Today MSPD and I met for lunch at the International Marketplace in St Paul. Known for its eclectic array of vendors offering everything from movies to clothing to fresh vegetables, this spot is one stop shopping for those in the Hmong community. I had never been to this location and had only heard of it in passing but following a really interesting post on The Heavy Table entitled A Day in the Kitchen of a Hmong Family, I was really excited to head over there today to try out some of what they had to offer.
We met up at 11:30 and found the place buzzing, even for a Friday afternoon. There were plenty of vendors setup amongst the warehouses including many hawking their colorful wares and dragging even more stuff out of nearby boxes and trailers. We walked through and eventually stopped to talk to an elderly woman (through an interpreter who will soon be taking over a tea shop in another building) selling various items including a multitude of roots which can be cut up and boiled to make tea. Both MSPD and I were unfamiliar with all of the items shown but one carried a powerful scent and many of the others were absolutely beautiful to look at.
After making our way through, we headed into the building which held the majority of food stands. They lined the back wall and both MSPD and I wandered along looking and making mental notes of what we wanted to try. Aside from some of the more simplistic Hmong foods I have sampled in the past, I must admit I was a bit overwhelmed at the variety of what was served. This wasn’t your typical mall food court, nope, this must have been what it is like to walk in my own personal heaven ;)
MSPD and I eventually went our separate ways to order. I picked up some Hmong sausage, stew with meat and eggs, and roasted peppers. MSPD picked up some sort of rotisserie beef, what seemed like 15 lbs of sticky rice and pork, and some egg rolls which I later nabbed for Kim as a snack. Everything we had was excellent. I especially enjoyed the stewed egg (I have had something similar at Satay2Go once but in a different sauce) as the meat and egg were sitting in this very syrupy BBQ-like sauce that was incredible. I ate quite a bit of food for only $8 and still had enough left to buy Kim three egg rolls as a treat.
Overall an amazing food adventure today and one that I look forward to trying again in the future. If you haven’t had Hmong food or are at least looking for something different to do some day this summer, I suggest getting over to the International Marketplace to check it out!
Address:
International Marketplace
217 Como Ave
St Paul, MN
See all the pictures on Flickr here.
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May 29th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
Here we are almost five hours later and I’m still stuffed.
This is the kind of place that the “soup, salad and sandwich” crowd should get up to and expand their horizons a bit. It’s so refreshing to have flavor in your food…the beef was spicy and herby. The sauces all had a really distinct flavor profile. Even if you sample a few things and don’t like a couple, it’s really going to to open the door to liking new things. Same reason I try and urge non-foodies to get into Ronin.
Besides that, not even knowing what about 90% of the million things they were hawking at the flea markets were, it’s just such a cool cultural experience.
I agree with your suggestion Bill…people should get up there to check it out.
May 29th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
shit, pardon am waugh. never heard of the place. farmers mqt in msp and stp! but never this. sounds like a excursion for the shut inns!!
bb
May 29th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
This place is the bomb. I’ve eaten there 4 or 5 times, since I work in St. Paul and even drug Mrs.Mooses and the LittleMooses up for a shopping excursion and tasting lunch one weekend last summer. The laab gai (one of my faves) is pretty good and a great, filling lunch for 4.95. Lots of vegetarian offerings for my VeggieMoose, but you have to look around for them — adding to the adventure. I buy my thai chilis there — get about 5 pounds for a coupla bucks. I can’t begin to use them all, but I make a valiant effort.
May 29th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
“LittleMooses”….”VeggieMoose?” That might be the cutest thing I’ve read all day.
May 31st, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Sounds kind of like our neighborhood grocery store in East St Paul, the Golden Harvest.
June 6th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
After reading an article in the Mn. Monthly, I decided to take an adventure today.
I invited a few people to go, and the wife’s invite was last(non-Adventurous-
crowd hating type).
It went the opposite way I expected, everyone chickened out, the wife went.
Was a freezing cold and soaking wet day, but we made our way through the market, the outside areas, and then the food court.
On the venture, I sampled the Rotisserie Pork Ribs, and the Purple Rice.
Don’t let the color of the rice scare you, it’s like white Rice, only better tasting.
The vendor did speak English, and was very friendly, and Oh-Mamma! was the food awesome!.
There was some things there in cases that scared me, but I will go back just to try the Hmong Sausage,Egg Rolls,Larb, and the Papaya Salad,as well as check the vegetable market on a sunnier Day.
The wifey didn’t eat, her loss!.
If you are bored, broke, and want a change, do this place, you won’t regret
it.
June 7th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Kevin O. I’m curious…if your wife won’t eat rotisserie chicken, chicken soup, egg rolls, rotisserie beef, white rice, or a spring roll, what DOES she eat?!?!?
June 10th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
It was a culture shock to her.
I think It was the white 5 gallon pail of lime green liquid,
and 1″noodles(am guessing they weren’t noodles) that freaked her out.
Or maybe it was the soup with Fish Skeletons in it, not sure.
I’ll force something down her next time(kidding).
January 1st, 2010 at 8:28 am
[...] was going to the Hmong Marketplace in St Paul. An experience I never had before with foods I had never even seen before while eating [...]