Hai Hai

We went back to Hai Hai recently as we had not been there since last fall. We arrive a bit early on a Friday evening and were able to easily get places to sit at the bar. It wasn’t even that full until right before we left around 7pm. There were plenty of people waiting in the entry for dining room tables though.

We started with fried wontons filled with cream cheese, chicken liver pate and a side of passion fruit dipping sauce. The chicken liver pate made the flavor very rich and meaty. We also had the water from cakes again, but I forgot to take a photo of them. Still good though!

We also had the spring rolls, which were a bit different than expected. They had a crunch egg roll skin a line of pork sausage, some pickled carrot and jicama all wrapped in a soft spring roll wrapper with dipping sauce. John loved these. I thought they were just OK.

We also had the Balinese chicken thigh with kale, bean sprouts, coconut rice, coconut cream, crispy chicken skin, lime leaf and spicy sambal with Thai chili and fried shallots. This might be our new go to dish. The chicken was so tender and juicy and the coconut rice was rich and creamy. The dish was a bit spicy, but not too much.

We finished with the Vietnamese coffee pot de crème dessert. It was Vietnamese coffee custard, creme fraiche, coco nib and crispy tuile. A light and flavorful way to finish the meal.

The service at the bar was super quick and speedy and all of the food came out amazingly quickly. So I am still loving Hai hai one year later!



Hai Hai
2121 University Ave NE
Minneapolis, MN 55418
Phone: (612) 223-8640
https://www.haihaimpls.com/

Monte Carlo Restaurant

John and I went to the Monte Carlo recently hoping to grab a spot at the bar and have some wings. The bar was already full and we were able to get a table after waiting just a few minutes.

John had the Charlie's Kitchen steak sandwich on pumpernickel with slices of filet Mignon with horseradish sauce served on the side. The steak was served rare as requested and very tender and delicious.

I tried the whiskey peppercorn filet with a baked potato on the side. It is medallions of beef in a Madagascar green peppercorn sauce. The beef was very tender and I liked the flavor of the peppercorn sauce a lot. It is quite rich and flavorful.

The service was very good. Too bad we always end up in the little side room though. It feels so separated and cut off from the bustle of the main dining room.



Monte Carlo
219 3rd Ave N
Minneapolis, MN 55401
(612) 333-5900
http://www.montecarlomn.com

Wahlburgers MOA

We finally decided to check out the Wahlburgers at the Mall of America. I have no idea why it took so long. I watch the silly TV show more than I care to admit too. Yes, it is a dumb show, but I quite like Donny Wahlburg. Always have. (New Kids on the Block anyone?) I guess Marky Mark (Mark Wahlburg) is OK too.

We both had The Our Burger with fries on the side. The burger was topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, government cheese, Wahl sauce and pickles. The server also let us choose a complimentary dipping sauce for the fries, which was a nice touch. The burgers were cooked as ordered and tasted good. I’m just not sure anything really stood out with the food or service that would make us rush back.

The service was fine. This location is full service, in that they wait on you at the table. I was under the improession most locations were more of a counter service situation. The burgers were good, but it is hard to ignore the fact that there is a Shake Shack just above Wahlburgers, and I really like Shake Shack burgers a lot.



Wahlburgers
Mall of America
234 North Garden
Bloomington, MN 55425
Phone: (952) 854-1655
https://wahlburgers.com/

Animales BBQ Company

We made it back to Animales BBQ recently. It is worth seeking this little trailer out. Seriously!!!!!

John had the sampler platter. It included ribs, sausage, brisket and pork belly. The brisket and the pork belly are both excellent. I even liked the sausage quite a bit.

I had 2 chicken tacos. They changed the tacos a bit since last time we were here. These were just OK. The brisket tacos were better.

I think I’ll be going with the sampler platter as well next time around.



Animales Barbeque Co.
(at Able Brewing)
1121 Quincy St NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413

Bull's Horn

The Bull’s Horn is an old dive bar (Sunrise Inn) that was bought by a local chef and given a bit of a refresh. I had never been previously, but it still seems to retain some of the dive bar character, but it's probably now cleaner, brighter and with much better food.

John had the Bull’s Horn burger with bacon and cheese added. He’s not a big cheese fan most of the time, but even he liked the cheese on the burger.

I had the Weather Brooklyn burger with bacon and the house made American cheese added and fries on the side. The house made cheese is some seriously melty, gooey deliciousness. The burger and the bun are just right as well. The fries are solid too.

The Bull’s Horn is a casual spot with some seriously good food. I can’t recommend trying these burgers enough. We want to return to try the fried chicken also.



Bulls Horn
4563 S 34th Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55406
Phone: (612) 208-1378
https://www.bullshornfoodanddrink.com/