Naviya's Thai Kitchen of Grand Marais and Richfield

Naviya's Thai Kitchen of Grand Marais now has a Richfield outpost. The former Puhket Thai restaurant at 6345 Penn Ave. S. has been stylishly remodeled, and now serves what is billed as "the only restaurant in the Twin Cities serving cuisine based on Oriental Medicine!" Naviya and Kim LaBarge (she's Thai, he's not) opened their first restaurant in Grand Marais three a few years ago, and opened their Richfield outpost earlier this year.
The menu explains that "in traditional Oriental medicine, it is believed that the human body is made up of five essential elements. Associated with each of them is a category of flavor derived from Natural foods...One way to insure good health is to include in the diet a cuisine which uses a consistent balance of natural foods representing the five flavours: salty, sweet, sour, bitter and pungent (hot). Because Thai cuisine utilizes all five, almost to an equal degree, it is perceived as a perfect health-enhancing cuisine."
Well, maybe. But every Thai restaurant in the Twin Cities offers that combination of flavors, and unfortunately, the menu makes no effort to explain how the traditional medical principles are applied in any specific dishes. Actually, the menu offers a limited selection of the same dishes you can find at any Thai restaurant, ranging from red and green curries to pad Thai and holy basil supreme, plus a few non-traditional items such as crab Rangoon and cream cheese wontons.
First impressions: generous portions, attractive ambience, but quality seemed about average, and prices are distinctly higher than most local Thai restaurants: most entrees are in the $14-$17 range. The Bangkok style fish cakes were superb: fried deep brown on the outside, firm and flavorful on the inside, and with just the right hint of kaffir lime. But the red curry with fried tofu lacked the complexity of the best versions I have had elsewhere.
The buffet ($ 9.95 at lunch, $ 16 dinner) offers a sampling of many of the appetizers and entrees also offered a la carte: coconut lemongrass soup with chicken, vegetable spring rolls, cream cheese wontons,Thai chicken wings, crab Rangoon, and about 10 different entrees, ranging from sweet basil seafood, pork prik khing and cashew nut chicken to red and green chicken curries and pad Thai. Desserts include sweet sticky rice with Thai custard, coconut flan, and several flavors of mousse cake (presumably not a Thai dish.)
But there may be more to Naviya's Thai Kitchen than first meets the eye. Without knowing who I was, Kim LaBarge struck up a conversation, and mentioned that the menu offers only a small sampling of Naviya' culinary repertoire. Diners who call ahead with a party of eight or more can arrange for special off-the-menu dinners. Prices start at $25 per person. I'd like to try that sometime, but I think I'll wait until Naviya's gets its wine and beer license - expected before the end of the month.
Naviya's Thai Kitchen, 6345 Penn Ave. S., Richfield,.

A Grand Time at the Grand

Carol and I celebrated our 54th wedding anniversary (that's months, not years) last night with dinner at the Grand Cafe, which is rapidly becoming one of our favorite restaurants. Chef Justin Frederick's relaxed style of bistro cuisine is consistently very good, the setting romantic, prices extremely reasonable (most entrees are $17 or under) and it's in walking distance of our house.
Full disclosure: my cover got blown long ago at the Grand, so I have always gotten prompt, personable service. I wondered whether that would change after my departure from the Star Tribune was announced, and in fact it did: Co-owner Mary Hunter and waiter extraordinaire Johnny Imgrund both seem more relaxed than when they were talking to the restaurant critic. I've learned a little bit about both of them: Johnny used to write and edit a food and dining guide out in California, and knows a lot more about food and wine than the average server - or the average restaurant critic, for that matter. Mary Hunter met her husband (and co-owner) Dan when they both worked together in the mid-80s at the legendary Faegre's. Faegre's was the training ground for an impressive roster of chefs who have gone on to earn their reputation elsewhere, including Ken Goff of The Dakota; Jim Grell, owner of theModern Cafe; , Brahim Hadj-Moussa of the Barbary Fig and Whitney Gaunt ,who opened Broder's Pasta Bar, and is now chef at FISH in Sausalito. Mary plans hold a Faegre's reunion dinner for sometime this summer, which should be a memorable event. On the first Sunday of every month, a portion of theCafe's dinner profits is shared with the Kingfield Neighborhood Association, and on Tuesday, May 22, the Cafe will host a fundraising dinner for the Lake Country School.
Oh, yes, the food. We started with the canapes, a nightly selection of tidbits that included truffled deviled eggs topped with a sprinkling of Osetra caviar; rye toast points topped with salmon, fresh mint and herbed horseradish cream, and oysters on the half-shell with a mignonette sauce. I immediately broke my resolution to eat less meat, and ordered the lamb burger ($14), a generous chunk of coarsely ground meat served on toasted sourdough, topped with goat cheese, and accompanied by a spicy chimmichurri sauce and a gratin of carmelized cauliflower and whipped potatoes. Carol opted for the nightly special, halibut cheeks ($21), served over fingerling potatoes in a bright and fresh sweet pea puree. I was so entranced by her company and the romance of the evening that I forgot to ask her for a taste, but she tells me it was wonderful. I can also recommend several items on the current menu that I have had on previous visits, including the duck pot pie in puff pastry with black truffle puree ($15), and the Kobe brisket pot roast ($17). We skipped dessert this time around, but the list includes banana creme chiffon, chocolate creme brulee, and a homemade butterscotch pudding.
The Grand Cafe, 3804 Grand Ave. S. , Minneapolis, 612-822-8260. www.grandcafempls.com.

The Start of A New Life

Dear Friends,
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