About Em Que Viet
Are Egg Rolls on a Stick ringing a bell?
Because discussion about the new Em Que Viet has to start with a mention of its sister restaurant – Que Viet.
The Original Que Viet
That Que Viet. The legendary Vietnamese restaurant you’ve probably visited in Minneapolis sometime in the past 40+ years.
(The family actually claims Que Viet is the longest-running Vietnamese restaurant in Minneapolis… no small claim for a city packed with Vietnamese restaurants. But considering the restaurant’s history dates all the way back to the year 1980, we’ll take their word for it.)
And if you haven’t visited the original Que Viet, you’ve no doubt stopped by their concession stand at the Minnesota State Fair. There, you can grab their legendary Egg Rolls. Served on a stick, naturally. Because State Fair.
The new Em Que Viet
Continuing with the Que Viet tradition, Em Que Viet is very much a family affair.
The new restaurant is ran by family members Maria Nguyen, Brianna Le, Lauren Le, and head chef Dat Le.
Dat Le is no stranger to those legendary Que Viet egg rolls. His mother founded the original restaurant in 1980, and he’s been running the kitchen ever since he took over in 1996. He and his team hope that Que Viet, and the new Em Que Viet, will continue to be passed down through the family.
Considering the Em Que Viet team consists of three different families joined by marriage and a combined love for the restaurant, things are looking good on that front!
In fact, “Em” is a versatile Vietnamese word for baby, little brother, or little sister. And compared to Que Viet, Em Que Viet promises to be the trendier, sassier version of the original.
DiscoverTheCities.com “Must Eats” at Em Que Viet
The egg rolls!
Fun Trivia: Head Chef Dat Le credits the eggs rolls for keeping the restaurant alive. He explains:
“Since I started running the restaurant in 1996, I often get asked what has kept us open all these years. In my head, I think of answers like dedication and hard work, but my reply has always been… EGG ROLLS—the foundation of our restaurant.”
Of course, the garlic cream cheese wontons are another state fair staple, and we had great luck with all the entrees we tried.
Our Full Review
Location, Vibe, and Atmosphere
Em Que Viet sits right on St. Paul’s Grand Avenue, and the promise of a trendier version of the classic Vietnamese restaurant is apparent from the moment you walk in.
The new, clean space is accented with bright colors and plenty of fun lighting.
The restaurant includes a bustling indoor dining area, a snug bar counter, and a quiet back patio space.
There’s even a drive through window for take out! (Definitely gonna be dangerous for those lazy nights when egg rolls are calling!)
We opted for the outdoor patio. While that currently means sacrificing the alcoholic drink menu, the cozy vibe still left us in a great mood.
If they’re aiming for a trendy, modern take on a classic Vietnamese restaurant, they’ve nailed it.
Menu
The Egg Rolls
Yep, these egg rolls are everything you expect from Que Viet.
From what we can tell, they haven’t changed a thing from their legendary state fair recipe, and that’s just perfect by our count.
These things are the crunchiest, deepest fried egg rolls you’ve ever had. And they’re packed with more meat than you can imagine – Sean joked it was like eating a bratwurst in an eggroll wrapper, and he meant that as the highest compliment.
State Fair Cheese Wontons
These are the legendary garlic and cream cheese wontons you’ve seen advertised all over the side of Que Viet’s stall at the State Fair.
In contrast to the egg rolls, these fried wonton wrappers are extra-thin, which actually made for the perfect 1-2 appetizer punch.
Hot and Spicy Chicken
In true DTC fashion, we put blind trust in our server for his entree recommendations. His first suggestion was the hot and spicy chicken, and he did not lead us astray!
This was some of the sauciest, most tender chicken we’ve had. It comes with beautifully sauteed onions, plus some simple white rice for balancing.
For the heat averse out there, you can rest easy knowing that the spice level was totally manageable, even for Lily and her Midwestern/Minnesotan palate.
This was a wonderful dish, and I can already see myself ordering it from that drive through window on many-a cold winter nights.
Bun Rice Noodle Salad – Marinated Beef
Lily is addicted to this dish all over the metro.
Her all time favorite lies at Trieu Chau on University Avenue, but she admitted that Em Que Viet’s version was a fantastic addition to the Twin Cities!
Em Que Viet’s marinated beef is definitely marinated! It was extra-saucy and extra-tender, which was perfect to complement the lighter veggies and noodles throughout this dish.
Dessert
While we didn’t have room for dessert this time, we had to spend a minute talking about the sweets.
Much like Que Viet, you can find not only a full dessert menu here, but even a pastry display-case up front. On our trip, that pastry case was loaded with all kinds of macaroons, cookies, and other tempting sweets.
Final Thoughts
Em Que Viet is an awesome addition to Grand Avenue!
It brings the legendary state fair egg rolls and wontons we’ve all come to know and love, while also successfully pushing the envelope in other areas of the menu.
Whether you’re looking for a trendy night of dining in St. Paul, or you just want some quick Vietnamese comfort food picked up through the ultra-convenient “drive through” window, Em Que Viet is sure to hit the spot!
Misc FAQs:
Cost
Less than $10 appetizers, with most entrees in the $13-20 range.
Parking
Free street parking on Grand Avenue
Service
Full wait service.
Easy take out also available.
Atmosphere
Trendy and clean, but still easy-going and down to earth.
Do you need a reservation?
We successfully walked in on a late Friday night. And if all else fails, you can grab something to-go from the take out window!
Location
1332 Grand Ave, St. Paul, MN, 55105
Website
EM Que Viet
