The Wake

Dinnertime approaches daily, like a swinging pendulum. The when and where may vary for everyone, but the eating hour will always rumble its way into your day. It is this crucial time that has your stomach asking, “how will you fulfill my needs?” while the rest of you debates whether or not you desire the same old dinner. Such thoughts inevitably lead to one conclusion: it is time for a change, and time to eat out!

Furthermore, after perusing the restaurant districts you will probably reach two more conclusions: One, you will likely want to eat Asian cuisine instead of fast food; and two, the many Far East options in Dinkytown have the potential to leave even the cleverest person in an internal, cuisine-seeking conflict.

It was but four months ago that I faced a similar dilemma and randomly chose Camdi Restaurant on 4th Street in Dinkytown. (You can recognize it by its wonderfully yellow front awning.) The restaurant may appear small in dimension upon first glance. But upon being seated, the restaurant offers the comforts of a close-knit community and a big-family feel. Camdi does not manufacture this feeling — the place is primarily Kiet, his wife and their family. Kiet is passionate about their goal to “provide good food to the students,” and that they aimed to make the place feel like family. And while most places claim this, my visit prior to my conversation with Kiet exemplified such attention.

Kiet explained that when they opened Camdi fifteen years ago, there weren’t many options for Asian cuisine on campus. So he and his wife gathered recipes from their family along with ones they learned traveling in Asia. They used the tradition of cooking that was passed down to his wife from her mother as a basis for this business venture.

Camdi creates Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine with care and tradition you can taste. I sampled the duck noodle soup, which surprised me on several levels. First off, there was a large portion of a duck, still on the bone, in the soup. After tasting it, I knew it should not have been served any other way. Kiet recommended the sesame chicken and the hot & spicy, saying they were menu favorites. Most dishes can be ordered with choice of meat, including chicken, beef, barbeque pork, shrimp, or prawns. Camdi has no trouble accommodating vegetarians, and offers many options with either tofu or vegetables. The restaurant also serves several sea bass dishes and “the best pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) and curry soup in the Twin Cities.” The price is very reasonable, with a fine lunch special offering meals for less than five dollars.

However, what is truly unique about the place, and what more than warrants a visit, is the combination of atmosphere and unique food that have made the business a popular spot for nearly two decades. Walking in on a fine spring day such as we have enjoyed of late, the sun glistening into the evening hours and relaxing music playing in the background, one will find Camdi to is a perfect setting for dinner.

I urge everyone to give the quaintness of Camdi a try, but primarily for the menu choices. I am confident you won’t be dissatisfied. You will certainly find something that appeals to you, and will be able to create an exciting dinner, full of spring-time fun, either by means of the company or the fresh vegetables. Simply ask yourself, when was your last memorable, tasty, and uplifting dinner? Exactly. Go eat!