After reading this review from Jeremy Iggers which mentioned three magic phrases: Hmong, packed at lunch, and “I didn’t quite have the nerve to try the…” So I got together with MSPD and Joey at Destiny Cafe for lunch on a Friday afternoon to eat some Hmong foods including the ever so scary, “pig uteri”.
The place, like Iggers mentioned, is difficult to find. Tucked away in an internal Hmong market off of University with little roadside signage I was a little lost until MSPD led the way from the sidewalk. We meandered a bit through the market and noticed the tea room, hair dresser, grocery, and mobile phone store before coming across the restaurant around back.
A large place with tons of seats, mostly taken at 11:30 when we arrived, this is certainly nothing fancy. Simple chairs and tables with the usual cheesy Asian decoration and DVDs/music available in market settings. Right as you walk in the door there is a meat box keeping a variety of meats (pork, chicken, fish, etc) warm and allowing the fat to drip from pork and beef onto grilled chicken below.
The menu is an eclectic mix of many different types of Asian including Hmong and Thai and there is definitely something there for just about anyone. I was there for two things: Hmong sausage and pig uteri. While Iggers, and apparently Jim Norton of the Heavy Table, were both too wimpy to hit up the pig uterus, I certainly was willing to try anything once…
MSPD ordered the pork belly, recommended all over the web as some of the best in the city, and a “small” bowl of Pho. His bill later came out under $8 and he noted that he could easily have fed his family of 5 on what he received–he wasn’t kidding. Joey went with the Sweet Kowpoon which set him back all of $6.40 (including tax). After some initial confusion with the kowpoon being referred to as another name when it was delivered we all had our food and began to dig through it.
MSPD’s small bowl of Pho was anything but. It was so big he jokingly mentioned he could have bathed in it. There was a good bit of broth which he said clearly had a variety of tasty herbs, a big helping of noodles, pork, imitation crab, and cilantro among who knows what else. His pork belly was indeed some of the best I’ve ever had and the layer of crunchy fat was so incredible lined up next to the soft, tender, and flavorful meat. Joey’s was also a very large portion and looked good. I tasted a bit of his pork and it was quite tender (something which I haven’t seen much of when it’s sliced that thin) and flavorful. My Hmong sausage was huge, tasty, and was definitely well worth the astronomically inexpensive price of $5.50. Enough to feed three or four hungry animals, it was definitely more than I should have eaten today.
But the main star of the show was the pig uteri. Cooked in their homemade oyster sauce with onions, red bell peppers, and greens, the pig uterus reminded me of what my socks smelled like in college after I wore them for two straight weeks and ran through mud four of the days–in other words absolutely foul. The meat itself was a greyish color and looked like tubes. I tried to avoid the smell and took a bite and found that the uteri was very similar in texture to kidneys. While the meat itself had very little flavor, all I could taste was what I smelled before. While I ate a good number of the uteri pieces I just couldn’t get over how absolutely terrible it smelled and I eventually asked MSPD to keep what was remaining on his side of the table–as far from me as possible.
When the friendly staff member came to our table to ask how it was I asked if he actually ate the uteri. He stated, genuinely, that he loved it and he believed it was very good for people to eat as it was good for your digestive system. While this may be something he was told by his mother, something like when they tell you drinking castor oil is good for you no matter how bad it smells and tastes, he clearly enjoyed the dish. Later, when I was paying my inexpensive bill, I was asked how I liked the uteri. Admitting I was glad I tried it, I let them know that it was definitely not for me and was not something I’d be eating again in the future. The man behind the counter just smiled at me and kept making change.
Overall, I absolutely LOVED Destiny Cafe in St. Paul in every single way. Not only was this an inexpensive place to get a meal but the staff was friendly, well informed, and the food was superb. It’s highly recommended by me and I definitely suggest that you get in your car and immediately drive there to taste their sausage and pork belly for yourself–you will not be disappointed.
Have you ever eaten at Destiny Cafe in St. Paul? If so what did you think? What are your favorite Hmong dishes? Where else do you get your fix? Whatever you have to say about Destiny Cafe in St. Paul, go ahead and comment on as I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Address:
Destiny Cafe
995 University Avenue West
St Paul, MN 55104-4796
Phone:
651-649-0394
See all the pictures from Destiny Cafe on Flickr here.
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September 13th, 2010 at 8:24 am
You are my hero.. thanks for trying this for me, I think I’d pull the kosher card on this one. Regardless of my observance level. Taste like chicken here does not apply.
September 13th, 2010 at 8:50 am
I’m slightly disturbed that you know what the texture of kidneys is like, at least enough to compare uteri to it.
This place was awesome. It’s definitely outside of many suburbanites’ comfort zones (Perkins, Applebee’s, etc.). It actually reminded me of a small town cafe, just Hmong instead of Norwegian.
September 13th, 2010 at 9:36 am
You two are definitely the Will Steger of the food world…:)
September 13th, 2010 at 10:01 am
If I could make it work, I’d go back there for lunch today. Really good find and I appreciate the motivation to head over there with you guys.
For those reading along, for some reason the pig uteri didn’t smell or taste offensive at all to me. It can’t pin down exactly why, but it had a “familiar” enough flavor and smell that it didn’t seem that unusual. My thought is that people would actually be more put off by the texture — sort of like an octopus or squid.
Minus the imitation crab, the soup was top-notch. It really is hard from the photo to tell just how large it was. The bowl was at least 9″ across, but it was also 6″ deep. I imagine the “medium” size could sustain a small community for a few days and the “large” comes with the requirement that you use the leftovers to open a soup kitchen and feed homeless people for several weeks. The “small” soup at its meager price is easily one of the best lunch values in all of the Twin Cities.
September 13th, 2010 at 10:44 am
I didn’t like the smell of the pig uteri but also wasn’t put off by the texture. As far as its taste, I didn’t love it or really even like it, but I didn’t hate it either. I definitely wouldn’t order it though.
As for portion sizes, I can now safely cut back to one $6-8 meal every other day.
September 13th, 2010 at 3:13 pm
How would you say the pig uteri culinary experience compares to lutefisk?
(Sorry about using the wrong username previously.)
September 13th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
I’ll have to defer to MSPD on that one.
September 13th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Pork belly looks excellent. How was the sausage? And have you tried the Thai sausage at Thaiya in Apple Valley? I want to try that the next time I go back.
September 13th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
I doubt you’ll find a Lutheran church “Pig Uteri Supper” in the Fall.
September 13th, 2010 at 8:27 pm
I wonder if it’s a guy-iron thing. I ADORE kidneys, but my husband can’t stand anything like that. He loves pho, though. He thinks it’s funny how the Vietnamese are constantly correcting his pronunciation of it. (“You guys were around the French WAY too long.)
I sent off a copy of your review to my daughter, who just took up residence in Dinkytown (at the U – yay!). We’ll give it a try on one of our outings and if I can work up the nerve, I’ll let you know what I thought of the pig uteri.
Thanks, Bill.
September 13th, 2010 at 10:20 pm
mulch,
re: sausage… From the post:
Michele,
Can’t wait to hear what you think of it and the rest of the place. Definitely worth your time!
September 14th, 2010 at 4:50 am
[...] cleansing rave for Haute Dish, thoughts on four delicious sorbets from Crema Cafe, Bill Roehl loves basically everything about Destiny Cafe other than the pig uteri (“not only was this an inexpensive place to get a meal but the staff [...]
September 14th, 2010 at 7:04 am
Worth it just to read the word “uterii”
September 14th, 2010 at 9:39 am
Michele, Destiny is a long way from Dinkytown (but worth the drive).
If you want a meal in Dinkytown, I strongly recommend Pagoda which is adjacent to the McDonald’s on the corner of 15th. Outstanding Chinese and some representation from other Asian cuisines (the menu has about 300 items and they have 100+ chalkboard menu items and other menus). Dim sum on weekends. You can get pretty adventurous there if you want.
And, of course, Al’s Breakfast is an institution you need to visit with your daughter if you haven’t already.
September 14th, 2010 at 11:09 am
Dinkytown , I also recommend Wally’s… great falafel sandwiches… and sriracha on the tables to add to them. Shuang Cheng used to be a great spot for authentic Chinese seafood, but i have not been there in years and not sure how it is now. My son just moved into a college house in Dinkytown so i hope to get some more meals down there soon.
I do not eat any animal parts that are used in reproduction or excretion, I know this ban has served me well. I have eaten some pretty weird things in Asia, not exactly to the level of Zimmern, but i have avoided the intestinal, reproductive and urinary tracts of the various animals… (eggs not considered banned, but i dont have the fortitude to take on the Filipino “balut” ).