AAPI Owned Businesses of Midway

In light of the events in Atlanta on March 16 and the continuous racism experienced by the Asian American Pacific Islander community, it is vital that we support and uplift local AAPI businesses.

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Aidan Stromdahl
Sole Cafe ofers traditional home cooked Korean food. Visitors can choose from a variety of food options and they provide dine-in & delivery options.

Z Martinez, Variety Reporter

Sole Cafe resides in St Paul’s Koreatown and is known for its authentic Korean menu. They pride themselves on having all natural, local ingredients and chefs who refuse to take any shortcuts in the process of making the perfect meals for their customers. Their menu contains an abundance of options including meat, seafood, vegetarian and vegan items. During lunch, they serve a lot more individual choices while dinner has the most full entrees. 

They strive to provide the best service to customers and as reviews have stated repeatedly, they do not disappoint in providing a comfortable and friendly environment for everyone. Customers have expressed  feeling very happy with their visit.

In the reviews, Customer Joseph Oh states, “This place has home cooked Korean food.  It makes me reminisce about the food I grew up with.  I feel very much at home and comfortable because it brings up good memories!”

Having a full menu of delicious food is something that Pho Pasteur can also identify with. Their specialty is authentic Vietnamese cuisine, they have choices that include: classic Vietnamese, vegetarian, rice platters, vermicelli salad bowl and more. They are also stationed within the Midway area and have been recognized for having tasty options and good prices. 

One customer left this review after their visit: “Visiting St. Paul from Illinois. Stopped in to try this new restaurant. What a treat! Casual atmosphere, very welcoming. Service was quick and the menu was extensive. Loved the huge bowl of Pho and the rice platter was delicious! Bubble tea was good, as well. Family owned and run. Reasonably priced. I’d highly recommend.”

Being able to sit down and enjoy a meal is always reassuring, but if that is not an option or one would rather cook the meal themselves, then stopping by Kim’s Oriental Market would be the way to go.

Aidan Stromdahl
Known for its friendly staf & great variety of Korean and Asian food items.

It is a fairly small store near Snelling Avenue that houses authentic Korean-based products for purchase. Though the store is small in size, it has a variety of products that include Asian sauces, frozen foods and sweet treats. It had been mentioned by a customer that this is also one of the only places in the Twin Cities that sells binggrae samanco, a frozen treat made of vanilla ice cream and a thin layer of sweet red bean paste, all wrapped within a fish shaped wafer shell.

The owners of the store are also known to be very friendly and helpful with questions. Customers leave happy and have a good overall experience. This store is also the main go-to place for Korean grocery.

“The best Korean grocery store in Minnesota!” Customer Will H. left in a review. 

All these businesses reside on Snelling Avenue in close proximity to one another. Their exact addresses are listed below:

Sole Cafe: 684 Snelling Ave N, Saint Paul, MN 55104

Pho Pasteur: 694 Snelling Ave N, Saint Paul, MN 55104

Kim’s Oriental Market: 689 Snelling Ave N, Saint Paul, MN 55104