I'll 'Shoyu' fine dining at MSP!

It isn't often that my husband and I have time to explore the unique culinary offerings available to us while traveling between Minnesota and Michigan by plane.  Usually, we are too rushed to even fit in a meal at the airport, let alone one that features iPads at every seat to facilitate one-touch ordering and convenient flight updates!  

If it hadn't been for an article in the local paper featuring Andrew Zimmern's favorite airport restaurants, we never would have taken the time to relax with a sit-down meal at Shoyu before our flight home for Thanksgiving.  Zimmern, a native Minnesotan, is known for his Travel Channel show Bizarre Foods, where he is known for being a culinary explorer and indulging in the most bizarre foods on the planet.

So, if Andrew Zimmern says it's good, well, it probably IS good... once you get past the weirdness of it all!

Nevertheless, there is nothing outlandish about the cuisine offered up at Shoyu, located at MSP near the entrance to Concourse G.  They feature a modern Japanese menu and make their own noodles and dumpling wrappers fresh daily.  If you aren't a fan of Japanese cuisine, don't fret, they offer up a wide variety of options, including soups, sandwiches, salads, and even burgers.  

Upon scanning the menu, one dish in particular caught my eye...  Wild Mushroom Soba!  As a mushroom fan, I had a feeling that I couldn't go wrong with this selection ($11.50).   As the server placed the steaming bowl of beautifully arranged ingredients in front of me, I couldn't help but admire it for a few minutes... which was just long enough to grab my phone and snap a picture before giving in to my hunger.

Wild Mushroom Soba: shiitake, enoki, tamagoyaki, and spinach.

I often joke about meals being 'death bed meals,' or those that are so good, I would choose to have them during my final hour on Earth.  This, my friends, is one more I will be adding to my list (I think my last day on Earth will be spent eating... yes, just eating :-)

The beef broth made this soup into a meal with its rich, salty flavors that perfectly enveloped the soba noodles, mushrooms, spinach, and tamagoyaki (grilled, slightly sweet Japanese omelette).  I received a very generous serving of this soup, which my husband gladly helped me finish.  (He wished he had ordered the same thing!)

I recognize that this restaurant recommendation may not be explored by most of you, but if you do find yourself passing through Minneapolis/St. Paul, Shoyu is worth a visit.  Strapped for time?  You can also order your meal to-go :-)  Our friendly and efficient service allowed us to enjoy our dinner in under 40 minutes, allowing plenty of time for us to arrive at our gate just as boarding began.  The restaurant isn't one I would consider "inexpensive," but rather a great "bang for your buck" place if, like me, Subway isn't your idea of dinner.  Afterall, your airport meal could technically be your "last supper," so why not make it a memorable one?!  Just some food for thought...

Librarian turned Foodie