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Appetites®
Tom Crann

Appetites: 6 'authentic' restaurants in Minneapolis

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Chef Wadi cooks a meal for the kitchen staff
Minneapolis restaurateur Sameh Wadi is best known for World Street Kitchen and Saffron Restaurant. Here, Wadi cooked a meal for his kitchen staff before dinner service in May at Saffron.
Jennifer Simonson | MPR News file

What does it mean to cook "authentic" cuisine? How about a Palestinian chef serving up a Korean rice bowl? Or Indian curry wrapped up like a burrito?

Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine's Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl is calling for the reexamination of what makes food authentic.

Moskowitz Grumdahl says it's time to stop looking for carbon copies of meals past and look at what chefs are turning out now.

She joined MPR News' Tom Crann to chat about a handful of Minneapolis restaurants that are putting their own — arguably authentic experiences — on a table near you.

1) World Street Kitchen

What is it? Global street food.
Dara's standout dish: Yum Yum Rice Bowls. This is chef Sameh Wadi's signature dish and features steamed rice with egg, peanuts and secret sauce, and your choice of protein — ranging from caramelized lamb belly to marinated tofu.
Location: 2743 Lyndale Ave. S.
Check Twitter for food truck locations.

2) Hot Indian Foods

What is it? Indian flavors in more familiar formats.
Dara's standout dish: The Indurrito. A house-made roti filled with flavors like chicken curry and spinach paneer.
Location: Midtown Global Market, 920 E. Lake St.
Check Twitter for food truck locations.

3) Nighthawks

What is it? A postmodern take on the urban American diner.
Dara's standout dish: A classic chicken soup, prepared with care and high-quality ingredients.
Location: 3753 Nicollet Ave. S.

4) Pizzeria Lola

What is it? A Korean immigrant, inspired by the pure love of food, joy and her mother's own delicious cooking, quits her day job, opens an artisan pizza pie place and names it after her dog.
Dara's standout dish: Korean BBQ Pizza with Niman Ranch beef short ribs, mozzarella, scallions, arugula, sesame and soy-chili vinaigrette.
Location: 5557 Xerxes Ave. S.

5) Kyatchi

What is it? A Minneapolis restaurant inspired by Japanese cuisine.
Dara's standout dish: Hot dogs, whose toppings range from avocado, egg and Japanese mayo to stir fried noodles and red ginger.
Location: 3758 Nicollet Ave.

6) The Rabbit Hole

What is it? A nod to Korean Pogjangmachas, but the food is Korean by way of Los Angeles.
Dara's standout dish: The Harold and Kumar Poutine, which is house cut fries topped with kimchi, pork curry gravy and chipotle aioli — to name a few.
Location: Midtown Global Market, 920 E. Lake St., Suite 101.