Chef Eric Pham's Vietnamese restaurant, Khue's Kitchen, will open in August in the former Ngon Bistro location on University Avenue. Pham's grandmother, Lung Tran, opened Eat Street's famous Quang in 1989, and his mother, Que Pham, is the chef there. Eric spent most of 2023 running Khue's Kitchen as a pop-up restaurant at natural wine bar Bar Brava, serving dishes like caramelized baby back ribs, five-spice fried tofu, and chili-sprinkled fried chicken sandwiches. As for the menu for the new restaurant, Pham plans to bring back some of his favorite dishes from his time at Bar Brava, but says, “I'm excited to bring you the menu that I could only dream of making. When August comes, I'm not holding back.”
Gorkha Palace sold to new owner
Luckett got the scoop on Gorkha Palace, a Northeast Indian, Tibetan and Nepalese restaurant that was recently sold to new owners. Owner Rashmi Bhattachan wants to spend more time on her second restaurant, Momo Dosa. Her business partner, chef Sarala Kattel, is also nearing retirement. Luckily, it looks like the restaurant's menu and name won't change much. “We have a long history together and a long-standing relationship,” Bhattachan told Luckett. “We're very happy. The new owners are really young, energetic and vibrant. They might bring a little more variety to the menu.”
St. Paul considers drive-thru restrictions
St. Paul is considering adding new regulations to drive-thru lanes in an effort to make neighborhoods more walkable and bike-friendly. Pioneer Press Following the results of a city study released in March, the report concluded: Several ideas are currently being considered, including banning new drive-thru locations, as Minneapolis did in 2019, or restricting them in certain zoning districts. Pipeless The city's Planning Commission is reportedly likely to “reconsider” the issue this summer before it goes before the City Council.
New restaurant opens at Union Depot
The owners of the Lake Elmo Inn will be opening a new restaurant at St. Paul's Union Depot, according to a press release. Husband and wife team John and Christine Schiltz will open 1881 on July 18 and offer lunch, happy hour and dinner service Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The menu will be nearly identical to the Lake Elmo Inn's, so expect club-inspired dinners with items like chopped wedge salad, crusted walleye, pasta and steaks.
