The turquoise and green wallpapered dining room at Hai Hai. Deep blue chairs are stationed at wooden tables and two orange and purple paper lanterns hang above them. — From new spots like Hai Hai, to classics like Quang, the best in local Vietnamese dining

9 Top Vietnamese Restaurant in the Twin Cities

All the pho, banh mi and bun to devour

by Julie Zhou Jan 22, 2019, 11:03am CST

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From new spots like Hai Hai, to classics like Quang, the best in local Vietnamese dining

| Kevin Kramer / Eater Twin Cities

by Julie Zhou Jan 22, 2019, 11:03am CST

Home to a large South East Asian population, the Twin Cities have an abundance of excellent grocers and restaurants that ground themselves in the cuisine of the region. For those looking for a good bowl of pho or baguettes for bánh mì, there’s no shortage of Vietnamese eateries: particularly on Minneapolis’ Eat Street and along St. Paul’s University stretch. From rich, layered broths to complex, salty-sour gỏi bắp chuối here are nine essential Vietnamese restaurants in the Twin Cities.

Restaurants are listed geographically from West to East

Vo's Vietnamese Restaurant

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Located at the corner of 34th and Lyndale, this colorful, vegan-friendly restaurant has unmissable lunch specials for Minneapolis’ Uptown crowd. For $7, pick between fifteen different combinations on offer: from bánh mì and a fresh spring roll to a coconut milk curry with steamed rice.

3450 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55408

(612) 584-3630

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Where to Find Pho in the Twin Cities

Quang Restaurant

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A decades-long institution, this Eat Street mainstay always bustling during dinnertime. Get an order of egg rolls to share, and pick from the wide variety of noodle soups: from flavorful vegan broths to a rich bun bo hue swimming with tender braised brisket, there’s something for everyone on their extensive menu.

2719 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55408

(612) 870-4739

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The bun rieu, a crab meat soup is perfect for chilly days

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Pho Tau Bay

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Though the broken rice platters and noodle soups are always excellent at this vibrant Eat Street eatery, don’t miss the rotating specials on the weekend menus: numbingly spicy dried pepper curries, thin rice noodles redolent of fish sauce, silken tofu braised in an unctuous tomato-beef froth.

2837 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55408

(612) 874-6030

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Hai Hai

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Nearing on a year in their lively Northeast space, Hai Hai draws on the flavors and ingredients of Southeast Asian cuisine: from a sweet-savory rendition of chả cá lã vọng to a salad that features a tangle of shredded banana blossoms, fried shallots, pickled onions, and a pungent, sour-sweet nuoc cham dressing.

2121 University Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418

(612) 223-8640

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Simplee Pho

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For those closer to the southern edges of the Twin Cities, this strip mall Apple Valley restaurant is the perfect takeout spot. Get one of their combination rice plates or a chef’s special: like the thịt bò xào khoai tây, featuring shallow-fried disks of potato and thin cuts of ribeye glazed with savory-sweet oyster sauce.

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15265 Galaxie Ave, Apple Valley, MN 55124

(952) 997-7788

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Ngon Vietnamese Bistro

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In an industrial-modern space on University, Ngon Bistro focuses on bringing fresh, sustainable, local Minnesota ingredients to Vietnamese cuisine. Featuring a bone broth simmered from Thousand Hills marrow and knuckle bones, a bowl of pho is a must-order.

799 University Ave W, St Paul, MN 55104

(651) 222-3301

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Broth is poured from a pot into a bowl with onions and beef slices

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Trung Nam French Bakery

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For a tiny bakery with limited hours, Trung Nam French Bakery delivers big. For just $3.75, get the house bánh mì: one of their chewy, crackly-edged baguettes brushed with mayo and piled high with pork, pate, a strip of jalapeno, and shreds of lightly pickled carrots and daikon.

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739 University Ave W, St Paul, MN 55104

(651) 229-0887

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Fresh baguette serve as the base of this classic sandwich

Trieu Chau Restaurant

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This popular St. Paul restaurant consistently tops “best of…” lists for fans of pho across the Twin Cities--and it really is worth the wait. With their rich, layered, slow-simmered broth as the base for all their noodle soups, there’s no way to go wrong. For for something beyond pho, don’t miss their mi sate or hu tien sate: egg or rice noodles in a bright, searingly spicy broth laden with seafood and pork, served with extra chiles and pickled jalapenos on the side.

500 University Ave W, St Paul, MN 55103

(651) 222-6148

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Tay Ho

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Nestled in a bright, unfussy space on St. Paul’s University Ave, this is one of the best places in the Twin Cities for pho. The house “special pho” features a clear, complex broth fragrant with anise, crescents of white onion, a hefty sprinkle of scallions, and paper-thin slices of rare beef and tripe.

302 University Ave W # 100, St Paul, MN 55103

(651) 228-7216

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