The Lava Kitchen MN — Restaurant in Shoreview

I've been supporting this Hmong restaurant since their early days when they were just cooking out of their home, so it's been amazing to see how far they've come. The food still carries that homecooked flavor, which makes it a great option when you're craving something comforting but don’t feel like cooking yourself.

Service has always been good — friendly and welcoming, just like you'd expect from a family-run spot. That said, one thing I’ve noticed is that the Kapoon broth portions feel a bit stingy. The carry out container is never quite filled up like what you'd get at other Thai or Vietnamese places, which can be a little disappointing, especially when you're really craving that rich, flavorful soup and meat.

Still, I’d recommend giving them a try, especially if you’re looking for something that hits close to home-style Hmong cooking. Just hoping they start being a little more generous with that Kapoon liquid...

Lava Kitchen was amazing. You're missing out if you haven't tried it here. It might seem small and have a pinch of a Chinese theme to it but the food is phenomenal. Some of the best chicken pad thai and stir fry I've had in a while. The chicken pad thai was saucy, sweet and flavorful. They have a spice level of your preference. The steam rolls hit the spot and the dipping sauce was like a peanut pepper sauce. They added a pork belly and ground beef pad kra pao which was such a great combination. I would come back and try other menu items. Our food took maybe 20 minutes more to get everything considering my Fiance and I were the only ones in there. It was worth the wait. Everything...

Food = delicious Service = spectacular Atmosphere = charming I ordered chicken lo mein and honestly, it was THE BEST I've ever had. I loved the super thin noodles that they utilized. My partner ordered beef pad thai with a spice level three and he was pleasantly surprised at how the level of spice was actually accurate for spice level three, most of the time he hasn't found spice levels to be accurate! we were both impressed with the quality of service as well as the portion sizes. The potstickers were fried to perfection and filled generously. Overall 10/10 experience.

We'll definitely be coming back and telling everyone Lava Kitchen is where it's at!

Thank you for the...