? You might enjoy dining at the bar there. I find the place loud and crowded, but this time of year, (ie., not summer, not State Fair time, not Conny's Creamy Cone time) it might be one of your best options for fried cheese curds. If you haven't tried frickles, this might also be your best bet. http://www.towntalkdiner.com/ If Jordan's around, he can speak eloquently about the rest of their menu. I think Blue Door Pub is supposed to have good deep fried cheese curds (and spam bites) but I've never personally tried them. Expect a wait... http://www.thebluedoorpubmn.com/menu.php Maybe BDP fans can chime in... ~TDQ Sun Nov 08 14:09:17 -0800 2009 5165449 12005 The Dairy Queen 10 5165479 Town Talk Diner is a favorite of mine. It's a truly friendly joint, so if you sit at the bar, you'll can expect some fun interaction with the staff. Their burgers are topnotch, and they usually have an interesting menu of gastropubby sort of food ... a bit downscale, a bit upscale, but done with attention to quality. I recommend it. Sun Nov 08 14:21:21 -0800 2009 5165457 13777 Jordan 10 5167279 I'll chime in as a BDP fan. The cheese curds are good there (not quite up to TTD, but tasty). Really liked the fried pickles (frickles). We also tried the fried spam - it was tasty, but as quoted at the table "anything wrapped in this much cream cheese and fried would taste good". I went with a group of four and we shared five different burgers. All were good, some were great (including the jiffy burger). Made me the fan I am. Mon Nov 09 10:10:57 -0800 2009 5165457 46057 Uisge 9 5165559 Don't do it, jfood! These things are vile beyond belief -- like eating rubber. I was shocked when I tried these for the first (and definitely only) time. Can't believe that so many people apparently find this stuff edible. Shudder, shudder, shudder. Sun Nov 08 14:57:35 -0800 2009 5165449 11995 pikawicca 10 5165563 Eating deep fried cheese curds is like eating rubber? Nay, they should be gooey on the inside inside, crispy on the outside. Fresh cheese curds are more rubbery, but if they are fresh enough (24 hours old or younger), then the squeekiness if them is sufficiently entertaining. pika, if your deep fried cheese curd experience has reminded you of eating rubber, you need a visit to the Twin Cities so we can show you how it's done right. State Fair, Conny's Creamy Cone, Town Talk Diner... Avoid, avoid, avoid the fried cheese curds at TCF Bank Stadium. Now those are vile. ~TDQ Sun Nov 08 15:01:12 -0800 2009 5165559 12005 The Dairy Queen 11 5165573 I think I'll let jfood be the guinea pig on this one. If he posts a favorable report, I might be able to bring myself to give it another try. (Your description of fried cheese curds sounds yummy.) Sun Nov 08 15:06:24 -0800 2009 5165563 11995 pikawicca 12 5165596 What's not to love? Fried+cheese. I fear you've been eating stale "fresh" curds, which end up being rubbery instead of "snappy"... ~TDQ Sun Nov 08 15:17:56 -0800 2009 5165573 12005 The Dairy Queen 6 5174638 What, like pizza and burritos? ;) Wed Nov 11 20:30:36 -0800 2009 5165388 108056 tex.s.toast 5 5165481 Cream cheese wontons are basically crab rangoon, minus the crab. Do they have those where you're from? Now that I've relocated to the West Coast, I'm finding that cream cheese wontons are common in Thai restaurants out here, oddly enough. Sun Nov 08 14:22:07 -0800 2009 5165367 13777 Jordan 6 5165514 I don't believe in crab rangoon the same way I don't believe in Big Foot. Never seen it. Who in the Twin Cities serves it? ~TDQ Sun Nov 08 14:34:56 -0800 2009 5165481 12005 The Dairy Queen 7 5165702 I believe I've seen frozen crab rangoon at Kowalski's. Sun Nov 08 16:00:02 -0800 2009 5165514 13777 Jordan 7 5165800 I used to get crab rangoon at David Fongs. I can't remember when they switched to cc wontons, but I seem to remember a server saying it was allergy related. More people can eat them without the crab, and the amount of crab flavor was minimal. The same family runs it, so maybe someone who visits can find out. Sun Nov 08 16:51:22 -0800 2009 5165514 22235 otps 7 5165802 I think Lemongrass in Brooklyn Park does. Kevin47 posted this... "We started with the wontons and the sausage appetizer. I've been trying to discourage the wife from relying on the old standbys, but these wontons weren't much help to me. Nice and dense, with a bit of onion and crab in the center. If you're going to fry cheese, this is how you fry cheese" Sun Nov 08 16:51:42 -0800 2009 5165514 192592 getgot211 8 5165884 Seems like crab rangoon are about as popular as egg rolls lately. Not all that exciting, but tasty especially of served with a good sweet/spicy sauce. Sun Nov 08 17:41:29 -0800 2009 5165802 50082 TonyO 9 5165962 Just went Fongs web site and crab rangoon is on the menu. Sun Nov 08 18:20:07 -0800 2009 5165884 22235 otps 10 5166051 It's good to hear town talk hasn't gone downhill after the changes. The Cheese curds there are excellent...made with wisconsin cheese and deep fried to perfection with a hint of citrus flavor. I concur on Great Mandarin having good americanized chinese food. I always order the hunan chicken as I love the tangy sauce. As far as crab rangoons I have had some excellent ones at Tian Jin but am reluctant to recommend as quality has dropped lately. Sun Nov 08 19:21:22 -0800 2009 5165962 75263 dave43 11 5172648 I hate to dissapoint, but after comparing the two in consecutive nights I think that the curds at the red stag are the new benchmark for cheese curds in the city when we are not in the 12 days of state fair...even the homemade ketchup was superior(and bacon free, which should be an unfair advantage towards TTD) Wed Nov 11 08:29:35 -0800 2009 5166051 38964 mitch cumstein 12 5172813 I fail to see how discovering BETTER food is a disapointment, especially since TTD is usually too loud and crowded for my tastes. :) I shall put Red Stag's cheese curds on my list of must haves, thanks for the tip! ~TDQ Wed Nov 11 09:23:33 -0800 2009 5172648 12005 The Dairy Queen 7 5166244 hee...we bought (and devoured) a box of crab rangoon from Costco this weekend. no real crab flavor, but a nice bit of onion/spice flavor to them, which is where I think cream cheese wontons fall short compared to crab rangoon...they are devoid of any spice or kick. Sun Nov 08 21:30:20 -0800 2009 5165514 265047 puddin head 1 5173453 For what it's worth, at the Rainbow last weekend we had superb Szechaun beef ribs for our app..... Cut in 1" squares, these ribs come with an excellent smokey hoisin sauce with chiles & sliced charred green onion. Then one of our favorites at the Rainbow... Shrimp with black bean sauce...always very good. Also, I tried for the first time the Sate Summer Beef. Beef with onions, pea pods, and cabbage...in a very spicy red chile sauce. Again, just excellent. Also, their bok choy with garlic/ginger sauce is another favorite. Wed Nov 11 12:52:15 -0800 2009 5124226 151330 Maggie19