Cheng: 4 Twin Cities area hidden gem restaurants that should be on your radar

This summer has been a whirlwind on the restaurant scene, with several exciting new destinations opening, beloved favorites returning and others shutting their doors, serving as a reminder to appreciate — and frequent — the restaurants you love.

So we're back with a third installment of Hidden Gems, an intermittent series that highlights underrated eateries across the Twin Cities area. As in entries past, these restaurants, the subject of recent visits, have been on my mind lately and range from sit-down restaurants to grab-and-go eateries — all of which are worth your time and palate.

House of Kirin

It seems a little presumptuous to say that the design of a menu is a sign of great things to come, but this is true in the case of House of Kirin, a hole-in-the-wall Cantonese restaurant in a Brooklyn Park strip mall.

The menu is thickly bound, with glossy photos of most dishes. Which presents a quandary: What to order? On a late Sunday morning, my dining companion and I sat down and ordered enough dishes to feed a miniature village. The dim sum (only on weekends) is tempting, and should you order carefully — the rice rolls, notably BBQ and fried dough ($8.25) — you'll be rewarded with some of the best the Twin Cities has to offer. Order the Chinese broccoli (Cai Lan, $8.25), roast duck, the roast pork (price varies), too, appetite-permitting. And when you're done scavenging through dim sum, go for the hot pot dishes and stir-fries from the dinner menus. The Yangzhou fried rice ($15.95) is a revelation.

8600 Edinburgh Centre Drive,-Brooklyn Park, 763-273-4247, kirinhouseonline.com

George and the Dragon

The restaurant's name may at first sound like the title of a novel that you'd read to your worldly son, but the fun doesn't end there. Their not-too-serious takes on British pub food — dubbed "family recipes" — draws crowds to this Lynnhurst eatery most nights of the week. On a recent Saturday, I came in search of judiciously prepared fish and chips ($17) and marveled at the thin batter, the perfect fries and that homemade tartar. Then, I found myself fighting my dining companions for seconds of the pretzel bread ($4).

G&D vets will say that the toasties are not to be missed; my favorite is their beef rib toastie ($16), a more craveable take on the French Dip — thanks to the copious amount of sweet, caramelized onion and the aged cheddar. But the real draw is dessert. I've finally found a Key lime pie that (nearly) rivals the one at Krewe. This one is a little different — a more custardy, not-too-sweet lime filling without puckering amounts of citrus; that craggy, toothsome crust, and that boozy, tequila-accented cloud of whipped cream. Keep it away from your worldly son.

813 W. 50th St., Mpls., 612-208-1047, ganddpub.com

Mandalay Kitchen

Mandalay Kitchen made headlines for its chapli-patty Juicy Lucy ($14.95), and while a fantastic burger, it shouldn't be emblematic of food that chef/owner Chris Tunbaw cooks at this newish Frogtown eatery. His tea leaf salad (Lahpet Thoke, $13.95) is, though. It's a bright, heady concoction of peanuts, fried garlic, roasted sesame, tomatoes and tea leaves imported straight from Burma.

Yes, there are Thai staples, and while they are well done — a properly fiery Pad Krapow ($13.95), and maybe the finest Nam Tok Laab ($18.95), or steak salad, in the Twin Cities — your best bet is to graze through the Burmese/Karen staples, many of which are recipes from Tunbaw's grandmother. The funk from their fish chowder (Mohinga, $13.95) will throttle you, but its appeal left our table rabid. Of the curries, I highly recommend the Knywa Pumpkin as well as the Yangnon Beef Curry (both $16.95). The Kachin Paratha (flatbread), for $3 extra, is a must.

383 W. University Av., St Paul, 651-219-5887, mandalaykitchenstp.com

Heather's

Is Heather's a hidden gem? Not if you ask their fanatical regulars, many of whom hold court at the large, tented alfresco area outside the restaurant — a fixture during warmer summer days. They're all here for sizably portioned comfort food that stands the test of time. Everyone will have their staple orders, so here's mine: the blackened salmon BLT ($18), a manageably thick portion, beautifully charred, alongside heritage bacon and crisp bibb lettuce. Or the chicken paillard pasta ($18), which feels like a veritable upgrade of a chicken Alfredo that nobody asked for.

The salads are portioned liked entrees, so beware when you consider building a multicourse meal (as this greedy critic would). Despite nearing the limits of my appetite, however, I enjoyed a seasonal stone fruit salad. Bright, bold, a little crunchy (those pistachios), and gently sweet — there's little much else you can, or should, ask for on a balmy Wednesday evening. Don't leave the restaurant without perusing their deli counter.

And good news for Heather's fans: A second, bigger location will open in Minnetonka this fall.

5201 Chicago Av. S., Mpls., 612-445-8822, heathersmpls.com

Jon Cheng is the Star Tribune's restaurant critic. Reach him at jon.cheng@startribune.com or follow him on Instagram at @intrepid_glutton.