Inside a dramatically redesigned former Perkins in Golden Valley, Minnesota, sits one of the Twin Cities’ most celebrated restaurants.
Lat14 Asian Eatery takes its name from the 14th parallel north, the invisible line circling the globe through Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines, and its menu treats that line like a passport. 🌏
Behind the concept is Chef Ann Ahmed, a James Beard Foundation Fellow whose personal journey from a Thai refugee camp to one of Minnesota’s most acclaimed kitchens shapes every single shareable plate on the menu.
This is Southeast Asian cuisine built on real memory and real culture, not just trend-chasing fusion. 🥢
How Lat14 Asian Eatery won Golden Valley’s hearts
The story behind Lat14 Asian Eatery begins with Chef Ann Ahmed’s own life.
Ahmed’s family fled Laos when she was just two years old, spending two years in a Thai refugee camp before being sponsored by her great uncle to resettle in Minnesota.
Her love of cooking grew out of the limited time she had with her working mother, most of it spent together in the kitchen of the family’s Lao Market and deli on Nicollet Avenue.
By sixth grade, Ahmed had already written a ten-page menu for a restaurant she dreamed of one day owning. 🍲
That dream became real in 2005 when Ahmed’s mother, on a walk one morning, spotted a restaurant for sale and called her daughter with the news.
Ahmed said yes instantly, and her mother skipped Ahmed’s own college commencement to start the paperwork on what became Lemon Grass, Ahmed’s first restaurant.
Thirteen years later, in 2018, Ahmed opened Lat14 inside a former Perkins location dramatically redesigned by Shea Design in Minneapolis, giving Golden Valley its most unexpected fine-dining transformation. 🏗️
The concept behind Lat14 is deeply personal: small, shareable plates inspired by Ahmed’s direct connections to Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, and their neighboring countries, built to let diners eat their way along the exciting, diverse 14th parallel without the long airplane trip.
That vision earned Ahmed recognition as one of only 20 James Beard Foundation Fellows for the 2019 Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Program, cementing Lat14’s place among the country’s most respected Asian restaurants.
Locals return again and again for the restaurant’s bold flavors, and the signature Thai Basil Duck has become one of the most talked-about dishes in the entire Twin Cities dining scene. 🏆
Food Highlights
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Thai Basil Duck: Pan-seared duck breast paired with roasted mushrooms and bok choy, finished with a tamarind soy glaze. 🦆
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Basil Wings: Tempura-fried wings tossed with Thai basil, jalapeños, and the kitchen’s signature dry rub. 🌶️
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Jeow Bong Shrimp Fried Rice: Argentine red shrimp and red chili paste fried rice topped with fried shallots, a sunny-side-up egg, and pork floss. 🍤
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Smoked Salmon Fried Rice: Hard-smoked salmon and crispy rice furikake fried rice finished with egg, tempura fried nori, and walleye chicharrones. 🐟
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Khao Soi Chiang Mai: Chicken thigh meat in a yellow curry broth over egg noodles, topped with pickled mustard greens, red onion, chili oil, and cilantro. 🍜
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Steak Laab: An 8 oz. New York strip served with cucumber salad, toasted rice powder, and laab dressing, paired with sticky rice. 🥩
- Creamy Tom Yum Ramen: Ramen noodles in a tamarind coconut broth with pickled mushrooms, shrimp, and scallops. 🦐
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Pork Belly Sisig: Pork belly and a fried egg topped with pickled Fresno chilies, bird’s eye chili, and crispy chicharrones, served with jasmine rice. 🥓
Atmosphere
Lat14’s dining room carries genuine architectural drama, transformed from a former Perkins into a striking, design-forward space by Shea Design.
The overall feel leans upscale and modern while staying warm enough for celebratory group dinners and special occasions.
Ahmed built the menu specifically around small, shareable plates meant to bring people together around the table, and that communal spirit carries through the entire dining experience.
It is the kind of restaurant that feels like a genuine culinary journey rather than a typical suburban dinner spot. 🎨
Bottom Line
Visit for the tamarind-glazed Thai Basil Duck, the bold heat of the Basil Wings, a James Beard Fellow-led kitchen rooted in real personal history, a menu spanning four distinct Southeast Asian culinary traditions, and a design-forward space built inside a wonderfully unexpected former Perkins. 🍜🏆
Address:
8815 7th Ave N, Golden Valley, MN 55427
📞 (763) 400-7910
🕔 Open Daily 11 AM–9 PM