Meet Gai Noi: Taste the Love in Loring Park
BY EMMA GEARY - JUNE 2, 2023
Long Live Loring: A Neighborhood Series
In this blog series, we’re highlighting the many businesses and people breathing life into our beloved Loring Park Neighborhood. From nonprofits to the newest hot spots, we’re sharing what makes our neighborhood great all month long.
All photos courtesy of Gai Noi.
If you’re looking for a greenery-infused rooftop with killer cocktails and a flavor-packed menu, add Gai Noi to your must-try list this summer. We caught up with head chef and restaurateur Ann Ahmed at their Grand Opening, and she shared why this new venture is unlike anything the Twin Cities have seen before. Our team has already been multiple times since their May 23rd opening, and we can’t get enough of the flavor-packed dishes and breezy patio lunches.
Gai Noi, short for khao gai noi, is a type of short grain glutinous rice emblematic of the northern Xieng Khouang regions of Laos, where Chef Ann and her family are from. Also known as ‘little chick’ due to its spotted appearance and small shape, khao niew (sticky rice) is the foundation of many Laotian dishes.
The Location
Nestled in Loring Park just across the historic alleyway, Gai Noi faces Loring Park and takes over the old 4 Bells space, adding brighter touches including a lighter color palette and custom rainbow-painted benches stationed at the restaurant’s entrance.
“Loring Park is such an iconic part of Minneapolis - I mean, who wouldn’t want to be here? Cafe Lurcat is where my husband and I had our first blind date. The area is also a historically protected part of the city, so not just anything could move into this space. Luang Prabang in my home country of Laos is also protected as a UNESCO Heritage Site, so the location is symbolic of my identity as a Laotian Minnesotan.”
While Ahmed’s other restaurants, Lat14 and Khâluna, are coveted reservations across the Twin Cities, Gai Noi is intentionally walk-in only. Ahmed explains how “this space is meant to be shared with the entire community. You can walk in without having to put anything on the calendar and simply gather to enjoy food with personality. We love our breweries here in Minnesota, but I wanted this space to have that same casual gathering feel with a focus on the food.”
With three levels, a dedicated private dining room, and an indoor-outdoor rooftop packed with plants, Gai Noi is ready to welcome guests year-round for a unique dining experience.
The Experience
Many of the dishes at Gai Noi are designed to be shared, harkening back to the feasting mentality in Laotion culture. “When you welcome someone to your home in Laotian culture,” Ahmed explains, “there is a feeling of feasting - ‘you are here, let me continue to feed you’ and that’s what we wanted to capture at Gai Noi. Your egg rolls might come out after your curry, but we want you to enjoy each dish when it is most fresh, which is why it’s served right away.”
We all know the Midwestern tendency to leave a polite last bite on the plate, but Ahmed encourages us to share throughout every part of the Gai Noi dining experience. The menu is built on connection and designed to allow every guest to get a robust sampling of traditional Laotian food with these tapas-style dishes. If you can’t decide between two dishes - order both. You won’t regret it!
Also, did we mention the 15+ on-tap cocktails that were developed with Nick Kosevich and Earl Giles? From a Pho-spiced old-fashioned to a starfruit margarita, there’s a delectably sippable option for every kind of happy hour.
The Menu
“I have been a restaurant owner for eighteen years in Minnesota, and I’ve always been afraid that unleashing the full depth of my culture’s flavors wouldn’t be accepted by our customers. But I thought if I want to change that, I’m going develop a menu true to the food that I love. These dishes may be funky, spicy, or more fragrant than dishes at my other restaurants, but it’s all giving it a try. These flavors might take some getting used to for the Minnesota palette, but that’s okay.”
Ann reminds us that, “Just because a flavor is foreign to you doesn’t mean it’s wrong. Being repulsed by a dish is offensive to that culture, and so while you might not fall in love with something right away, I encourage you to honor their culture and give it a try.”
Speaking of flavors that develop over time, the spice level of Ahmed’s dishes at Gai Noi is designed to stay true to what she knows and loves from Laos. The menu notes that each dish with spice cannot be modified to be less spicy, which is intentional. “As a chef, I work meticulously to develop and balance the flavors in a dish, so by requesting it to be less spicy, you’re altering the composition of the dish. It would be like if a painter was only allowed to use black and white - you’d miss all of that beautiful shading.”
None of these dishes are unbearably spicy - they are created to be enjoyed many times over, building up a tolerance for the spice each time. As someone with a minimal spice tolerance, I can attest to the fact that while there might be some heat, everything we tried was fragrant, delicious, and worth ordering again - even if I needed an extra glass of water with my Laab Seen, I’ll be getting it again on my next visit without a doubt.
Must Orders
So, how can you get the full Gai Noi experience on your first visit? Ann recommends starting with an order or two of sticky rice as the foundation for your meal. Then, choose an order of Laab, one of the most iconic and traditional dishes of Laos.
“We have three different kinds of Laab, and each is made with the highest quality ingredients possible, all while still being served at an accessible price point. We use the best cuts of meat from Peterson Farms, hand-roast our herbs and spices for the best aromatics, and include a selection of dipping sauces to give the dish variety.”
Our team also loved the Jeow, which Gai Noi playfully calls “Laotian chips and salsa.” Make sure to give the papaya salad a try, too, which is made with ribbons of papaya true to the Laotian style of preparation. If you’re looking for an updated take on familiar favorites, we recommend the basil wings and the jalapeno wontons. Don’t forget to grab a to-go order of peanut noodles for a late-night snack…you’ll thank us later!
To learn more about Gai Noi and experience the restaurant for yourself, visit their website. Plus, they’re hosting an iconic Rooftop Pride Party with MiX, the longest-running LGBTQ+ event in the Twin Cities, on June 25th. Click here for more!
Emma Geary
Emma is a writer living in Minneapolis. When she's not checking out a new brewery with friends or blasting Taylor Swift in her car, you can find her dreaming up ideas as the Brand + Editorial Manager at LAB.
