"Yia Vang's Hmong fine-dining monument — live-fire cooking and the family table, named to TIME's World's Greatest Places 2025."
About Vinai
Vinai opened in July 2024 in Northeast Minneapolis, the first bricks-and-mortar restaurant from chef Yia Vang and named for Ban Vinai, the Thai refugee camp where he was born. It arrived to national acclaim: a place on TIME's World's Greatest Places 2025, Condé Nast Traveler's 2025 Hot List, Esquire's best new restaurants and a James Beard Best New Restaurant semifinal.
The cooking is Hmong, presented as fine dining without losing the family table at its heart. Menu sections are headed in the Hmong language, and live fire and smoke run through the kitchen — food rooted in Vang's parents' cooking and his own story of survival and migration.
The Kitchen
Fire is the through-line. The signature is a grilled boneless chicken where, as Vang puts it, the secret ingredient is the smoke; around it sit grilled and braised meats, herb-laden salads such as a cucumber-and-melon dish, sticky rice and house hot sauces built for sharing. Large-format shared mains are made for the communal table.
Pricing is accessible for the acclaim: shared mains and grilled plates run roughly $18 to $42, with dinner for two and drinks landing around $120 to $160. The kitchen rewards ordering across the table rather than plate by plate.
The Room
The room balances polish with warmth — a serious dining room that still feels like an invitation to a family meal, with the communal table at its centre and Hmong-language menu headers signalling whose food this is. Service is generous and story-driven rather than stiff.
The Northeast Minneapolis address sits in the city's arts-and-brewery district. Since opening to national press, Vinai has been a hard reservation — book well ahead, particularly for weekends and the communal table.
Best for an Anniversary
The shared mains, the live fire and the sense of occasion make Vinai a memorable anniversary or birthday in Minneapolis. The communal table and big-format plates also make it a natural for a celebratory team dinner.
Not for
Not for diners after a quiet two-top or a quick bite — Vinai is a hard-to-book, share-the-table fine-dining room built around large-format Hmong cooking and live fire.
Frequently Asked
What is Vinai known for?
Hmong fine dining and chef Yia Vang's story. Opened in July 2024 in Northeast Minneapolis and named for the Thai refugee camp where Vang was born, it has earned TIME, Condé Nast and Esquire honours and a James Beard Best New Restaurant semifinal.
Who is the chef at Vinai?
Chef Yia Vang, the Minneapolis chef behind Union Hmong Kitchen and the PBS show 'Relish'. Vinai is his first full-service restaurant, a personal monument to his parents and Hmong heritage.
What should I order at Vinai?
Start with the signature grilled boneless chicken — Vang says the secret ingredient is the smoke — then add grilled and braised meats, a herb salad, sticky rice and house hot sauces, shared across the table.
How much does dinner cost at Vinai?
It is accessible for the acclaim. Shared mains and grilled plates run roughly $18 to $42, with dinner for two and drinks landing around $120 to $160.
Where is Vinai and is it hard to book?
At 1300 NE 2nd Street in Northeast Minneapolis. Since opening to national press it has been a hard reservation — book well ahead, particularly for weekends and the communal table.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Vinai
Book well ahead — Vinai has been a hard reservation since opening, especially weekends and the communal table. In Northeast Minneapolis.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
Address1300 NE 2nd Street, Northeast, Minneapolis
NeighbourhoodNortheast Minneapolis
CuisineFine Dining
PriceShared mains and grilled plates roughly $18–42; dinner for two with drinks lands around $120–160
Dress CodeSmart casual
SeatingWarm dining room with a central communal table
ReservationEssential, well ahead
