Cali’s Vietnamese (Minneapolis, MN: Northeast)

Cali’s Vietnamese is just a little neighborhood restaurant in the northeast area. We had never been there until we moved but we’re so glad we found it! Cali’s does lunch, dinner, take out and delivery. Restaurant traffic is on and off although lunchtime seems to be consistently busy. Above is Pho Bo, $6.95 (Rice noodle with tender sliced beef). We’ve also tried the seafood pho and found that the light broth is full of flavor without being at all “fishy” or “seafoody.”

Vietnamese Iced coffee, french dripped style, $3, is the best. At Cali’s, they bring you a little french press with sweetened condensed milk at the bottom. You wait for all the coffee to drip through and then you mix the hot coffee and condensed milk together so it dissolves and then pour the mixture over ice. The ice dilutes the sweetness and bitterness making for one addicting beverage.

The pho soups come with a big plate of bean sprouts, lemon, cilantro, jalapeno and lettuce. Drop all those fresh veggies into your steaming pho soup to “cook” them and add to the flavor!

Above is L1 Chicken Wings, Egg Roll and Fried Rice lunch special. Their lunch specials are served Monday to Friday 11:00 AM – 3:00 pm.

Special Vietnamese Lo Mein (Cabbage, Carrot, Green Onion, Bean Sprout and your choice of meat stir fried with thin egg noodle) with chicken, pork and shrimp, $9.75. I love the thin egg noodles in this lo mein as opposed to a traditional Chinese noodle, which is thicker. We enjoyed this dish along with the Vietnamese Chow Fun (Onion, Carrot, Green Onion, Bean Sprout and your choice of meat Stir-fried w/ thick, flat rice noodle) with Chicken, $9.25.

Above is the Singapore Noodle (Rice noodle Stir-fried w/ egg, onion, green onion, carrot, curry and your choice of meat with Shrimp +$1.00), $10.75. These noodles are much lighter and thicker than your typical Singapore rice noodle, which was quite unexpected.

Vietnamese Curry Chicken (Chicken w/ mixed vegetable stir-fried w/ curry and coconut sauce), $8.95. This dish was slightly sweet and had lots of fresh veggies. If you’re in the area and in the mood for Vietnamese/Chinese/Korean food then stop on by! Get a Vietnamese iced coffee and enjoy some good food and friendly servers.

Best Bets: Special Vietnamese Lo Mein, Chow Fun, Pho Bo, Vietnamese Iced Coffee

Cuisine: Vietnamese
Bar: No
Vegetarian / Vegan / Gluten-Free: Yes / Yes / Yes
Entree Range: $6-11
Waiter Service: Yes
Outdoor Seating: No
Credit Cards: Yes
Parking: Free Private Lot
Good for Groups: Yes