Minnesota Rice showcases authentic Asian cuisine in the Twin Cities from 15 ethnicities spanning Southeast Asia, East Asia, and South Asia.
Many Asian restaurants in the Twin Cities are overlooked and do not receive the recognition they deserve. Our society commonly views European cuisines (such as French and Italian) as "high-class" and “prestigious,” whereas Asian cuisines are considered "lowbrow" and "cheap." We want to break away from these stereotypes and showcase the art and excellence of Asian cuisine through our experiences.
We will be posting a detailed feature of each restaurant here, as well as showcasing high-quality photos of a selection of the restaurant’s dishes. We will be rotating the restaurants we visit and profile a different region of Asia for each post. Our ultimate goal is to bring more customers to the Asian restaurant community, as many of our community members rely on restaurants to support their livelihoods.
Through profiling a wide variety of Asian restaurants, we hope to bring light to Minnesota's diverse Asian population.
Paulina Hoong (she/her/hers) is a second-generation Chinese American from Fairmont, Minnesota. Her immigrant parents have owned “China Restaurant,” a Chinese-American restaurant, for 30 years. She is a writer and watercolor artist interested in the intersection of food, the second-generation Asian American experience, and community connection.
Sandy Lor (she/her/hers) is a second-generation Hmong aspiring physician. She is a content creator on YouTube and Instagram, as well as a self-taught musician who enjoys singing, playing guitar and piano, and composing music. Sandy volunteers as a researcher for Selfchec.org, a non-profit health prevention and wellness organization. She is passionate about patient care, health, and well-being.
Sandy and Paulina are best friends forever (BFF’s) and love food. Follow Minnesota Rice or Paulina Hoong and Sandy Lor on Instagram.
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