Cheng: Your questions about restaurants and the restaurant critic answered

What Minnesota/Midwest-specific food were you not familiar with when you moved here but can't imagine living without?

In an earlier article, I disparaged cheese curds. While I was of (relatively) sound mind when I made that opinion, my first cheese curd experience was at a restaurant that did not prepare these curds particularly well. Moreover, I went into the tasting not having the best impression of a delicacy that sounded like the discards of a Good Housekeeping accident. Which is why I likened them to "mozzarella sticks on a tail end of mutation."

They certainly were not in a radioactive state when I tried them at Mouth Trap at the Minnesota State Fair, where (against my will) I was asked to try my luck with curds again. As it turned out, they were a revelation: light but sturdy batter, more buttery than cheesy, and a cheese pull that didn't feel gratuitous. I thought about these curds that night, then all week.

What do you think the Twin Cities dining scene is missing?

I've mentioned that there are plenty of restaurants that serve great pastas — the stalwarts, like the ziti with shrimp at Bar La Grassa; the doppio ravioli at Dario; the consistently stellar pastas at Spoon and Stable and Hyacinth all come to mind — but there are few that evoke an old school Italian trattoria that spotlight the pastas of yore.

As someone who grew up in Singapore and spent childhood summers in Hong Kong, dim sum has always been a tradition. The dim sum scene in the Twin Cities is fine — lately, the gently chewy, gossamer thin rice rolls at House of Kirin impressed me — but nowhere near the standards set by larger metropolitan cities, such as Chicago.

What hobbies do you have besides eating out?

As a voracious eater, I often find ways — and excuses — to prime my body, so I can eat more. This is why squash appeals so much to me. It's a year-round sport that brings fun, energy and athleticism. Forbes once called it the "healthiest, fittest" sport.

Do you ever cook at home? What are your go-to meals?

I'm not a great home cook. Nor do I have the time to cook as often as I'd like. But there are recipes that I turn to religiously that have yet to fail me, such as the Bolognese by Food52′s Josh Cohen. It's the deepest, most gratifying expression of a staple recipe that is simple yet achievable by a home cook. Should my culinary skills upgrade, I'll turn to Evan Funke's more fanatically involved rendition from his cookbook "American Sfoglino."

Other than Bolognese, I often cook simple stir-fries, salads and one-pan meals. "The Woks of Life," "Just One Cookbook," NYT Cooking and, of course, recipes from the Minnesota Star Tribune, are my go-to sources.

What are some quiet places to dine?

I've written about the merits of the Bungalow Club's food and quiet setting before. To add to this list: the Lexington and Joan's in the Park in St. Paul and in Minneapolis Kado No Mise, Tenant and 112 Eatery (for the Isaac Becker vibe, sans the spirited clamor).

Are there any menu items or cuisines that you personally dislike yet review, or do you pass on the venue?

As a rule of thumb, I review most new restaurants of note. This can mean a hidden-gem restaurant that serves great food, or a "splashy" restaurant, regardless of the quality of their cooking. I try not to spotlight small, independent restaurants that don't serve great food.

I do have cuisines that I favor, but I tend to give restaurants the benefit of the doubt when it comes to food that I am less familiar with. I do my research, bring friends who know it better than I do, and evaluate accordingly. Ethiopian is one example.

Yes, there are specific ingredients that make me a little uneasy. Mayonnaise is chief among them.

What is your favorite bread?

I love a great bread basket, and it's a shame many restaurants have moved away from it. The bread cart from Joel Robuchon's restaurants will always make my heart race. But if I had to pick my favorites: focaccia, ciabatta and Japanese milk bread. And some Bordier butter.

What's the best place in Minnesota to get authentic New Orleans cuisine?

I rarely answer such pointed and specific questions, but it is my duty to re-establish Krewe, in St. Joseph, as my go-to for peerless renditions of New Orleans classics. I think fondly about the jambalaya, gumbo and Key lime pie.

Comparing the Twin Cities dining scene with New York City's dining scene, are we in the infant or teenager stage? What are we missing?

Rather than assess maturity, I'd instead assess breadth. There are good handfuls of restaurants here that would garner accolades and draw crowds on either coast (New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco). Gavin Kaysen's restaurants would easily stand tall among them. As would the restaurants of his disciples: Adam and Jeanie Ritters' Bûcheron and Diane Moua's eponymous restaurant. Gustavo and Kate Romero's Oro by Nixta; Karyn Tomlinson's Myriel; Alex Roberts' Alma equally come to mind. But there are countless others that would not feel out of place. Including the bowl of pho from my Twin Cities favorite — Pho 400.

It's presumptuous for yours truly — a critic, not a chef — to simply ask chefs to open more great restaurants in the Twin Cities. It's one of the toughest businesses to build and operate. So, the "build it and they will come" is easier said than done.

Do you think we'll ever rebound to the 10 to 15 James Beard nominations we had before the pandemic?

I hope so. Rather than "wait" to be discovered, I firmly believe that restaurateurs and chefs should more confidently lean in. Too often, I hear diners and industry vets alike bemoan why the Twin Cities doesn't share the limelight that neighboring cities, such as Chicago, do. Conversely, many are saddling the reputations of chefs, insisting that they don't deserve to be put on the same pedestal as their counterparts from coastal cities. Responses to my Michelin piece, where I advocate for the guide to visit, reflects this impostor syndrome.

Have a question for Jon Cheng? Email taste@startribune.com for possible inclusion in the next installment of Ask the Critic.