Ann Ahmed

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Ann Ahmed is a Laotian-American chef and restaurateur in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her work has been recognized by the James Beard Foundation and the New York Times.

Early life and education[edit]

She was born in Vientiane, Laos.[1] Her family left Laos when Ahmed was two years old and lived in a Thai refugee camp until she was four. Her great uncle sponsored the family in immigrating to the United States, where they moved to Minnesota. Her mother worked several jobs to support the family and saved to be able to buy the Lao Market on Nicollet. Ann later worked in the deli there.[2] By middle school, she was planning 10-page menus with "a lot of curry."[3] In response to her mother's urging her to get a formal education, she later earned a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from San Diego State University and was preparing for a career in teaching.[2] Even while in college, Ahmed ran a catering business out of her garage.[3] When she was a week away from graduating, Ahmed's mother called her about a restaurant that was for sale in Brooklyn Park. After graduating, Ahmed started her first restaurant in that Brooklyn Park location.[2][3] She bought the restaurant over the phone.[4][5]

Restaurants[edit]

Lemon Grass Thai (2005-2023)[edit]

Ahmed's first restaurant opened in 2005 in Brooklyn Park and gave her the opportunity to focus on food inspired by her heritage and traveling.[6] She called it Thai because that cuisine was more commonly known in Minnesota at the time.[4][3] Ahmed closed the restaurant in March 2023 after its 18-year run because she felt like it had "run its course."[6] She opened Gai Noi later in 2023.

Lat14 Asian Eatery[edit]

Lat14 opened in Golden Valley in 2018 in a former Perkins that was dramatically redesigned by Shea Design in Minneapolis.[7] The restaurant's name refers to the 14th parallel, which travels through Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines.[5]

Khâluna[edit]

Ahmed's third restaurant is her first in Minneapolis and opened at 40th and Lyndale in 2021.[8] The name means "please" in Lao and is intended to emphasize compassion.[8] In addition to the restaurant, the space also includes a small shop, a private dining room, and a demonstration kitchen used for cooking classes. Eater named the restaurant one of the best 15 new restaurants in the U.S. for 2022.[9] Food and Wine editor Khushbu Shah called Khâluna's Bucatini Talay the "most boundary-pushing noodles" she tasted in 2022.[10]

Gai Noi[edit]

Entrance to a restaurant named Gai Noi. A rainbow colored bench is in front.
Gai Noi entrance

Gai Noi is a Laotian restaurant in the Loring Park neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota.[11][12] Established in May 2023, the business was included in The New York Times's 2023 list of the 50 best restaurants in the United States.[13][1] The name is short for "khao gai noi, the short grain rice used to make sticky rice" and is "commonly known as 'little chick' because it’s spotted and small."[14] The restaurant is inspired by Luang Prabang, where Ahmed was born. In contrast to her other restaurants, Gai Noi is intentionally walk in only to create a "casual gathering feel."[15]

Recognition[edit]

  • Selected as a 2019 Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Fellow by the James Beard Foundation[16]
  • Khâluna was named one of the best 15 new restaurants in the U.S. by Eater for 2022[9][4]
  • Semifinalist for 2023 Best Chef: Midwest from the James Beard Awards[17]
  • Gai Noi was named one of the Top 50 Restaurants of 2023 by the New York Times[1]
  • Ahmed was named one of 50 people who are changing the way Minnesotans eat by the Minneapolis Star Tribune in their 2023 Iconic Eats series[18]
  • Semifinalist for 2024 Best Chef: Midwest from the James Beard Awards[19]

Personal life[edit]

Ahmed is married to Tarique Ahmed, who is from Bangladesh and has a finance background and has expanded into owning real estate.[8][20] Their first blind date was at Cafe Lurcat, down the street from the location where Ahmed's Gai Noi restaurant opened in 2023.[15] They have twins, Maxwell and Emma, who were born in 2014.[21] She told MPR that she enjoys making traditional Bengali curries for her husband at home.[22]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Tribune, Joy Summers Star. "Gai Noi in Minneapolis lands on New York Times list of best restaurants". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  2. ^ a b c "About Us | Our Story | Asian Cuisine | Golden Valley, MN". Lat14 Asian Eatery. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  3. ^ a b c d Cheng, Jon (2021-10-13). "How Ann Ahmed Is Paving a New Path for Southeast Asian Food in the Twin Cities". Eater Twin Cities. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  4. ^ a b c "Khaluna named one of the 15 best new restaurants in U.S. - CBS Minnesota". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  5. ^ a b Ecker, Kait (2019-06-24). "Lat14 Chef Ann Ahmed's Recipe for Inspiration". Minnesota Monthly. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  6. ^ a b March, Stephanie (2022-12-20). "End of an Era as Ann Ahmed Closes Lemon Grass Thai, While Looking to the Future". Mpls.St.Paul Magazine. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  7. ^ Tribune, Rick Nelson Star. "Lat14 Asian Eatery, in former Golden Valley Perkins, heats up suburban culinary options". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  8. ^ a b c Tribune, Rick Nelson Star. "Just-opened Khâluna in Minneapolis offers good looks, great tastes". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  9. ^ a b Eater Staff (2022-12-06). "The 15 Best New Restaurants in America". Eater. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  10. ^ "Our Restaurant Editor Shares the Best Bites She Ate in 2022". Food & Wine. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  11. ^ Cheng, Jon. "Review: Minneapolis' Gai Noi defies expectations, redefines casual dining". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on 2023-09-24. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
  12. ^ Jones, Justine (2023-05-25). "Five Dishes to Try at Chef Ann Ahmed's New Restaurant, Gai Noi". Eater Twin Cities. Archived from the original on 2023-06-06. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
  13. ^ "The Restaurant List 2023". The New York Times. 2023-09-19. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2023-09-20. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
  14. ^ DeRusha, Jason (2023-01-31). "Ann Ahmed Reveals Her Loring Park Restaurant Name". Minnesota Monthly. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  15. ^ a b "Meet Gai Noi: Taste the Love in Loring Park". LAB. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  16. ^ "Here Are the 2019 Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Fellows | James Beard Foundation". www.jamesbeard.org. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  17. ^ "The 2023 James Beard Awards Semifinalists | James Beard Foundation". www.jamesbeard.org. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  18. ^ staff, The Star Tribune Taste. "50 people who are changing the way Minnesotans eat". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  19. ^ Jones, Justine (2024-01-24). "Seven Twin Cities Chefs, Restaurants, and Bars Are James Beard Semifinalists for 2024". Eater Twin Cities. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
  20. ^ "15 Years In The Making, Lat 14 Brings Fusion Of Flavor To Golden Valley - CBS Minnesota". www.cbsnews.com. 2019-01-31. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  21. ^ Rounds, Lisa (2022-03-08). "Chef Ann Ahmed's Family Recipe". Mpls.St.Paul Magazine. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  22. ^ "James Beard nominee Ann Ahmed tells us what's for lunch". MPR News. 2023-03-23. Retrieved 2023-11-21.

External links[edit]

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