The Skyway connects 80 blocks in downtown Minneapolis. This is remarkable. But what really makes us happy about our insulated tube system is how many awesome local restaurants line its corridors. Places like Green + The Grain, Afro Deli, Bep Eatery, SIMPLS, Hot Indian Foods, and our latest favorite, Pad Ga Pow, located in the LaSalle building right next to Residence Inn.
Pad Ga Pow is run by Suthisa and Joel Krupinski, the daughter and son-in-law of On’s Kitchen owner Amnuai Khumchaya. Like that St. Paul standard and the extended family’s other eateries (Bangkok Thai Deli, Krungthep Thai), Suthisa’s thoughtful menu is based on family recipes and pyrotechnic flavor profiles.
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, Pad Ga Pow ladles up quick one- ($6.99), two- ($8.99), and three-dish combos ($10.99) for the lunch-rush crowd. But if you have even half an hour for a proper sit-down meal, we recommend her made-to-order options. Pictured here is a glorious (and often hard to find) rendition of yum saam grop, a salad with crispy fish maw, salted squid, cashews, peanuts, and Thai herbs, dressed in a vivid chili-and-lime vinaigrette.
Other specialties include meing kum, Chinese broccoli leaves served with dried shrimp, diced shallot, lime, peppers, roasted coconut, peanuts, and a “sweet & tangy” sauce; a bright red bowl of yen tha phoe, soup made with flat noodles, fried tofu, and mixed seafood; and khao ka-moo, a comforting five-spice pork doused with gravy and paired with steamed broccoli, hardboiled eggs, and a side of lime and chili sauce.
Note to chili heads: Medium-spicy orders are dialed in without remorse; requesting it “phet mak-mak” will result in a truly incendiary dining experience.🔥💥🔥
Pad Ga Pow
811 LaSalle Ave., Ste. 207, Minneapolis, MN; 612-332-0260.
