Pinku - Saint Paul

PinkU's first location is in Northeast Minneapolis this location is just as fresh and delicious as the first. I've eaten here a handful of times with friends and family. Food and service is always 5/5 stars.

A nice little spot at MSP tucked toward the back of the food court area. Plenty of bar seating, although the chairs are not very comfortable. Service was solid, but it was also extremely slow when I came in. As for the food, I was a bit disappointed in the Salmon Potstickers. They were just OK. A little lacking on the flavor side of things. The crispy shrimp, however, were good. My biggest complaint is for $11, you get three medium-sized shrimp on a large bed of rice. Seems a bit pricey even for airport food.

The order took a bit of time to process. Staff was sympathetic and apologetic. It started out as a negative experience but end up being a positive one.

Drawn in by the beautiful decor, I decided to stop by Pinku for something different since it was still relatively new to MSP. The karaage was very well made. It had really crispy coating and was so flavorful when dipped in the sauce provided. The poke was a little lackluster. The dish overall was a little bland. The highlight of the dish was the pickled cucumbers, which added nice acidity and saltiness to poke. The portions were smaller than what I'm used to at other restaurants , so I would recommend getting at least two items per person for a filling meal. More improvement was needed for the service. I'm not sure if it was the lack of adequate staffing or what, but everything took a long time from ordering to getting the food.

Stopped by here for a quick bite on the way to baggage claim and it was delicious. I had the Karaage and my wife had the creamy crunchy shrimp. Portion size was about what I expected for the price and cuisine.