Gai Noi

Blake Timm 2 weeks ago

One of my favorite restaurants in the Twin Cities. I normally am not too keen on more upscale takes on East and Southeast Asian cuisine, but this place manages to really capture the flavor profiles and quality that you would expect to find in SE Asia at reasonably affordable prices. I stopped by and had the lunch platter special featuring Penang spaghetti, which might be the best dish I've tried here out of the 8 or so dishes I've tried thus far. However, you really can't go wrong with any of the food here. The basil wings, laab seen and Khao poon Gai are all dishes I can recommend. I love that they feature numerous SE Asian dishes and flavors that you cannot even find at other local SE Asian restaurants. The only thing I have not enjoyed too much here are their cocktails, though I seem to be an outlier in this opinion. I can, however, vouch for their delicious and creative mocktails. The vibe here is great, too. There are plants and Lao/Thai artwork found all over the restaurant, and the upstairs patio space is the perfect place to be on a summer evening. Great, attentive service every time I've stopped by. Big fan of the fact that their service charge is baked into the final price so I don't have to concern myself with how much to tip. If you want authentic, quality Lao, Thai and Malay food at fair prices in one of the most beautiful restaurant spaces in the Twin Cities, you will absolutely love Gai Noi.

Carol a month ago

I’m visiting from California and I grew up eating Laotian and Thai food either at home or at restaurants. And Gai Noi is definitely up there for some of the best laab I’ve had! We ordered the beef laab, the gai basil, and the egg and basil fried rice (not pictured). Everything was super flavorful and well seasoned and well cooked. Beef was delicious to bite into, great spice level and a good amount of sour/lime taste. Just reaaally good laab!! Gai basil was also very flavorful. I usually have only eaten this dish (pad kra pao) with ground beef, but it was just as good with ground chicken! Egg was well cooked with perfect amount of raw center (not too drippy!!) Egg and basil fried rice was good! I expected the egg to be mixed into the fried rice, but it was just on top. Still good fried rice tho!! Not sure about service or atmosphere since I ordered to go, but the inside looked very nice and they had a rooftop!

Mar B 2 months ago

My co-workers and I celebrated my birthday with a lunch at Gai Noi. So far, I can only say that the service was excellent and the food was fantastic. I had a bad experience at a different restaurant the night before, but Gai Noi made up for it. The food was amazing. The crispy fried tofu was so good that I couldn’t even tell it was tofu. The flavor was a little sweet, but not too overwhelming. The basil wings were simple but had a lot of good flavors. I also loved the crispy jalapeño that came with them. The laab seen had a unique smoky flavor that I really enjoyed. The green papaya was great, just on the hotter side. The crispy pork belly was delicious. The food is reasonably priced, but the portions are small.. The mocktails were an amazing presentation and flavor. The place was very aesthetically pleasing, and the employees were very approachable and welcoming.

Aimee Lava a month ago

We loved that the food is served family style, as we got to try more of the menu. The presentation matched the taste here. I enjoyed all of the food but really liked the crunchy wings! The outdoor seating area was so nice too.

Christopher Villegas 2 months ago

This restaurant is fabulous. Specifically during lunch. They have fantastic lunch specials and if it’s a nice day during the warmer months, their patio is great. They also have an Atrium space upstairs if the weather isn’t cooperating. The food is absolutely delicious, comes out fresh and hot, and looks incredible. They also have delicious drinks. The cocktail menu is extensive and has a wide variety of cocktail options. Be advised, they add a surcharge to the entire menu including drinks and specials, which makes this place not exactly affordable but still decent enough.