Meal #3 with fellow Yelper, Kedar D., and his partner, and yet another good meal. Disclaimer: coming from Vancouver, we are spoiled for copious amounts of authentic, high-quality Chinese food. This is not authentic at all in my books, but it's quite tasty. They have plenty of vegan options. The three of us split: -Mock duck crispy tiger ($18) -- we were told this could be made vegan but the server was unclear what wasn't already vegan about it, so you may want to inquire. This was the highlight of the meal for sure. The mock dock texture was phenomenal -- crispy, stringy and cooked perfectly, accompanied with green onions and crispy taro chips, coated in a savoury and lightly sweet sauce. Personally, I'd have omitted the taro chips and added, say, onions, but that's a minor gripe. -Ma po tofu, made vegan by omitting the pork ($16). Not remotely authentic -- no Szechuan peppercorns or fermented bean paste, just soft tofu with green peas (for some reason) cooked in a savoury soy sauce-type thing. Pretty good if you don't tell your brain it's supposed to be ma po tofu. -Vegetable dumplings ($8 for 4 pcs). These were unusual for Chinese dumplings, which were flat. I'd say there wasn't enough filling-to-wrapper ratio, but it was tasty regardless and served with a nice dark vinegary dipping sauce. -Wok-seared cauliflower ($12). Not remotely Chinese -- not even sure why such a thing is on the menu. Regardless, it was tasty, though I'd say the cauliflower was not cooked long enough, as it was still very crunchy. Nice flavours though and not bad if I pretend I'm not supposed to be eating Chinese food. -Mixed vegetables with black bean sauce pan-fried noodles ($21). We replaced the usual egg noodles with wide rice noodles. Not sure why this is so expensive -- it's not a complicated or expensive dish to make. Tasty dish, which comes with all sorts of mixed veggies, smothered in a nicely balanced, rich black bean sauce. Good stuff. Despite my tongue-in-cheek remarks about inauthenticity, I enjoyed the food, especially the excellent mock duck. Very kind, quick service. Good spot.

I have been getting consistent quality takeout from Rainbow for nearly 30 years. My fav is the Gai Lan or the Singapore noodles.

Great good, amazing rainbow fried rice. Stable of EAT STREET! Always great customer service and friendly.

Rainbow keeps upping its game and being a staple in the community. Its menu has transformed in the last year and I now find myself going there at least a couple times per month. If nothing else, get their "mock crispy tiger" ($18), which is vegan by default and features seared mock duck in a savory black bean sauce with green onions. It's one-of-a-kind and easy the best mock duck dish in Minnesota (and for those in the know, mock duck is a common vegan protein option in East and Southeast Asian restaurants in the state; it's seitan, but canned, so tends to be more briney). The bar also has great cocktails and the ambiance remain top-notch. Rainbow is a gem and ever-evolving.

Rainbow Chinese restaurant on Nicollet and 26th is a Minneapolis classic, having opened in 1987. Somehow, they have found a way to navigate the path between traditional Chinese food and boring. Their food feels modern and familiar at the same time. Of course, chef Tammy Wong has run the show since the beginning. The only comparable Chinese restaurant was Leann Chin's BEFORE they sold out to General Mills, but that goes back many, many years. Rainbow has been on our regular restaurant rotation for decades, so I'm surprised that I have never previously reviewed it. During Covid, it went take-out only and the food did not travel well to my house in the western burbs. Even after Covid, they didn't open the dining room, so it was several years that I went without eating at Rainbow; thankfully, they are now back open. They have reduced the quantity of dishes, but still the core of their offerings remain. Rainbow's decor is very welcoming and far from the sterile look of many Chinese restaurants. They also have their own parking lot, which is a nice perk on the ever busy Nicollet Avenue. We started tonight's meal with Cream Cheese Wontons. This is a good example of this restaurant because even though these are ubiquitous, they are very different at Rainbow, because the wontons are almost tempura light, as opposed the heavy fried wontons we are all used to. Although I'm not really a fan of sweet and sour sauce, Rainbow makes their own sauce, which is more like a marmalade than what we are used to. In other words: familiar item, but elevated in both the dish and the sauce. The eggrolls and the dumplings are are equally solid. I have a hard time not ordering my favorite and today was no exception. I love the sliced, white chicken in black bean sauce with Fun noodles. Fun noodles are the thicker, wider noodles that are perfect for soaking up the black bean sauce. The dish is rounded out by both green and red bell peppers and onions. My wife ordered the Chicken with Cashew nuts which has sliced white meat chicken, peapods, bell pepper and onion tossed in Peking sauce and garnished with cashew nuts and Thai basil. The dish is infused with the sweet taste of Thai basil, which has a different flavor profile than regular Italian basil. I debated whether to give Rainbow a 4 or 5. The quality of food and decor are at a 5. However, I hate that they charge $8.00 for a pot of hot tea for one person (it's only hot water with a bag of tea!) and that they now add a 5% fee on top of high prices, and then expect a 15 to 20 percent tip on top of that. With a bill that was close to $80 for two people (one app, two entrees, tea, and a virgin drink) is already pricy, without adding yet another required price on top of that -- and then expecting a tip. These are the junk fees that restaurants need to drop. Charge what you feel you need, and then let customers decide the value. For those reasons, I gave a total rating of 4.

This restaurant (and even more its owner Tammy Wong) is now a classic and important institution in Twin Cities dining. As the ethnic dining scene continues to evolve, Tammy's longtime commitment to fresh farm-raised produce and healthy adaptations of favorite Asian foods has provided culinary leadership for decades. It is matched by her personal hospitality. Such a treasure. Don't miss the opportunity to eat delicious real food in such a hospitable environment. Try one of her creative drinks, too.

OK, still super busy (in the best way possible)! I still scored a parking spot out front. And the food was still spot on SO DARN GOOD! Oh, yeah! The ordering? Yes, you can pick a time. And they are good with on time! The pickup? It's clearly marked, socially distanced and kinda fun since there are other hungry patrons to chat with. This time? We went a bit off the script, but just a bit. - Szechuan Wontons - Super yummy, hadn't had these before - Honey Walnut Shrimp - Hubs wants extra sauce next time, so noted - Chicken Mixed Vegetables - Loaded with veggies and HUGE chicken pieces. I ate myself into insomnia (yaknow, so full you cannot sleep)! - Fun Noodles - Get this: Most dishes come with a pint of white rice, default. But... upgrade? Maybe more rice. Maybe brown rice. Maybe fun (rice) noodles. Maybe mein (wheat) noodles. Life's a box of chocolate and so are these options!! - Bottle & Can Beer [Sapporo 6 pack] - yep, I did that. I wanted to show extra love so I bought beer. Because. And it was beautiful. AND! Behold the photos, which I captured this time! Please note that the photos are roughly 1/2 portions because we easily filled our plates again with this much (and a titch more). I need to edit my other curbside cuisine reviews to reflect where home plating might have appeared scrimpt'd. Yeah, I just made a word.