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Vinai
Hmong Thai
Named for the Thai refugee camp where chef Yia Vang was born, Vinai is a Hmong restaurant that brings a cuisine most Minneapolis diners have never properly encountered. The menu runs from Hill Tribe chicken to grilled lamb heart, and the hot sauces come from family recipes. The New York Times put it on their Restaurant List, and Bon Appétit named it among America's best new restaurants. Every dish has a story, and Vang is usually around to tell it.
The awards strongest first
- Condé Nast Traveler The best new restaurants in the world
- The New York Times 2025 · 2 stars, Critic's Pick · Restaurant Review
- Esquire The Best New Restaurants in America
- The New York Times 2024 · The Restaurant List
- Bon Appétit America's Best New Restaurants
- Eater Best New Restaurant
- Eater The Best New Restaurants in America
- Minnesota Monthly Top 75 Restaurants
- Artful Living The Best New Twin Cities Restaurants
- Artful Living The Top New Twin Cities Dining Experiences
- Midwest Living Best Restaurants in Minneapolis
- Mpls St Paul The Best Restaurants in the Twin Cities
- Minnesota Monthly Best Aesthetic · Best New Restaurants
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Best New Restaurant
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Midwest · Yia Vang
- The 50 The 50 Discovery
One number, weighted & current 91
How we scoreThe dishes from the writeups
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Hill Tribe chicken
“his signature Hill Tribe chicken”
Condé Nast Traveler, 2025 -
Fried catfish
“There’s fried catfish, grilled lamb heart, and his signature Hill Tribe chicken”
Condé Nast Traveler, 2025 -
Double-cut pork chop
“double-cut pork chop with tamarind lemongrass glaze”
The 50
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