Restaurant passport gives a taste of dozens of dumplings across St. Paul

NINA MOINI: It's the perfect time of year to cozy up with some dumplings. Whether it's potstickers or sambusas, nearly every culture has their own version. And now there's a new tool to help you try dozens of different kinds. Visit St. Paul has created a Dumpling Passport that takes you across more than 30 restaurants that have a type of dumpling on their menu.

Joining us now to talk about the delicious project is Ava Diaz, the communications and marketing manager with Visit St. Paul. Thank you for being here, Ava.

AVA DIAZ: Yeah, thank you for having me.

NINA MOINI: And we're also very happy that joining us is a restaurant owner with one of the stops on the passport, Nia Rasavong, the co-owner of Ruam Mit. Thank you so much for being here, Nia.

NIA RASAVONG: Thank you for having me.

NINA MOINI: Well, what a fun idea. I want to start by talking a little bit about the passport itself. Ava, how did you get the idea for this passport?

AVA DIAZ: Yeah. So at Visit St. Paul, we really focus on generating just economic growth through our efforts in marketing the city as a destination for locals and visitors. And so specifically with that, we really wanted to create something that encouraged these visitors and locals to get a taste for the city's rich culinary scene and explore what our diverse neighborhoods have to offer.

NINA MOINI: Yeah, there is so much going on in St. Paul that I'm also curious how you ended up choosing which restaurants would go on there, Ava.

AVA DIAZ: For sure. Well, though dumplings are typically associated, well, with Asian cuisines, we found that the general definition of a dumpling is simply just a casing of dough enclosed with typically a savory filling that is usually then boiled, steamed, or pan fried. So with that broader definition, we realized that many cultures have claimed their own techniques and versions of their own.

So with that, we looked at the wide variety of restaurants we have here in the capital city and narrowed it down based off of different varieties of dumplings, as well as making sure that there are a variety of locations in different neighborhoods as well.

NINA MOINI: Cool. And Nia, your restaurant, Ruam Mit, is on the list. For people who might not know about it, tell us about your restaurant and what your dumpling is, your dumpling contribution. [CHUCKLES]

NIA RASAVONG: So we started here in downtown St. Paul in 1989. We started out as a small eatery with 11 tables. And then 1996, we moved over to 475 St. Peter Street. And we were there till end of July of 2023. And now we're here, still in downtown St. Paul, at 367 Wabasha Street North. So we were closed for nine months, and then we just reopened here back in May of '24.

NINA MOINI: Amazing. Congratulations. I mean, being around since 1989 for a restaurant, that's remarkable and really wonderful. Tell us about the types of dumplings that people can get at Ruam Mit, Nia.

NIA RASAVONG: So here, at Ruam Nit, we have the fried cream cheese wontons, which I'm sure a lot of people are familiar with. It's a creamy, sweet, and savory filling and packed in a crispy, deep-fried wonton wrapper. And then we also have our famous curry puff, which is a deep-fried doughy pouch entirely enveloping in a savory filling of ground chicken, mashed potatoes, sautéed onions, yellow curry, and seasonings.

NINA MOINI: All right. And, Nia, I'm curious about why do you think people do love dumplings so much? Like, I never hear anybody being like, I don't like dumplings. [LAUGHS]

NIA RASAVONG: I myself love dumplings. I think dumplings is heavily influenced, I think, by the Chinese cuisine and because of the historical migration and trade, Chinese into Laos and Thailand. So that's where it all started coming in from.

There's so many different types of dumplings. There's the steamed, the fried, the pan fried. And then some are doughy. I think a lot of people are more familiar with Chinese dumplings, like the shumai and things like that.

NINA MOINI: Yeah.

NIA RASAVONG: And, to me, these often appear as snacks or appetizers or like a component of larger meals.

NINA MOINI: Yeah. So you won't probably fill up, and you can use this whole passport and go on down the list. Ava, tell us about how the actual passport works. How do people access it?

AVA DIAZ: For sure. Well, people can download the pass by visiting our website, which is visitsaintpaul.com. Once you search up the Dumpling Passport, it will lead you to a page that will then guide you to download your own pass. And with that, you'll just fill in basic information.

And it is a mobile-based app, so you'll get a link via text or email. And from there, you're able to save it directly to your phone so that you can just have easy access and click and log in. Upon visiting each of these restaurants and establishments, it's just tracked by a simple GPS tracking system. So if you are in within 0.25 miles of the restaurant, you will be able to check in.

It's no extra work to the restaurants themselves. You don't have to let anyone know that you're using it. You can simply just come in and dine per usual. So with that, once you check in, you are able to earn points. And each restaurant is worth 100 points. So as you work your way up and checking different restaurants off your list, you earn more points, and then you can then redeem them for prizes that we have here.

We created a exclusive Dumpling Passport sticker, as well as unique Dumpling Passport crew socks as well. And then we also have entries for giveaways with prize packages, including gift cards to participating restaurants as well.

NINA MOINI: Socks and stickers-- you're going to get a lot of people with those. Ava, Nia mentioned that they had just reopened less than a year ago here in downtown St. Paul.

We know that ever since the pandemic, people might not even really have a good idea of, like, where are restaurants? What's open? I never leave my own neighborhood. Is that some of what you all were thinking about when you developed this passport idea? Or why bring all of this together in this way for people so creatively?

AVA DIAZ: For sure. Yeah, we really created this with the goal of getting people to not only try new cuisines with the global approach that we took, but also explore different neighborhoods that they might not be familiar with, whether you're a local or a visitor from anywhere in the state or outside of the state. And we also really wanted to push people to find new hidden gems and discover something that they might not otherwise have known about or just wanting to try new foods.

NINA MOINI: And Nia, before I let both of you go, since you have reopened, how has it been going for you?

NIA RASAVONG: It's been good. Our lunch has been really good. There's a lot of people are coming back to work and to the office and things like that. We still do a good amount of carryout.

And then evenings is when the events do really drive-- especially around here. There's the Excel Center, the Palace Theater, Fitzgerald, Ordway. So we're right in the prime location of these venues. So that helps drive the traffic in as well.

NINA MOINI: Cool. Yeah. What a creative and fun, delicious thing to get going. I wish you both the best with it. And thank you so much for coming on and telling us about it.

AVA DIAZ: Yeah, thank you so much for having me.

NIA RASAVONG: Thank you.

NINA MOINI: Thank you. Ava Diaz is the marketing and communications manager for Visit St. Paul, and Nia Rasavong is the co-owner of Ruam Mit in downtown St. Paul. You can use the St. Paul Dumpling Passport through the spring. We'll have information on how you can download it on our website, mprnews.org.