Khâluna

Ann Ahmed’s upscale Laotian restaurant at 40th and Lyndale, designed to feel like a tropical resort dropped into south Minneapolis. The food is bright and herbal, built on the Lao and Southeast Asian flavors Ahmed grew up with, and the cocktails match the room’s vacation energy. The crispy rice salad and the curries are the orders. One of three restaurants in her growing group, and the most ambitious.