I am simultaneously mystified by the name Hot Grainz and irrationally pleased to see an immigrant restaurant not mark its cultural/national origin in its name. In an area where it seems to be almost required for every Thai restaurant to put either the word “Thai” or at least a Thai word in its name, Hot Grainz is named for…god knows what. I’m sure there’s a good reason for the name—I’m just saying it’s not obviously the name of a Thai restaurant. I wonder if this is why, almost two years since they opened, not too many aficionados of Thai food in the Twin Cities have probably heard of Hot Grainz. The fact that they are hidden away in the back of the Sunrise Plaza on University Ave. (where else?)—with no signage on the exterior indicating that they’re in there—probably does not help. But if you like Thai food and haven’t been there yet, you’d better get there soon. We ate there this past weekend and it was easily the best Thai food we’ve had in the Twin Cities in a while. Here are the details.

Hot Grainz opened in late 2022 but I only heard about it in late 2023 via this Eater Twin Cities article. That was right before we left the country for three months; and then when we came back I’d forgotten about them. A chance mention in an article on St. Paul’s Green Line last week reminded me that I’d really wanted to give them a try and in short order we’d rustled up a couple of our usual eating buddies and descended on them for weekend lunch.

Things did not get off to a promising start for logistical reasons. We were a party of seven. Hot Grainz’ tiny dining room can only seat about 14-15 people. There were two adjoining 4-tops that were free when we arrived but we learned that you can only be seated after you’ve ordered and paid at the counter and that one of those tables was about to be occupied by a group currently standing in the hallway. We were told we’d probably have to wait 40 minutes to get seats for all of us. We decided to take the one 4-top that was available and roll the dice on another opening up soon. And as it happened, another did open up very soon. We were not able to all sit together but we did all manage to sit. And then the food began to come out and we had no more complaints.

But, first, a note on the ordering process. As noted above, you order at the counter before you sit down. There’s no physical menu. If you want to eat in you scan a qr code for the dine-in option (there’s a separate code for the takeout option but I don’t think the menus differ). You order online but pay at the counter (there’s a small added fee for credit cards). Once all that is done you go to your table and get yourself plates, bowls and cutlery from a table next to the water dispenser where you also get yourself some water. So it’s more or less counter service but the food is brought out to your table when it’s ready.

A slightly stressful start but, as I say, we were very happy when the food arrived. Unlike every other Thai restaurant in the Twin Cities that I know of, Hot Grainz has a regional specialty. And it’s not one that’s marked on most menus. Their specialty is Northern Thai food. The menu does include a number of the popular Thai menu all-stars but they also serve things you can’t get anywhere else in the Cities, as well as some dishes that you can get elsewhere but which originated as Northern Thai dishes.

What did we get? To start, an order each of the Spicy Wontons, the Tum Pu Pla Ra (papaya salad with fermented crab), the Northern Thai Larb and the Naem (or sour fried pork rib). All were excellent. The Northern Thai larb (with pork) is not as acidic/bright as the versions common elsewhere in the Cities; the pleasure are earthier but are considerable. The naem/sour pork ribs, I am sorry/happy to say, surpass the version at Thai Cafe for best in class in the metro; wonderful flavour, wonderful texture. The papaya salad packed some heat (we got it with five peppers) but also had great balance (and not as much fish sauce funk as in the Lao versions).

Next up on the table were the Tom Khom a bitter soup with tendon and tripe and other goodness. We got it at the medium bitter setting and it was almost as bitter as me—and probably at the outer limit of my tolerance for bitterness in a soup. It was, however, bloody good as well. The boys mostly at the Khao Kha Moo or braised pork hock with rice, pickled veg and a side of broth. We got a good swipe at it and it was excellent as well. Keeping the monotonous narrative of excellence going was was the KaNom Jeen NamNgiaw, rice noodles in a spicy-sour broth that’s nicely gelatinous in texture (courtesy the chicken feet swimming in it). Side orders of sticky rice and jasmine rice completed our order.

The only disappointment at the meal was that at the time of our order they were out of khao soi. There is good khao soi available elsewhere in the Cities—On’s Kitchen, Krungthep Thai and Bangkok Thai Deli all make very good versions—but it’s a Northern Thai dish and so I’d been hoping to try it at a Northern Thai specialist here (the best we’ve had in the US remains the version at Pailin Thai, a Northern Thai specialist in Los Angeles). I thought about enquiring if a new batch was ready as we approached the halfway mark of our meal but we already had more food on our table(s) than they could bear. Next time.

For a look at the restaurant and what we ate, launch the slideshow below. Scroll down to see how much it all cost and to see what’s coming next.

Hectic beginning while we figured out their ordering/seating process aside, the staff were very friendly. I will warn you against taking at face value everything every member of the staff tells you about the food. We asked the young woman who brought the Tom Khom out what the source of the bitterness in the soup was and she ventured that it was the tendon…I asked the chef later and she confirmed it was beef bile (she also noted that she doesn’t herself enjoy the bitter soup that much!).

Cost? With tax and tip the total was $150. Counting our kids as one adult, and factoring in leftovers, this was enough food for at least six hungry adults. So a maximum effective price of $25/head. That’s a screaming deal for the quality. We’ll be back for sure—probably not too long after we get back from California at the end of the month—to try more of their specialties: the khao soi but also the boat noodles and some of the other salads. And I’m also interested to see what their takes on some of the more standard dishes are like. Next time, however, we’ll probably go just the four of us—it’s too hectic if you need more than one table.

I’ll have another Twin Cities report next week—we are scheduled to eat at Tenant in a few days—but will be in California after that. I should have at least another NY/NJ and another Korea report out this week as well before any California reports drop. That’s the plan anyway—I do also need to spend some time in my vegetable garden before we leave (now that the torrential rains seems to have stopped). Let’s see how it goes.

By the way, does anyone have any intel on Little Asia Cafe, a larger restaurant that is also in the Sunrise Plaza? They seemed very busy. As far as I can tell, it might be a Lao restaurant.