The Food Snob
“This must be St. Paul’s best-kept secret,” exclaimed one of our merry band of diners after tasting the array of delicious dishes that appeared in front of us at Café BonXai. Well if it’s up to me, this Hmong-owned French/Thai/Italian restaurant will become a household name, at least in Midway-Como.
I admit it was a titanic struggle to get me there. Rarely does the Cheapskate assert herself, but when she does – watch out. I was determined to visit a highly regarded Middle Eastern place on Grand Avenue (stand by for next month’s review), but Cheapy insisted on staying in the neighborhood.
Naturally, the Bachelor sided against me. He kept screaming “Banzai!” as if auditioning for the role of a kamikaze pilot. Little did we know that the restaurant was named for the miniature trees that are tortured into submission over decades. One of the owners admitted that they didn’t know what to call the restaurant, but on a visit to Menard’s, spotted a mini-grove of bonsai trees. Thus Café BonXai was born. I’m very glad.
Let me count the ways. First, because a former Best Steak House has been reborn as a hip, casual, affordable spot with really good food. Second, because the menu is truly wacky, running the gamut from gyros to fajitas to pad thai to fettuccine alfredo. Third, because the homemade desserts would do credit to any swanky downtown place but are half the cost. And fourth, because watching the Bachelor compose a three-course meal based completely on coconut was a delight.
There are many more: truly fresh grilled salmon for a change (only $7.95), a succulent pork chop with sautéed fresh mushrooms ($5.95), one of the best and lightest versions of pad thai around ($5.50 with tofu), and extra-vigilant service (perhaps motivated by my refusal to hand back the menu so I could take notes on it).
My final word: Put down the newspaper. Get in your car. Go to Café BonXai. Scream banzai all you want on the way. You’ll be smiling on the way home.
The Bachelor
[Excerpt from St. Paul Police Report] – A 34-year-old Caucasian male was reported missing from the Midway Como area of St. Paul at 1300 hours on Dec. 12, 2006. Described as tall, lanky, with a full head of luxurious hair, a tiny button nose, and the smell of coconut on his breath, the man known as “The Bachelor” (aka Rico Suave, aka Captain Obstinate) was last seen leaving a lunch date with two boisterous and demanding older women and a young man with a basset hound dressed as Little Red Riding Hood. (The hound, not the young man.) Subject was last seen next door to Café BonXai, near the entrance to an establishment known as the “Love Doctor.” Anyone with information on the whereabouts of “The Bachelor” is encouraged not to tell his mother.
The Chowhound
Food: amazing. Design and atmosphere: almost.
Let me elaborate. I loved everything I ate, and I ate a lot. To start, I had the coconut soup. It is delicious, and the small piece of buttery Texas toast that came along was perfect for dipping. For my main dish I chose Basil Lemongrass with shrimp and, amid conflicting recommendations, ordered it spicy instead of medium. That turned out to be a mistake (is it normal to sweat out of your hair follicles?) but the enormous and tender shrimp more than made up for it. To top it off I ordered the crème brulee. In addition to being tasty it had a piece of hardened caramel sticking upright that looked just like a reindeer. Whether or not this was planned, the chef gets extra points for presentation.
Now let me explain my comment on the design and atmosphere. While the Food Snob might say otherwise, the real reason it was so hard to convince her to eat here is that Café BonXai has no curb appeal. The vinyl banner covering up only two-thirds of the leftover “Best Steak House” sign doesn’t at all prepare you for what awaits inside: black furniture and ceiling, burnt-orange walls, and deep blue hanging lights that create a soothing atmosphere. My advice to Café BonXai: Give the exterior the same love and while you’re at it, trade in the photocopied menus so we know you’re here to stay.
The Cheapskate
The Chowhound may offer unsolicited advice to restaurant owners, but I am here to advise our readers. And all I I can do is to parrot the Food Snob: Put down the paper and go. Drive, walk, take the 16 bus, but get there soon so that this amazing restaurant, just a stone’s throw from Cheapskate Manor, can become a permanent part of our neighborhood.
The chef makes up a new special every morning, so next time I’m going to try that. For the record, I don’t mind the photocopied menus. They may not meet the Chowhound’s aesthetic standards, but I like knowing that this chef can change it up any time he wants.
Here is the watertight case for Café BonXai. The Food Snob ate her own words, falling in love with a place she was determined to disdain. The Cheapskate walked away with change after paying for a ravenous group of five (we four plus one groupie) on our starving-artist wages. The Chowhound with his discriminating eye kept looking around and saying, “This place is actually really nice.” And the tough-guy Bachelor was so entranced by his coconut trifecta (coconut soup, coconut curry with rice, coconut panna cotta) that he swooned after two bites of dessert. I saw it. His eyes rolled right up into his head. This explains why he had to fabricate a cover story involving the unsavory emporium next door, to stop himself from using words like “exquisite” and “excruciatingly good” to describe the food at BonXai.
More evidence: We were back two days later with two skeptical friends. “What’s the name again? In the old Best Steak House? French, Italian AND Thai? Are you sure we want to go there?”
Two hours later, as they debated who had the better crème brulee—Café BonXai or the Saint Paul Grill—they had only one remaining question: “Is this place open for dinner?”
Indeed it is.
Contact us: withoutres@yahoo.com.
Café BonXai
1613 University Avenue
St. Paul
651-644-1444
Open Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Closed Sunday
12 responses so far ↓
Pam Troje // February 6, 2007 at 5:17 pm
We don’t eat out lots but my husband read your column and we went out to eat at the Bonxai. I had the salmon and my husband had the pork chop dinner. The Basil Coconut soup was so delicious I savored every spoon full. The atmosphere is calm and quiet so we had a good conversation. The food was great just like you said. I went back with a girlfriend and she went back with her daughter…… I love the three way views you present they are right on and the antics of the bachelor as reported make me laugh out loud….. Keep up the good work and we are going out to dinner more but first we will read without reservations…..
Terry Charleston // February 7, 2007 at 10:05 pm
I went there in late November when they first opened because a friend had taken us there for dinner. I’ve been going back atleast once a week or once every two weeks minimum. The food is great and price is wayyyyyyyyy underpriced. They will definitely being getting a lot of business and have to start opening on Sundays, which is the only day they close. That won’t be a problem soon with all the great feedback they’ve been gettting. And I think the Pioneer Press even wrote a nice article about them. Nuff said! My favorite sidedish is the Fireside Salad. Yummy. Go Bonxai!
Carrie // February 10, 2007 at 5:23 pm
I just found your blog doing a search on Café BonXai. They are helping out in a fund raiser for HAIL, the Hmong American Institute for Learning, a St. Paul-based organization. Stumbling upon your blog was a very happy coincidence. I love your restaurant reviews and I will definitely try out Café BonXai!
julie and pang // April 13, 2007 at 1:24 pm
i just wanted to let you guys know that i will never return there for the fact that me and my sister in law got chrged 10.00 over the original bill. we both did a split tran with our visas and got two reciepts back. we signed the damn receipts for 21.38, not 26.38. we both got chrged for 26.38 each which means thats 10.00 over.
unknown // April 24, 2007 at 12:56 am
just to let you know, don’t you have a mouth to speak up and tell the waitor or waitress that they over charged you on your bill? and are you Hmong too, than that make you pathedic too?
I love cafe bonxai…no restaurants in this city make food as good and cheap as they do…everyone love it accept you.
Pao Hang // April 24, 2007 at 2:19 am
I’m the owner of the restaurant. I went over the receipts for the split bills and there was also a $5.00 tip on each credit card slip. $21.38 plus a $5.00 tip equals $26.38. If you were not happy, come back and talk to me and I will show you the credit card receipts.
G. Lock // May 4, 2007 at 8:50 pm
I have been to this restaurant 3 times, 2 for lunch and for a weekend late lunch. All three times the food was excellent and the waitresses were very professional and efficient. I agree that this is a hidden gem in St. Paul and hope they keep getting more business to justify staying open.
Suzanne // May 17, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Since January I have been three times. The coconut basil soup is fantastic! The prices are extremely reasonable. We have never been treated poorly. In fact, the chefs always bid us farewell when we leave. I wish you all the best for the future and will visit as often as I can! Thank you!
Jeff // June 22, 2007 at 5:28 pm
My wife and I have been there twice now. It’s a lovely little place, and I will continue to support it. The wait staff is super-friendly — almost too friendly…but I’m not complaining! I like to be doted on.
The food can be a little hit or miss, which is why I really wanted to leave this comment — in hopes that maybe the staff is reading. The spring rolls do need some work — they seemed like mostly rice and dough (though the presentation was gorgeous). I ordered the Basil Lemongrass dish, and it was tasty but it just seemed like something was missing. It’s not built around any kind of noodle or rice — if anything, the foundation of the dish seems to be green peppers. Is it a soup? It didn’t come with a spoon. The calamari in it was done perfectly, but I’m not sure I’d order that dish again. I just found it…difficult to eat.
My wife got the pad thai this most recent time, and it was outstanding. I just finished up the leftovers for lunch. I also highly recommend the Thai Iced Tea (at least until BonXai gets its liquor license).
Don’t take my comments the wrong way — I wish this place all the luck in the world. This neighborhood needs more restaurants like BonXai.
Johann // October 27, 2007 at 2:06 am
Magic in Midway!
Oh my, where to start.
I moved to Saint Paul four months ago and the whole while I have been holding out hope for such a place. Easy to find near Snelling and University and parking is a breeze. You may have your doubts about the place, but they melt in no time. I felt I picked the most boring thing on the menu, being as I don’t eat seafood. Yet, the waitress stated it was her favorite and she was sincere and I am still licking my chops. The presentation and little extras were appreciated. They provided the house hot sauce to even kick it up a few notches. It was packed with flavor and never dull. The waitress kept up with my heavy water drinking and was spot on in every way. I had the Crème Brule for desert to top off the intoxicating visit. I am now so eager to try the rest of the non-seafood menu. In fact if I were ever trust someplace with something new this would be the place. Very charming to the moment I walked out the door.
Plus, it is clear they are thoughtful about advice in these types of post and have clearly advanced on them. I am left without any suggestions and that is rare.
Ka Lee // May 5, 2008 at 5:10 am
I haven’t been here.But I’m really excited to go.We’re going this Saturday,May 10th for Prom.I can’t wait.I heard that the food is very Good.Gosh,I’m so EXCITED =]
Paul Hillmer // September 2, 2008 at 2:34 pm
I’ve been going to this place as often as possible ever since I was introduced to it 18 months ago. I consider it part of my mission in life to make sure that this place stays open! Great food, great presentation, great prices!