City: Minneapolis, MN

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (612) 824-7878

Address: 2916 Hennepin Ave. South

Description: A popular spot for the ogle-and-be-ogled dinner crowd at Lake and Hennepin. The foods of Thailand, Mexico, Jamaica, Polynesia, and Korea are represented on Chino Latino’s true melting pot of a menu. Chino Latino’s menu changes daily, and the foods here run the gamut of these countries’ spiciest cuisines, including five-spice duck, taco plates, and peppery steamed mussels. The restaurant also serves a variety of sakes and tequilas to accompany your meal—and just about the biggest banana split in the state to finish it off. The global menu is perfectly matched with the wild, complicated decor, with its cushioned orange-vinyl wall, a satay bar, giant round booths, semi-unisex bathrooms (shared sinks), and an open kitchen. There’s a sexy, dimly lit lounge just off the bar that party promoter Dan Vargas calls “my favorite room without windows.” Chino Latino is open daily for dinner.