Pupraya Thai Restaurant

Ah, do you ever get tired of Thai food? I know I don’t. Everyone enjoys Thai food because it hits your palate just right: spicy, sweet, and sour. It seems only natural, though, that a Hmong person would crave the flavors of Thai—it is usually everything about Hmong food that we love but with an added bonus of a bursting flavor profile. One of things I appreciated about Pupraya was just that: it is a Hmong run Thai restaurant.

The owners, Song Vang and Chong “Lucy” Yang, gave the old space (which also used to house an old Chinese buffet as well as the old Asian Cuisine) a much needed remodeling (beautiful!) and they are prepared to offer some pretty delicious Thai food of their own, too. Thai, Lao, and Hmong cooks share the duty of preparing the deliciousness that was dished out to my dining partner and I. We went during lunch, which I encourage you to do if you’re not into big crowds. Although the place deserves to be filled up, it is nice to occasionally be the center of a server’s attention. (She did a great job, thanks!)

At lunch, Pupraya offers a modest lunch buffet of 12 items, a far cry from your super Chinese buffets. But for only $7.40 per person, it’s totally affordable and the food is enough because it’s so flavorful. The day I went, we enjoyed a beef green curry, pad thai, fried rice, white rice, pad cashew beef, chicken and vegetable stir-fry, pork and greens soup, little fried spring rolls, chicken wings, beef laab, salad, and fresh fruit. I was skeptical about the buffet, but since I wanted a good idea of what Pupraya had to offer, my dining partner chose the buffet option so that we could sample, and I browsed the colorful print menu for their specials.

Despite my doubts about the buffet, I was pleasantly surprised. The green curry was loaded with baby corn, bamboo shoots, straw mushrooms, and Thai spices—including the creeping heat I love about Thai food. The stir-fries are flavorful—simply satisfying and definitely not disappointing to, say, have for lunch. Same goes for the spring rolls and chicken wings. I thought the salad was nice and interesting—it had a kind of sweet and sour dressing which wasn’t what I was expecting and certainly not typical of the standard lunch buffet salad option—but it wasn’t overdressed and it was pretty tasty. Skip the pad thai and fried rice—you’re better off ordering those fresh from the menu. Our server told me those are some of their most popular dishes, but I don’t think she necessarily meant from the buffet line. And last but not least, the piece de resistance: the pork and greens soup. For a Hmong person especially, it just hits home at its finest. With a straightforward soup made with great tasting ingredients, this is what those foodies mean when they say simplicity is key. The flavor profile spoke for itself.

As for specialties from the menu, I wanted to order things that really stood out for me—for instance, the seasonally priced Crab-Po Pad Phongali and the Tom Kha soup. Although it was messy, the Crab-Po Pad Phongali was so scrumptious because the sauce made it so. It was really simple yet complex at the same time. I probably can’t describe exactly what it tastes like because it is a “special homemade Phongsali sauce,” with onions and bell pepper…and coconut? And an egg? I can’t really put the ingredients in my head to make something I would describe as “delicious,” but the skilled chefs at Pupraya have done it. The Tom Kha chicken-coconut soup is mild, but I just cannot get over the flavor—smooth, creamy, mild, brothy, filled with mushrooms and cabbage and lime juice…it was a really delectable soup, and totally enough to feed at least 4 people.

Don’t miss the ‘House Special Cream Chess Puff,’ which are filled with a smooth, creamy center and are very appetizing, even though they’re spelled wrong J Also for the more adventurous, eat the Crispy Squid, another crowd favorite and also my personal favorite dish of the day. These chefs use this batter that is a hybrid between tempura and something, but the squid comes out light, crispy, hot, savory, and tasty. They throw some kind of super yummy seasoning right on top of the squid when it gets out of the fryer and it makes the appetizer a meal of its own. If squid’s not your thing, pick around at the handful of onions and bell peppers they toss in the batter and fry alongside the squid—yum-o!

Be sure to order your food with just enough spice to add to the flavors of the dish, rather than having your food be so hot it kills your palate. Trust me, you do not want to not be able to taste or eat your food because it is too spicy. Pupraya’s scale ranges from mild (one star) all the way to VOLCANO (five stars). All of my food was ordered at a 2.5 star rating (medium to hot) and it was perfect—again, with that creeping heat I like so much. Even if you’re a spice buff, I would recommend only getting dishes at the hot level.

Pupraya is a restaurant by day, but entertainment site by weekend nights. Decked out with a stage and a really elaborate speaker system, our server informed us that on the weekends, it is packed with Hmong people coming out to have a little fun on the weekends. Also adding to the nightlife: the fully stocked bar and the imported beers, including beers from Thailand. Amazingly, their full menu can be ordered from all night as well. Overall, the fusion of Hmong foods with Thai foods made for a homey, yummy meal. Pupraya is also available for takeout, private parties, and events by appointment. Please contact Song or Lucy for further details. Happy eats!

Written By Elizabeth Thao

Pupraya Thai Restaurant

945 Rice Street, Suite A

St. Paul, MN 55117

651-330-2371

www.pupraya.com

Hours:

Mon - Thurs: 11:00 A.M. - 8:00 P.M.

Fri - Sat: 12:00 P.M. – 2:00 A.M.

Sun: 12:00 P.M. – 12:00 P.M.