Minneapolis Institute of Art

Mia's diverse collection displays plenty of art created by the AAPI community as well as Asian artists from around the world. Their curators work hard to find works that are reflective of all communities. Check out their Collection of Asian Art, which include works from China, South and Southeast Asia, Japan and Korean. They currently have a few exhibits exploring Asian culture including:

• Year of the Dragon: Mystical Creatures of the Sky
  Exhibit lasts until May 5, 2024

• Dwelling in Mountains: Reclusion in Chinese Landscape Painting
  Exhibit lasts until December 8, 2024

• The Root Collection: Living with Japanese Ceramics
  Exhibit lasts until May 12, 2024
  

• The Shape of Time: Korean Art after 1989
  Exhibits last until June 23, 2024

Midtown Global Market

As a hub for showcasing food and shopping from Minneapolis' diverse communities, Midtown Global Market not only offers a wide variety of Asian cuisine including, Intown Sushi, Pham’s Rice Bowl, Momo Dosa, and Sabbai Cuisine, but it also is home to a unique Tibetan shop, Tibet Arts & Gifts, filled with rare clothing, accessories and home decor from the Himalayas.

Como Park Zoo & Conservatory

At Como Park Zoo & Conservatory's Ordway Gardens you will find Minnesota's only top-curated Japanese plant collection. Within the garden is a Bonsai tree collection that honors Japanese art. The Charlotte Partridge Ordway Japanese Garden was created by renowned landscape designer, Masami Matsuda from Nagasaki. His creation serves to honor Japanese design principals using Minnesota plants and trees.

Weisman Art Museum

A permanent collection at the Weisman, Traditional Korean Furniture, includes about 200 examples of Choson dynasty furniture, 80 Silla dynasty stoneware pieces, close to 150 folk paintings and wooden bowls and utensils, in addition to other folk arts and crafts. The collection represents many types of wood, decorative material, and joinery techniques. On view until May 25, 2025 is Ebb/Flow: Pritika Chowdhry, Chotsani Elaine Dean and Courtney M. Leonard, tells the story of the invasive effects of colonialism through large scale, ceramic-based installation works.

Hmongtown Marketplace

An indoor and outdoor marketplace with over 125 stalls and shops, including 11 restaurants. Here you can browse all types of products from food and fresh produce, to clothing, home items, and accessories. The marketplace has grown to become a commonplace for Hmong Americans and given them a familiar sense of home with the community.

Walker Art Center

The Walker Art Center is one of the most visited modern and contemporary art museums in the country. Its exhibits bring together collections of art from communities and creators across the globe. Currently, it is showcasing the work of Minneapolis–based artist Tetsuya Yamada.

From exquisitely crafted ceramic sculptures to delicate drawings to documentation of the artist’s self-organized installations in surprising sites around the Twin Cities, the featured works highlight Yamada’s engagement with the connections between life and art.

Yamada’s artistic influences include the ancient Japanese forms of Noh theater and the traditional tea ceremony; the punk rock and skateboarding cultures of his youth in Tokyo; the modernism of Constantin Brancusi and Isamu Noguchi; and the democracy of the “readymade” object espoused by Marcel Duchamp. On view until Jul 7, 2024.

United Noodles

United Noodles is a pan-Asian grocery store located in the Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis. Here you can pick up and discover new ingredients and products from China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Hawaii and more.

University of Minnesota Campus: Dinkytown, Stadium Village, and West Bank

The University of Minnesota campus is surrounded by pockets of Asian culture powered by food, the people who prepare it, and those who enjoy it. Within walking distance from campus, you’ll find restaurants, food halls, boba shops, bakeries, and cafés representing Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian, Hmong, Thai, Japanese, and Polynesian cuisines. These places represent a piece of home for the more than 4,000 Asian students, many of which are international. The array of authentic flavors offers the opportunity to learn more about generations and traditions of the AAPI community in Minneapolis.

Events

Food & Drink

Union Hmong Kitchen

901 W Lake Street & 520 N. 4th St.

Chef Yia Vang's restaurants serve Hmong comfort food influenced by American flavors. You'll find dishes like Hmong sausage (Two housemade coarse-ground sausage links with Krunchy Chili Oil.), Khao sen rice noodles, Sticky spare ribs with tamarind sauce, and more.

Khâluna

4000 Lyndale Ave S

Khâluna transports visitors across the ocean with its colorful array of food and dreamy interior. The soft and beachy atmosphere and Lao dishes for which Khâluna is known provides a vacation right in South Minneapolis.

Hai Hai

2121 University Ave NE

Popular Northeast restaurant Hai Hai, serves Vietnamese street food. Inspired by dishes that Chef Christina Nguyen grew up eating at home, at family celebrations, and during several trips to Southeast Asia, you can expect to find more than just the standards like pho and pad thai.

Curry in Hurry

3025 E Franklin Ave

At Curry in Hurry grab delicious bowls of Indian staples and street food, including Tikka Masala, Coconut Curry and Biryani.

Lotus Restaurant

113 W Grant St

A family-run restaurant offering flavorful dishes of traditional Vietnamese food. Find passed down recipes of soups, rice & noodle dishes, and pho.

Gai Noi

1610 Harmon Pl

Gai Noi brings Laotian cuisine to the neighborhood of Loring Park through Chef Ann Ahmed's creative culinary recipes. Dip your sticky rice into some tomato Jeow, order a refreshing watermelon salad is topped with shrimp flakes and crispy shallots or the papaya salad. It's all meant for sharing, so bring some friends and try out a few menu items.

Sawatdee

607 Washington Ave S,

Sawatdee is family owned and operated restaurant that go it's start in 1983 and became the first Thai restaurant in the five-state area. They now have four locations throughout the Twin cities and are a local favorite..

More Restaurants:

Japanese

• Kado No Mise
• moto-i
  
• Zen Box Izakaya
  
• Hibachi Daruma
  
• Sanjusan
  
• Sushi Train
  
• Wakame Sushi & Asian Bistro (Japanese & Thai)
• Kyatchi
  
• Sushi Takatsu
• MOMO Sushi

Indian/Nepalese

• Spice & Tonic
  
• Kadai Indian Kitchen
  
• Gorkha Palace
  
• Dancing Ganesha
  
• Himalayan Restaurant (Nepalese)
• Darbar India Grill & Bar

Vietnamese

• Jasmine Deli
  
• My Huong Kitchen
  
• Quang's
  
• Pho 79
  
• Pho Tua Bay
  
• Pham's Rice Bowl
  
• Bep Eatery
  
• Lu's Sandwiches
  
• Que Viet Village House
  

• Amazing Thailand
  
• Kindee Thai Restaurant
  
• Naviya's Thai Kitchen
  
• Sabbai Express
  

• Abang Yoli
  
• Dong Hae Korean Grill & Sushi
• Velle (Korean, Asian Fusion)

• Rainbow Chinese (Chinese)
• Tasty Pot (Taiwanese)
• Tea House Chinese Restaurant (Chinese)
  
• Shuang Cheng (Cantonese)

Hawaiian

• Ono Hawaiian Plates