An uber-hip hangout with imaginative, Minnesota-influenced pan-Asian fare.
Located on eat street in Uptown, Azia has brought a new kind of sophisticated, yet laid-back eloquence to the diversified Nicollet Avenue strip. The winning quality of this restaurant has been recognizes by being named Bon Appetit's "Where to Eat" in 2003 and 2004. As one critic states, "Sacred Asian art meets James Bond chic." Let Chef and Owner, Thom Pham, take you on a culinary adventure ranging from traditional stir frys to a North Woods Walleye in Jalapeno-Basil sauce, to a perfectly braised tenderloin topped with an exotic Asian mushroom demi-glace. When you visit, chances are good that Thom himself is on site and tending to every guest as though he's invited them for a private dinner party. In fact, fundamentally, he has. Azia also offers a wide variety of original house cocktails, the largest sake menu in Minnesota, a refined wine and list and beer, bottled and on tap.

An uber-hip hangout with imaginative, Minnesota-influenced pan-Asian fare.

In Short
Black leather jackets are de rigueur on Azia's slick clientele, who congregate at high booths and little tables. The place suits any mood, with a bustling bar up front; an inviting main dining room with cranberry-colored walls; a Chinese-inspired black-and-red middle room; and a "Star Trek"-like lounge for sake and desserts. The menu encompasses much of Asia's cuisine with pizzazz: curry with cranberries, spicy cream cheese puffs, fried Minnesota walleye with a neon-green jalapeno-basil sauce.