To learn and to play mahjong, check out these local spots. As the game’s popularity grows, free community meetups can be found online, such as on this thread.
Moona Moono (Minneapolis)
If you haven’t heard of Moona Moono, feel free to hear me rave about walking into it the first time on the City Cast Twin Cities podcast (at the 20:33 mark!). It was an experience. The community-focused cafe and Asian-inspired retail boutique in Uptown hosts popular mahjong nights every other Tuesday from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Moona Moono offers three modes of play to fit all levels: Learn to play, Reserve a table, and Join our Pool. Owner Angie Lee explains that for folks who join the pool, “we help them find players across a wide range of play variations including Taiwanese, Hong King, Riichi, and American.” Moona Moono partners with the University of Minnesota Mahjong Club whose members teach Mahjong 101, most recently Taiwanese mahjong. The class tickets that participants purchase help fund the university mahjong travel team.
Saint City Mahjong Club (St. Paul)
Claire Joseph and Tara Duginske are former law firm partners who share a passion for mahjong, both for the game and the way it brings people together. They founded Saint City Mahjong Club. Players can move through Mahj 101, where they learn the basics, to Mahj 102, where they get more practice play, and on to Open Play where they can play without teacher assistance. There’s also a social league that offers a bit more infrastructure and competition (it includes scoring). The club hosts events at a number of local businesses around the metro including Larissa Loden, and breweries such as Wandering Leaf, Dangerous Man, Bad Weather, and Minneapolis Cider Company. Duginske says in the dark days of winter especially, it’s a great way to get out of the house and be with people for a fun event. The founders are proud of how welcoming and inclusive the club is. ”It’s such a wonderful community,” Duginske says. “I love seeing someone walk in the door who at first looks a little nervous. And they're just taken under somebody’s wing. It’s fantastic.”
Minneapolis Mah Jongg Club (Edina)
Minneapolis Mah Jongg Club’s founder, Abbe Blacker, is known to many as the “queen bee” of mahjong and is a popular local instructor of the game. The club’s new storefront in the 50th and France neighborhood offers drop-in days, mixers, and a 4-week beginner class series marketed as “the best most comprehensive way to learn Mahj!” They aim to maintain a low teacher-to-student ratio of approximately 1:8. You can take a look at their current class list here.
Fox and Willow Mahj Club - at Josefina’s (Wayzata)
If you play mahj and are near Wayzata, know that the Fox and Willow Mahj club meets Tuesday mornings, 9:30-11:30 a.m. at local restaurant, Josefina. Fox and Willow is a luxury tabletop and fashion boutique shop and even has a mahjong essentials collection including tiles, mats, and racks. In the past, they’ve partnered with Let’s Mahjong Y’all, Claire Briggs’ “Mahjong with Southern Hospitality” business. Briggs is a Deephaven, Minnesota-based certified mahjong instructor who offers lessons on Lake Minnetonka and around the Twin Cities.
