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www.edenprairienews.com | Eden Prairie News December 3, 2015 | 7 Lotus Leaf offers Thai in Eden Prairie

BY PATTY DEXTER [email protected] with shrimp tempura Eden Prairie’s George George Zheng, owner of Lotus Leaf to prepare the classic thai dish, Pad Zheng originally planned Thai restaurant, shared the following thai, soak the dry stick go to law school or business recipe for readers: for at least four hours, or overnight. Basic : boil eight cups of water and briely school after earning his eco- blanch the noodles for 30 seconds nomics degree from the Uni- 3 cups of water to soften, drain well and set aside. versity of Minnesota. 1/4 cup of sugar In a large wok, add 2 ounces of Instead, he ventured into 8 ounces of oil and then crack in the restaurant business — four and scramble. add the 4 luid ounces of juice first taking over Chai’s Thai blanched noodles to the skillet, 4 luid ounces of and allow to noodles to sauté very Restaurant in Minneapolis briely in the wok. Go ahead and in 2011. He later sold that ish sauce to add about 10 luid ounces of the business and most recently 14 oz medium size dry rice stick sauce and a few dashes of paprika. opened his own establish- noodles allow the noodles to cook for a ment, Lotus Leaf Thai Res- 4 medium organic eggs minute or until “al dente” – note the sauce should be completely taurant at 7922 Mitchell Road 1 pound of tail-on shrimp, peeled caramelized and not runny or in Eden Prairie, on Oct. 1. and deveined liquidy. Lastly, add fresh bean “I think that was probably Photo by Patty DExtEr paprika sprouts and scallions, gently stir to combine with noodles. with the best decision I’ve ever Lotus Leaf Thai Restaurant in Eden Prairie offers Thai cuisine including Pad fresh bean sprouts shrimp tempura, crushed peanuts, made in my career,” he said Thai. scallions wedge and serve on a glass of becoming a restaurant lime plate. owner. “I couldn’t be happier cooking Thai . jerky with sticky rice, Thai would recommend it. He said crushed roasted peanuts to prepare the shrimp tempura, that I’m in this business.” “I worked alongside some fried eggs, and one man enjoyed it so much score the shrimp on both sides and Lotus Leaf’s website de- of the best Thai chefs in the chicken wings. There’s also he wanted to have a long oil then gently pound the shrimp with scribes the business as a country. I think that was the green (shred- discussion with him about it. fresh thai chili peppers (optional) the lat side of the knife – the shrimp should be elongated. Combine all “contemporary Thai restau- moment I got immersed into ded green papaya with sweet “I think it’s got appeal. I Shrimp Tempura : of the ingredients for the batter in rant serving elegant cuisine Thai cooking and I’ve just green beans, roasted peanuts, think once you have the dish 1 small a large mixing bowl – the batter in an unpretentious setting been captivated by it ever crushed and chili lime you can taste all the time and should be quite runny. 1 cup of tempura lour with a focus on natural and since,” he said. dressing) and soup energy I put into it,” he said. Dredge the shrimp in tempura locally sourced ingredients.” He decided to come to Eden (hot and sour aromatic soup There are multiple main 1/2 cup of chilled sparkling water lour and then dip it in the tempura It offers a variety of Thai Prairie when he found a space with lemon grass, , entrees served with steamed Directions: batter until it thoroughly covers the entire shrimp except for the tail. to make the basic sauce for Pad dishes including , stir that worked for his desire to , onions, mushrooms, — chick- heat oil to 375 degrees. Slowly dip thai, combine all of the ingredients fries, noodles and local craft open a 40- to 50-seat restau- cilantro, scallions and lime en with roasted chili sauce, the battered shrimp into the oil for a in a large pot, except for the couple of seconds before releasing. beers, wines and house-made rant. This size allows him to juice). ginger , shrimp and vinegar, and cook it right before Quickly cook for about 30 seconds non-alcoholic beverages. focus on making everything There are multiple curries chicken basil, “Kobe style” it reaches the boiling point. allow or until crisp. the inished product the sauce to sit in the pot to cool Zheng said first and fore- in smaller batches, ensuring to choose from. Panang 12-ounce wagyu strip steak should be straight with a light, down to 120 degrees, and then mix most, he wants people to feel that his customers will get is a smoky red curry and shrimp. irresistible crunch. in vinegar. comfortable in his restaurant their food fresh and right off simmered with sweet Thai Lotus Leaf also offers sev- Source: Lotus Leaf restaurant and has never aimed to have the stove, he said. basil and red peppers. Spicy eral rice and noodles dishes a fancy atmosphere. Zheng said fundamentally is coconut curry including pad Thai (stir fried “I feel like in many subtle his food is authentic but at the simmered with sweet Thai noodles with green onions is one of his most popular hours starting the second ways that kind of takes away same time, he believes food as basil, bell peppers, Chinese bean sprouts that can be dishes among customers. week of December because of from the food if the ambiance a concept is always evolving. and bamboo shoots, served with shrimp, chicken the demand. is a little too swanky,” he ex- “It’s not static and it’s not according to the online menu. or ); pad kee mow with RESPONSE “I honestly want to keep it plained. “I consider this to be set in stone. It’s really the The is made beef (smoky wide Zheng said foot traffic into that way. I think that is the a low-key and unpretentious people that cook the food with fresh ground and with stir fried beef, onions, the restaurant has increased most genuine way to connect setting. I do that on purpose that changes it,” he said. “I is simmered with onions and sweet basic, spicy Thai chili, each week despite the fact with potential diners,” he said. because I want the food to be like to stick to the basic core organic potatoes. There’s garlic and tomato; pad see he hasn’t done any formal For more information the star of the show.” principles but at the same also mahi mahi with green yew (chicken, wide rice noo- advertising. The restaurant, about Lotus Leaf, find it on time, I like to put my own curry, which is a mahi mahi dle, garlic, eggs, , which is open seven-days a Facebook or visit www.lotus- HIS OWN TWIST twist on it.” filet served with poached Chinese kale an ); week, will offer expanded leafmn.com. Zheng, 27, grew up in baby bok choy smoky rice shrimp , Mankato and also spent time MENU noodles and a spicy green chicken fried rice and spicy in Texas before relocating According the restaurant’s curry sauce. basil fried rice with beef, ac- back to the Twin Cities. He website, menu items range The is cording to the restaurant’s publicnotices said his interest in culinary from $5 to $17. described as a southern Thai website. arts started in college when Zheng said the menu offer- style curry with slow Zheng believes his signa- he began cooking for himself. ings are quintessential Thai cooked braised beef , ture dish is pad Thai with He also worked in the True food. According to the web- roasted peanuts, onions and shrimp because “it’s a good THREE RIVERS PARK Thai restaurant in Minne- site, there are “small plate” organic potatoes. Zheng said reflection of the type of cui- DISTRICT Early Deadline sine and the type of that PUBLIC NOTICE OF apolis’ Seward neighborhood dishes like fresh spring rolls, this dish isn’t as well-known AERATION WARNING Notice due to the where he learned the skills of steamed edamame, Thai beef with his customers and he I am.” He added that pad Thai (Offi cial Publication) AERATION SYSTEM Christmas and BEGINS OPERATION IN CLEARY LAKE said, “I believe that I am in “The War on Terrorism” foremost a problem MURPHY LAKE New Year holidays MALLO accordance with the will but it is part of the ongoing of ‘sacred’ text and HYLAND LAKE  continued from 6 of the almighty creator; by war of Christians vs. not a problem of LAKE REBECCA will be Tuesday, defending myself against Muslims. This war started misinterpretation of texts” Three Rivers Park District will operate aeration systems December 15, (Muslim) conducted a the Jews, I am fighting for against the Taliban has per Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer. in LAKE REBECCA, CLEARY policy of genocide on the the Lord. I would like to now turned into the war We hear “God Bless LAKE, MURPHY LAKE AND 2015 at NOON for Christian population thank providence and the against ISIS (Islamic State) America,” why not “God HYLAND LAKE after December living within its extensive almighty for choosing me and has expanded into Bless This World.” Is God 1, 2015. Operation of the aeration systems may result in UNSAFE the December 24, territory. The Sultan, of all people.” “My God is Syria and Yemen. “My God on our side? Does God have ICE CONDITIONS on portions of Abdul Hamid (1894- better than your God.” is better than your God.” a side or a religion? Gandhi the lakes for the duration of the 2015 edition and 1923) declared a policy The Second Sudanese There are smaller said, “God has no religion.” winter. Anyone using the lakes of genocide against Civil War, fought between religious wars that could be Maybe that’s the place we should be aware of the DANGER Tuesday, December included, Israeli-Palestinian need to start. OF OPEN WATER OR THIN ICE. Christians, killing 1.8 1983-2005. The conflict The aeration system is used to 22, 2015 at NOON million Greek Christians, when the Muslim central conflict, Northern Ireland, “Imagine there’s no keep fi sh alive by assuring they 1.8 million Armenian government imposed Yugoslav Wars, Rwanda heaven, it’s easy if you try. receive suffi cient oxygen. for the December Christians, and 100,000 sharia law on the genocide, India-Pakistan, No hell below us, Cleary Lake Regional Park is located at 18106 Texas Ave., Syrian Christians. A total Christian south. This war Congo, Tibet, and civil war above us only sky. Imagine Prior Lake. Murphy-Hanrehan 31, 2015 edition of of 4 million Christians killed between 1-2 million in Sudan. These are wars all the people, living for Park Reserve is located at 15501 killed by the Ottoman people with 4 million fought in the modern era, today ... Murphy Lake Road, Savage. the Eden Prairie Empire, which ended with displaced. “My God is the list could go on and on. Imagine there’s no Hyland Lake Park Reserve is located at 8737 East Bush Lake News. the start of WWI. “My God better than your God.” “My God is better than your countries, it isn’t hard to do. Road, Bloomington. Lake Rebecca is better than your God.” Since 2001, the God.” Nothing to kill or die for, Park Reserve is located at 9831 The last major religious Afghanistan War has In the last thousand and no religion too. County Road 50, Rockford. The war was World War II, the killed an estimated 585,000 years about 40 million Imagine all the people, parks are operated by Three Rivers Park District. Faxes are not Holocaust 1941-45, when 8.4 people and in the Iraq War people have died in the Living life in peace ...” (Published in the Eden Prairie million Jews were killed, 450,000 people as a result name of religion. - John Lennon “Imagine” News on Thursday, December 3, accepted. including one million of the conflict. President “Religiously justified John E. Mallo is a 2015; No. 3944) Jewish children. Hitler Bush called these wars, violence is first and resident of Eden Prairie.