The Minneapolis-St. Paul area has a surprisingly large Japanese population — especially if you count not only the true transplants but all of the students who are studying internationally as part of the University of Minnesota’s partnership with Hiroshima Daigaku. As such, there are quite a few Japanese restaurants here; I’ll mention a few.
Although the most commonly-recommended Japanese restaurant in the Twin Cities is probably Fuji-ya — and I’ll get there next — my favorite would have to be Obento-ya, a tiny little place tucked away in a less-than-glamorous area near Van Cleve Park. Even though it’s right near a head shop as well as some prime examples of urban decay, Obento-ya itself has an attractive, modern premises and a patio out back that will make you forget the neighborhood. (And let’s not get carried away here; I lived in this area during college and it may not be downtown, but you don’t need to bring your mace.) Getting down to business: expect to be greeted by the Japanese half of the staff with a chorus of “Irasshaimase!” and given complimentary tea while you decide on your meal. The prices have gone up a few bucks since they first opened, but it’s still pretty reasonable and very tasty. It’s worth noting that their miso is dashi-based — and that their tofu robata comes with bonito flakes on top.
Obento-ya
1510 Como Ave. SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414
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Fuji-ya is probably the area’s best-known Japanese restaurant, with one location in Minneapolis and another in downtown St. Paul. They have a couple of vegetarian maki rolls, but for entrées your choices are essentially the tempura or the vegetarian bento — both of which I’ve had and can recommend. (The latter is pictured above and according to the photographer, it can be made vegan on request.) If you don’t mind dashi, they also have tempura or sautéed vegetable udon and soba. For dessert, I can never resist the tempura-fried cheesecake. Fuji-ya also has zashiki rooms available for larger groups.
Fuji-ya Minneapolis
600 West Lake St.
Minneapolis, MN 55408
Fuji-ya St. Paul
465 Wabasha St. North
St. Paul, MN 55102
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Located on St. Anthony Main, Kikugawa wins points for location; their solarium-like porch is great in summer and winter, with a view of the river and the occasional horse-drawn carriage. They have a fairly large menu, with the usual for vegetarian options. (Their tempura is a little heavy, but tasty.) They have also added shabu shabu, which I intend to try the next time I’m there. Like Fuji-ya, Kikugawa also has zashiki rooms available.
Kikugawa at Riverplace
43 Main St. SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414
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Tanpopo (the name means “dandelion”) has a somewhat limited menu, but it’s worth a mention. Their offerings consist of dashi-broth noodles and various vegetarian/vegan teishoku, the latter including agedashi-dofu and cold tofu options. The location, right off the downtown farmers’ market, is pleasant, if a little trendy. In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve only been there once and it was a couple of years ago, but it consistently gets good recommendations.
308 Prince Street #140
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- Obento-ya: http://www.obento-ya.com
- Fuji-ya: http://www.fujiyasushi.com
- Kikugawa: http://www.kikugawa-restaurant.com
- Tanpopo: http://tanpoporestaurant.com
