YUM! KITCHEN AND BAKERY
4000 Minnetonka Blvd
Minneapolis, MN 55416
http://www.yumkitchen.com/

Cuisine: Various foods and baked goods
Atmosphere: Fast Casual
Cost: $8-12

Split Meal Rating: 4 out of 10

Liliya’s Review-

This little eatery is conveniently located on Minnetonka Boulevard right on the border of St. Louis Park and Uptown. It has some nice outdoor seating and a fairly diverse menu of sandwiches, salads, entrees and bakery items. I have been here several times and tried a couple different things the first was a Blueberry Chicken Salad and an Egg Salad Sandwich. Both were not spectacular but pretty good and had a twist to them that most restaurants don’t. The Blueberry Chicken Salad was big and the chicken fresh and well seasoned, the salad also contained Gouda cheese which you don’t see at too many places. The dressing was a little too sweet for me and didn’t go well with the other parts of the salad. The egg salad sandwich was good too and the portion generous. It did come on delicious bread and with tomato and other vegetables on it, which you don’t see too many places. The restaurant space itself was very crowded, the serving style is like Noodles & Company where you order, grab a number and wait for your food. Both occasions I was there, there was a lack of seating and the space was extremely noisy. I have also tried various bakery items from Yum at various parties and they did not live up to their reputation. One birthday cake I tried from there was dry and bland, cookies and muffins are nothing special.


Reccomended Appetizer: None, the fries are a good choice for a side dish.

Reccomended Entrée: Blueberry Chicken Salad, fairly priced and full of berries, chicken and cheese this salad is worth going back for!


Dining Atmosphere: Fast food like atmosphere, even if you do find a spot to sit at you feel guilty enjoying your meal for too long because of all the other patrons looking for a spot.

Service and Staff: Friendly and efficient.


Not Reccomended If: You want a cozy and romantic dining experience.

Overall Rating: 7 out of 10

Soda’s Review -

Yum is not exactly what this trendy fast casual restaurant or bakery should be called. I would change it to "Just Okay" if you want to tell customers the truth. There are much better places to dine within a 1 mile radius so if you want to walk up and order I recommend Noodles or Chipotle nearby. The menu at Yum doesn’t blend well together nor do the ingredients the cooks make the food with. I had the Pad Thai---my own mistake for trying this at an American fast casual. It tasted like fish sauce with a large squirt of lemon juice and some noodles mixed together. Then considering I shouldn’t have ordered a Thai dish, I got the fish and chips. This item wasn’t actual all that bad if you like eating out of a wrapped news paper. The fish was decent but the batter was so thick I had to dig through. However, there was one thing that I really liked, which was the tartar sauce. Use a lot of tartar and your fish will taste like something you’ll never get at Yum---it will taste like something good.

Recommended to Couples: Maybe for a break up date


Recommended Appetizer: Fries

Recommended Entrée: Fish and chips with extra tartar sauce


Dining Atmosphere: Fast casual horrible seating

Service and Staff: Nice people

Not Recommended If: You don’t like bad food or nowhere to sit


Overall Rating: 1 out of 5, lowest I can go

Thanh Do

Thanh Do
3005 Utah Ave S
St. Louis Park, MN 55426
The New Generation of Asian Cuisine
http://www.thanhdorestaurant.com/
Cuisine: Asian
Atmosphere: Casual
Cost: $12-15
Split Meal Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Liliya's Review - This cozy restaurant is one of my favorite's. The atmosphere is great for anything from a romantic date to a delicious easy dinner. I have tried many things on the menu and I can honestly say that all of them have been great. All of dishes have a very unique blend of spices and are packed with vegetables and meat. My favorite dishes would have to be the curry's. The curry's have the perfect thickness and are tasty with either chicken or shrimp. If you like cranberry's the cranberry curry is a must. Pair off any meal you choose with a glass of wine or a beer from the short but diverse drink list.The menu is very American friendly but also authentic and unique.

Recommended to Couples: Any couple. It is romantic and fun!
Recommended Appetizer: Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls
Recommended Entrée: Cranberry Curry Dining
Atmosphere: Very friendly but some of the tables are very close together and can get loud at times.
Service and Staff: Friendly but not always fast.
Not Recommended If: You want a fancy luxurious dinner. Thanh Do has a more casual and laid back atmosphere.
Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Soda's Review - I am glad we started our first review with Thahn Do as it's one of my favorite places in Minnesota. The food is very good here and although it has been "Americanized" it's still pretty close to authentic. The restaurant is family owned so the service is good. It can be a little slow sometimes but that's because the cooks put time into the meals and they stay consistently busy. If you have never tried Asian food, this is a great place to start, they may change your mind.
Recommended to Couples: New couples on a first date. I think new couples would like it best because of the noise. It makes you feel a little more safe and not pressured. And if it works out with her, you know where to go back to.
Recommended Appetizer: Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls
Recommended Entrée: Thai Basil Supreme Dining
Atmosphere: Family or casual. Small and a little loud at times.
Service and Staff: Friendly staff, good chef.
Not Recommended If: You either don't like Asian food or want something extremely authentic. Complete opposites I know but if you don't like Asian and want to try it, this is the place to do it. On the other hand, if you want to feel like your in Bangkok, it's good but not the same.
Overall Rating : 4 out of 5