Rice Paper Restaurant

This place should have a secondary name or disclaimer:
«ATTENTION: Vietnamese Restaurant without Beef Noodle Soup (Phở)»
Yes, you’ve read it right: There’s no Phở on the menu! There’s another soup that the server said it was Phở. It have a fancy french name and is made with chicken broth and chicken or tofu — no beef!
This is not your usual Vietnamese joint. It’s fancy, it looks clean and modern and the server is not Asian.
The food I had to have (instead of Phở) was really good and tasty (hence the 3 stars), but if you’re like me and when you see a Vietnamese restaurant and think ‘Phở’, this is NOT YOUR PLACE!

I tried the coconut shrimp and thought it was quite bland especially considering the high price. The salad wasn’t fresh either. The salted caramel ice cream tasted like vanilla ice cream.

Best fresh Asian food ever. My girlfriends favorite restaurant. Go with the spring rolls for sure.

My new «go to» restaurant. Excellent food and very friendly service. I have no idea if the food is authentic. I do know it is incredibly fresh, perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection. The vegetables are among the freshest I have ever seen in a restaurant. No kidding.

Bland, overpriced.
I ordered the Monsoon Dumplings and the Mekong Encounter with shrimp. The dumplings were soggy and bland, but the sauce was good. My entrée was thoroughly disappointing however. The shrimp was rubbery and overcooked and the vegetables tasted like they had been thrown in last minute. This is far from authentic Vietnamese food. Save your money — I wish I hadn’t wasted mine.
I normally don’t take the time to write Unilocal reviews, but this experience was awful.

I just ate at Rice Paper for the first time and it was fantastic. We used to live in Uptown and I was totally spoiled by Lotus Restaurant (4.5 stars/​289 reviews). Living in St. Louis Park I couldn’t find any place that even came close to the quality of their food until I ate at Rice Paper.
Forget about heavy/​greasy dishes — their stuff is fresh and the side sauces are great. I had the green onion Chinese pancake wraps with tofu and it was delightful — everything was super fresh and the texture and taste were perfect. If you are a vegetarian you will have a field day at Rice Paper.
I’ve only eaten there once but I thought I was served plenty of food — perhaps I just had a more substantial dish but it was plenty for me. I can’t wait to go back!
Also, service was great and the place was very quite.

We had a good meal with fresh ingredients. The spring rolls were a good starter with the crispy tofu puffs. Didn’t know what to think by the menu description, but please do not think of a crispy wonton thing, it is not that. The tea was a good quality and complimented the meal. We had Rice Paper rice plate which had good variety and taste, and the Pad Thai dish.
Having eaten authentic Vietnamese dishes in dive restaurants to upscale establishments around San Francisco this place is good. You can tell the owner brought some of her Vietnamese heritage into the business and food.
The atmosphere was casual and comforting. We had a great server who was busy, but made time for our questions. However, and there were two older women and we could not figure out what their roles were. Neither was the owner, and they did not serve, but only seemed to like grabbing the bills and moving people along.

One of my favorite restaurants for many years, even back in the old Linden Hills location, Rice Paper has never disappointed. Asian fusion at its finest, many interesting choices on the menu. Grapefruit Fiesta is my favorite salad with the most unusual spicy grapefruit I’ve ever had. Chose the Smoky Pot this time with crispy tofu and crunchy cabbage salad. Tofu may have been a bit over done, but I like the crunch enough to overlook the few extra seconds in the wok. 2 glasses of an Argentine Malbec was the perfect compliment. I will always return to Rice Paper.

I had the beef wraps. They were pretty good but not very filling. The «pogada» appetizer (baby bok choy) was also good.
If I had to summarize the overall experience, I’d call it a decent Asian restaurant but definitely designed to cater to Midwestern tastes. Which makes complete sense but not my cup of tea. I read the bio of the owner, a Vietnamese lady who was born in Vietnam and I respect that.
A lot of «fusion» dishes, all with creative names such as the aforementioned «pogada.» What brings it down to 3 stars… I’ll call it 3.8, is the slowness of the service and the lack of brown rice. Who knows? Maybe it’s a Midwestern thing. Which reminds me why I don’t live there.
If I did, I could definitely see myself coming back here probably a few times with optimism the rating would improve. And because it was the only decent sounding Asian restaurant in the Edina/​Minnetonka area.

Group of 6 of us met at Rice Paper looking for good food and an atmosphere that would allow us to talk and catch up without shouting at one another.
Good choice.
Started with a few appetizers — spring roll special, grapefruit festivity, and firecracker dumplings. We had to kind of cut them up to serve 6, but it was worth the effort. I highly recommend the grapefruit festivity. Very similar to Thai Yam Som O, Really makes the grapefruit delicious.
We each ordered an entrée ranging from Green Onion Chinese Pancake wraps to the Rice Plate to JapChae to the Perfume River Invitation. All very well presented and all pronounced a hit on the taste front. I had the JapChae with tofu. I was warned about the spice level of the dish. They shouldn’t have bothered. I could taste the spice but it certainly did not overwhelm. The noodles were expertly done.
Wine list is small but varied. A few sakes, including a flight. We were there pretty early — convening at 5:30pm — so seating was not an issue and was still not an issue when we departed at 7:15pm.
No room for desserts so no comments there.
Service is okay, very pleasant but not too enthusiastic or, well, motivated. I mean our water glasses were well tended, our food was promptly and correctly delivered. But the pace was… very relaxed. Not a complaint, just something to be aware of if you are in any kind of a hurry.
I enjoyed the food and the wine. The atmosphere was what we wanted for a group of friends who don’t see each other all that much. So it was a very enjoyable experience.

Sorry, but no cigar. Not even close.
I had a craving for Bun Thit Nuong, a Vietnamese rice noodle salad topped, typically, with BBQ pork.
For $ 20, I got 6 BURNT (as in, black on bottom) veggie dumplings, and their version of bun was rice noodles over a bed of romaine topped with dry, salty chicken.
Nope, nope, nope. This upscale-​ish place could learn a lot from a traditional, Mom-​n-​Pop hole-​in-​the-​wall. Would not return unless in a major pinch.

Yes, I get that this place isn’t truly «authentic» vietnamese food. And yes, I get that they are a little overpriced. However, I don’t get why Rice Paper only has 3 stars.
Came here with a friend for dinner on Sat. at 6:30 ish and were seated right away with prompt service. Although our server was on the rude side, it wasn’t enough to ruin our experience.
My friend ordered the pad thai and I decided on the Morning Market Noodles and chose tofu as my protein (my friend told me how good their tofu is). Food came out at a timely manner and I really enjoyed my dish. I liked how the spicy garlic sauce came on the side so I could choose how saucy I wanted my noodles to be. The noodles looked like ramen, but with the sauce and basil and not to mention delicious and crispy tofu all eaten together, the dish tasted good.
It wasn’t the best plate of noodles I’d ever eaten and definitely not what I’d consider authentic vietnamese, but it was enough to fill me up and satisfy my noodle craving. To give them some credit, their restaurant description is «asian FUSION» afterall…
Overall I would return again if I ever just wanted some asian fusion food and to catch up with some friends, although I wouldn’t want to regularly shell out $ 17 on a noodle dish.

I’ve always had pretty good experiences at Rice Paper; went there again two nights ago. Sat in the back hallway for the first time and it was pleasant for private conversation.
The menu is nice but largely consists of different variations on the same themes. We had the Rice Plate and Echo of the Tropics. Both were tasty and presentation was beautiful.
Wine list is pretty limited if you just want a glass; most are available by the bottle only.
Just about all items on the menu can be made with tofu — and they do a great job with the tofu! — so vegetarians can visit without fear.
We had good service throughout, attentive and considerate. The only potential negative was that our server accidentally threw out our leftovers — but we didn’t know about that until she returned with an entirely freshly-​prepared dish, all wrapped up for take-​home, so we were more than happy!

My husband and I went to Rice Paper for our anniversary and had a wonderful meal.
Our food came out very quick, especially our appetizer: spring rolls. The peanut sauce is amazing, I could eat it by itself with a spoon. Yum.
I got the Chinese Pancake Rolls and my husband got the Tamarind Rice Trio, both with chicken. We loved the variety of sauces. Some people wrote that the portions are small but we both took home half of our food because we were full.
Overall a cute space with friendly staff. We would visit again. Also, grab two mints on your way out. You won’t regret it.

We got take out from Rice Paper on my trip to Minneapolis, and it didn’t hurt that I got to eat it with great friends on a comfy couch with the pre-​selected alcoholic beverage of my choice. And I will also be quick to point out that the ingredients were all fresh, and the portions were a good size. But I was not wowed.
I got the Plantation Bowl with chicken and rice, and I felt the dish didn’t come together for me. The menu touts the dish comes simmered in a lemongrass-​coconut-​pineapple and green curry sauce… but I didn’t seem to taste any of that, save for a mild and weak green curry.
I have to say, what saved Rice Paper from a 2 star review for me was trying my friend’s dish. She got the Twirling Chopsticks Noodle bowl with tofu, which had a spicy, tangy peanut sauce. I was happy she gave me her leftovers, so I actually finished dinner feeling somewhat satisfied.
Maybe it’s a lesson to be learned. Don’t pick the $ 11 entrée if everything else on the menu is $ 16+. I felt like what we got for the price wasn’t 100% worth it, but I would give the noodles and peanut sauce a go if you’ve decided to try it.

We have been eating at the Rice Paper since it was in Linden Hills. I don’t pretend to be an expert on South East Asian Food although I eat a lot of Vietnamese soup at various places but I don’t believe that the food at the Rice Paper could be classified as classical South East Asian. It appears to be the chef’s attempt to provide offerings based on South East Asian techniques and ideas but which are unique to the restaurant. So if you go there expecting a big, inexpensive bowl of phở, you will probably be disappointed. On its own terms, I think Rice Paper is very good. They often have special spring rolls (pear for example) which are not listed on the menu. As pointed out in another review the peanut sauce is wonderful. I have always found the service to be ok. If you go there with the right set of expectations you may find it very enjoyable but somewhat expensive.

A little hard to find, but once you have, you’ll need to be dragged out — this place is great. From the classy flatware, to the cute design and the chic dishes, it was fabulous. We started with the spring rolls which were rolled in the sticky rice paper and stuffed with chicken (or tofu/​shrimp), bean sprouts, carrots and cilantro and served with their housemade peanut sauce, which thank GOD is for sale! The ingredients were so crunchy and fresh it was just awesome.
I got the Tamarind rice trio and chose chicken. It was served with three piles of rice, each with a different sauce and topping. First was chive/​onion, second was coconut and third was peanut sauce. The chicken was blackened which I love, and doused in a tamarind sauce. I absolutely loved it. It was very sweet overall, so I added some sriracha and it kicked up the flavor and spice to my liking.
I cannot wait to go back and try every single other thing on this awesome menu.

I wish this restaurant was closer to where I lived! But still, the drive to Edina is worth it for this flavorful, healthy and inventive cuisine. I love that just about everything on the menu can be made vegetarian, though it makes for some tough decision-​making when it comes time to order. I’ve sampled quite a few dishes in the two times I have been there now. The food was very fresh and the flavors came alive in my mouth. I particularly liked the New Moon Tofu appetizer and the Roadside Smoky Plate. The Mi Kho appetizer was very good with its thai basil pesto. And definitely get the coconut ice cream. Yum! Also, I was very pleased with the service and enjoyed the décor.

Visited Rice Paper on a Wednesday in September. Great weather, so my guest and I sat outside on the patio. Here are my thoughts:
1. Service was great. Very personable and patient with me (I arrived nearly an hour early and worked on my laptop as well as took calls)
2. Food was delish! We ordered the spring rolls (I’m fairly sure the peanut sauce couldn’t have been more delish) and mango sticky rice which was amazing
3. I wasn’t a huge fan of the small side of soup (Delta bowl)
Would definitely go back!

Okay, how do they cut those cute little flowers out of carrots???
I had a Groupon and really have bene wanting to try Rice Paper. They used to be in Linden Hills, but moved over to a neighborhood more suited to what they offer.
I was torn between starting off with dumplings and the spring roll. I’m glad we opted for the spring roll, because they were flying out of the kitchen. The peanut sauce was great.
For my entrée, I chose the Perfume River invitation, made with chicken with baby bok choy, jasmine rice, ginger sauce, and crispy wonton chips. I could have been satisfied with the baby bok and jasmine rice alone. The chicken was a little salty and tough, and the knives were more dull than the Presidential primaries.
The other thing that made me feel a bit uncomfortable was the Proprietress hovered around the dining room too much. I wasn’t sure if she was bored or didn’t trust her staff.
Would I go back and recommend Rice Paper? Yes. Is it what I think of when I am craving Chinese food? No. That honor still goes to Hot Wok in Edina.