My favorite Thai restaurant used to be in downtown
Minneapolis – King & I. It closed down due to its lease being up and people
in the Twin Cities were really upset about it. It announced it was re-opening,
but in a new location: Mendota Heights. The internet was angry about this, even
though it’s a 15 minute drive from downtown Minneapolis, and for most people
the same amount of time it took to find a parking spot and walk to the
restaurant anyway. People just like to complain. Additionally, recent reviews
of the restaurant have complained about the change in atmosphere (it used to be
dark and a little dive-y and in a basement of an apartment building – and had
an awesome multi-level dining patio), and the lack of its elaborate cocktails.
I’m here to tell you to ignore those reviews. The real reason to go to King
& I Thai is the amazing food – and it HASN’T changed a bit.
First off, Mendota Heights is right on Highway 62 – the Crosstown
highway. Yes, it changes names when it crosses the river to 110, but it’s still
the same road. Seriously, it’s REALLY easy to get to this place. And they have
a huge parking lot, so you don’t have to walk or valet park. It’s perfect.
The menu is still the same – everything I remember ordering
at the old location, I think they carried over to the new location. D.Rough and
I got an order of Cream Cheese Rolls. These were one of our favorite things at
the old location. When they arrived, it was clear they were exactly the same.
We loved these little crispy logs filled with cream cheese. They’re great!
I got the Roasted Hot Pepper Sauce with Chicken – it’s a
bunch of meat, peppers, garlic, onions, cashews, and peanuts. It’s apparently
their top seller. D.Rough got the Pad Kee Mao – rice noodles with garlic chili
sauce, tomato, Thai holy basil, and broccoli. I remember loving their Thai holy
basil ANYTHING at the previous locations to my hopes were set pretty high.
The Roasted Hot Pepper Sauce was wonderful. I was worried
about the spice level, since I can remember having painfully spicy meals at
their previous location. The rich sauce was absolutely perfect. I loved that
they had both cashews and peanuts in the dish and the chicken tasted really
fresh and not rubbery. There’s a reason this is their best seller. I would
totally get this on any subsequent visit here.
The Pad Kee Mao was exactly what I needed – a comparison to
the original restaurant that actually held up against all the negative reviews.
This meal tasted EXACTLY like the ones I had at the previous location – the Thai
holy basil hasn’t changed one iota. It’s perfect. It’s spicy without being
painful and isn’t a one-note pony. It’s got the kind of flavor that makes you
keep eating it. We both really loved both of our dishes (and our appetizer,
obviously).
Do yourself a favor if you’ve been wondering whether this
place has changed. If it has, it got better. You can do without the cocktails –
they still have wine and beer (including Surly). The atmosphere isn’t as
sketchy a the old location, but we think it’s much nicer and fresher. The only
thing that may have changed is the spice level – it’s a little less spicy than
it used to be. I love the heat, but if you ever ordered a 4 or a 5 at the
previous location, you’ll now need to order a 5 or a 6. They can still bring
the heat, but I no longer feel scared to order a 4-level spice here. This makes
me happy because now I Can finish an entire meal without bursting into tears. Hahaha.
Top 5 things about King & I Thai
1. Roasted Hot Pepper Sauce
2. Pad Kee Mao
3. Cream Cheese Rolls
4. They have Surly
5. It hasn’t changed a bit!
Bottom 5 things
1. Nothing – it’s even better than it used to be!
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