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Address and Contact Information
Address: 575 University Ave W, St Paul, MN 55103
Phone: (651) 219-5158
Website: http://575zao.com/
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Reviews
T Vu
Has a private parking lot which is nice considering it’s off of university Ave. Small sitting area but quite cozy in a way. Didn’t try any of the bakery items but the beef noodle soup was decent. The broth came out hot. Noodles were very soft but enjoyable. The green tea coffee I got was pretty good. Got an order of the dang dang noodles to go with season pork. The pork is overly seasoned, very salty. The noodles were the same soft noodles as in the noodle soup.
… moreTess Peacock
Had an amazing first experience at Zao’s. The atmosphere is light and cozy, and is exceptionally clean and bright. We were immediately greeted and helped with chosing what soup we should get.
We landed on a bunch of baked goods ( great), but mainly were focused on the chicken soup we got. It was fantastic , one of the best Asian soups I’ve had in the cities. We also got the Ovaltine mocha coffee and that was perfect for a cold rainy day. Super unique flavor and it was so worth getting ! Cherry on top was being able to buy homemade chili oil that was also offered at our table. Thanks for an amazing experience ☺️ we’ll be back !
… moreWe landed on a bunch of baked goods ( great), but mainly were focused on the chicken soup we got. It was fantastic , one of the best Asian soups I’ve had in the cities. We also got the Ovaltine mocha coffee and that was perfect for a cold rainy day. Super unique flavor and it was so worth getting ! Cherry on top was being able to buy homemade chili oil that was also offered at our table. Thanks for an amazing experience ☺️ we’ll be back !
The Cat’s Meow Grooming & Suites
The chicken congee was so comforting, rich, and flavorful! Perfect food for a cold Minnesota day. Our baby has found her favorite food too . Iced coffee was strong and sweet, and paired well with a coconut stuffed bun. We got takeout too!
… moreEmily Mehr
I got all these delicious buns for like… $31 or something? Absolutely DELICIOUS, love the Egg Custard buns and Spicy Chicken buns especially but I have never had a bad item here. THEY MAKE THEIR OWN SOY MILK!! It’s slightly sweet and mild, very lovely. Support a local business! Parking is easy too.
… moreTommy To
Very cute and cozy bakery/cafe! Plenty of seating space.
We got the ginger chicken congee, matcha cream pastry, red bean pastry, ham and cheese pastry, the Zao soybean milk w/ matcha, and coconut cloud w/ matcha.
Everything was delicious and loved the authentic flavors of the congee. It brought me back to my childhood and we loved every bite of it.
Highly recommend!
… moreWe got the ginger chicken congee, matcha cream pastry, red bean pastry, ham and cheese pastry, the Zao soybean milk w/ matcha, and coconut cloud w/ matcha.
Everything was delicious and loved the authentic flavors of the congee. It brought me back to my childhood and we loved every bite of it.
Highly recommend!
Anand
Easily the best Asian bakery in the Twin Cities. Savory baked items and rice congee / noodles are where they shine. Spice blends are flavorful and the contrast in texture in some of their dishes keeps you excited for the next bite. Hot food came out relatively quickly. Everyone was friendly and even the owner came to check on us. Space is brightly lit with some plastic ornamental plants. Incredibily clean. It is self service.
My only gripe is that they only have one cash register. The line usually isn’t long, but when a bunch of people show up at the same time, it can take forever to pay for your items.
… moreMy only gripe is that they only have one cash register. The line usually isn’t long, but when a bunch of people show up at the same time, it can take forever to pay for your items.
Ai Xi
The fresh soy milk was delicious. I don’t think any other restaurant in the Twin Cities serves fresh soy milk so I will definitely be returning just for that. I also tried their beef noodle soup and bought a bunch of the pastries to take home for me and my family to try. I just wanted to give their chili oil a shout out, I don’t know if it’s home made or store bought but it was spicy. A little went a long way. I like that the water was self service so I can go refill as much as I want and I was able to seat myself. They had a very laid back setting. It’s definitely a place where you don’t have to feel shy eating by yourself.
… more李Victoria
Shared the Pork congee, BBQ egg noodles, curry bun, ham soi gok, pineapple bun, oolong milk tea, and chrysanthemum milk tea.
Both the noodle soup and congee were so wonderfully savory and flavorful. They were warm, comforting, and steaming right out of the kitchen.
The ham soi gok was the perfect balance of sweet and chewy on the outside and salty and savory on the inside.
I don’t usually prefer spicy food but the curry bun was very flavorful and paired really well with the congee.
Pineapple bun was sweet, soft, and nice and crackly on the top.
The drinks were also amazing. Both teas had nice strong tea flavors and weren’t too sweet. Though honestly, the whole day I could not forget about the taste of the chrysanthemum milk tea. I might go back just for that and to try the soy milk that a bunch of other reviews are raving about.
The only thing I would note for next time would be to go closer to when they open because by the time we got there it was packed and there wasn’t a ton of seating. We had to wait a bit.
… moreBoth the noodle soup and congee were so wonderfully savory and flavorful. They were warm, comforting, and steaming right out of the kitchen.
The ham soi gok was the perfect balance of sweet and chewy on the outside and salty and savory on the inside.
I don’t usually prefer spicy food but the curry bun was very flavorful and paired really well with the congee.
Pineapple bun was sweet, soft, and nice and crackly on the top.
The drinks were also amazing. Both teas had nice strong tea flavors and weren’t too sweet. Though honestly, the whole day I could not forget about the taste of the chrysanthemum milk tea. I might go back just for that and to try the soy milk that a bunch of other reviews are raving about.
The only thing I would note for next time would be to go closer to when they open because by the time we got there it was packed and there wasn’t a ton of seating. We had to wait a bit.
Autumn May
I don’t know much about zen but am pretty sure this place has it.
Their atmosphere is SO beautiful, peaceful & clean; it’s the most I’ve enjoyed a restaurant in months. It feels like I teleported to one of the hip Asian spots in CA I saw on Instagram, or in a commercial, lol. They’ve clearly poured a lot of love into the design, from the decor to the incredible wood benches to the pretty China serving dishes on the table. There’s even a microwave to heat your steam buns!
The food is phenomenal; I had the red pork noodles & got a variety of pastries. Enjoyed the Ovaltine mocha. I’ve been to another twin cities Chinese bakery & enjoyed but found this far superior.
-Editing a month later, after 2nd visit – fell even more in love; the pastry variety is so phenomenal (top fav is crispy little pork & mushroom pods), the entire staff so friendly (as well as all the patrons – the entire vibe of everyone there is just the nicest), & I love that there are no peanuts so I don’t even have to worry about my allergy.
The coconut matcha cloud drink was a total delight – 10x more delicious than I anticipated I don’t like coconut water alone but with the cloud it was heaven.
Also, their prices are seriously so reasonable for the quality you receive!!
… moreTheir atmosphere is SO beautiful, peaceful & clean; it’s the most I’ve enjoyed a restaurant in months. It feels like I teleported to one of the hip Asian spots in CA I saw on Instagram, or in a commercial, lol. They’ve clearly poured a lot of love into the design, from the decor to the incredible wood benches to the pretty China serving dishes on the table. There’s even a microwave to heat your steam buns!
The food is phenomenal; I had the red pork noodles & got a variety of pastries. Enjoyed the Ovaltine mocha. I’ve been to another twin cities Chinese bakery & enjoyed but found this far superior.
-Editing a month later, after 2nd visit – fell even more in love; the pastry variety is so phenomenal (top fav is crispy little pork & mushroom pods), the entire staff so friendly (as well as all the patrons – the entire vibe of everyone there is just the nicest), & I love that there are no peanuts so I don’t even have to worry about my allergy.
The coconut matcha cloud drink was a total delight – 10x more delicious than I anticipated I don’t like coconut water alone but with the cloud it was heaven.
Also, their prices are seriously so reasonable for the quality you receive!!
Taryn Halterman
Large space, delicious baked goods, and friendly service. Everything we had was a 10/10, iced coffee is super strong, and prices are great. Next time we’ll have to try some of the cooked to order dishes and dine in!
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