Mai Lee

Only my second day in St. Louis, and I was already craving Asian food. I was shopping at Target in the neighboring plaza, so my dad decided to give this place a shot since the reviews were pretty high.
I give the phở 3 stars and the seafood charred rice bowl 4 stars. I got the beef phở, and the broth just tasted super off. I’m not a big fan of phở to begin with, and when the broth is off, I just can’t stand it even more. There was just a funky taste, like it was slightly more sour than usual, and the flavors of the beef weren’t used to its full potential.
The seafood charred rice bowl was actually pretty good! There was a wide variety of seafood and vegetables. The rice was super unique; it was slightly crunchy and the texture was just really different than any other rice I’ve had. My only complaint about this dish is that the toppings to rice ratio was off; there was way too little rice for the amount of seafood and vegetables, and the rice was just drowning in the sauce. But don’t get me wrong, the sauce complemented the seafood really well.
I definitely wouldn’t recommend the phở, but if you have the chance, you should try the seafood charred rice bowl because it’s pretty unique!

I’m in love!!! Love with #121. Saw it on a posting m, which is the whole purpose of Unilocal and has served Me well. It was highly recommended and let me say,… Aaaaammmaaazzzxing!
Mai Lee has become a favorite to all for some time now. With the limitless possibilities how have I stayed in such a bubble. M
Let’s begin with the fat plummy butterflied shrimp cooked to perfection in this anbrosia. Sauce was buttery, garlic, sweet (not too much) juicy sauce. Fluffy scrambled eggs and veggies. Oohhhh boy, I cannot justify this dish of delight but mere words.
It needs to be highlighted, bold and flashing like Broadway lights. It’s a huge second as well. Easily 2 meals, and I like can hold my own if I wanted to, but this was nice a filling. I shared a few small pieces with my pooch who kept licking her chops staring at me.
I ordered mine to go and the drive home was arduous because the smell was intoxicating. All I can say is it was worth the wait. I can’t see myself going back to anything else after this, but rather exploring the menu further now knowing the possibilities that await me.
Thanks again Unilocal and fellow helpers for broadening many peoples horizons, hope this did as well.

Came here because of the good reviews. Just wasnt too impressed. We ordered 5 different meals and a huge appetizer. It was ok. Not worth the price. We all decided we wouldnt be coming back.

Great first experience! Service was very good. Server was helpful with suggestions and ideas. (Menu is enormous!). Curry chicken dish was excellent and I can’t wait to eat the leftovers. And they had Voltron shirts on – win win!

Great food & a great owner! The pad thai, roasted duck & the mango sticky rice for dessert was a perfect meal. Oh & can’t forget about the crab ragoons… yum! Highly recommend!

Flavorful fresh dishes served by welcoming servers who are very knowledgeable of the menu. Roasted Duck is my favorite dish, the crab ragoons are the best I’ve ever had and the mango sticky rice with coconut sauce is an amazing dessert. Its a light dessert that is the Perfect mix of flavor and texture. Qui is an awesome guy. He may be my long lost asian cousin!

Mai Lee’s phở broth is my favorite in this city. It’s on the sweeter side and the beef cut is by far the most tender. Their phở is what makes me keep coming back.
The bun bo hue is outstanding when the broth is done right. However, it has been Russian roulette with this soup as there had been times when the broth was so gloriously pungent and flavorful, but a few times it had been watered down/​flavorless. I don’t like to play this game after being burned so many times, so I’ll usually go with the phở. I once took my visiting east coast friend here because i boasted about its bun bo hue and unfortunately she lost the Russian roulette game that day and left the bowl almost untouched. :(
For appetizers, I highly recommend the crêpe (banh xeo), lotus salad, and the papaya salad. Egg roll portion is way small for the price.
But no lie, the phở and all other noodle soups are equivalent to $ 5 bowls elsewhere. What I mean is, what is up with the portion size?! It’s legit half of every other place ever. I’m a petite Asian girl and I’m not full after a full bowl of phở. I am accustomed to ordering phở at places that have multiple size options — Mai lee’s default size (at $ 10) is equivalent to small at those places. We Asians hate to see their peeps go hungry, that’s why a common greeting is always «have you eaten yet?» — so this small portion size is quite a phenomenon to me at a Vietnamese restaurant.
Feed us more.

My family and friends always like to come here to eat Phở. The other stuff, like Bun noodles, is just ok. Nice place, atmosphere, and service. I ordered the Phở Dac Biet and it does not dissapoint. Ocassionally, we get a few orders of the Banh Mi sandwiches. They are good too.

We actually come here quit frequently since I work right around the corner. The location is a little weird as it is on a cut through between Hanley and Eager, and you typically have to park in a garage.
The restaurant itself is pretty nice, and the staff is always friendly, and there isn’t usually a wait for us to be seated.
We usually get the same thing each time we come and it is made to perfection every time. I usually order a Phở Tai which is Phở noodle soup with medium rare beef. it comes with a plate of bean sprouts and jalapenos that I usually mix in with it. The soup is so good and filling, so really hard to go wrong especially when it’s cold outside. The other thing I usually get is the Pad Thai which has noodles, beef, chicken and shrimp. Both are really tasty and will only set you back about $ 35 with tax and tip.

Excellent authentic Vietnamese & Chinese cuisine in Brentwood. Located off highway 64 & Hanley and within walking distance to Best Buy, Sports Authority, Revel Kitchen, Club Fitness, Massage Luxe and the Metro Link. The menu is ginormous with super large portions, samplers, Phở, rice, noodles, wontons, salads & more. They also have a full bar with television for your entertainment needs. The servers are very knowledgable of the menu and accommodating if you desire something be tweaked or specially made. Great for lunch, date night, large groups, solo or take-​out dining.
The dining room is an open space with lots of tables. There is a patio as well as high tops in the separated bar area. Free parking is available in either garage to the east & west of the building. I highly recommend the #121 which is a succulent shrimp dish prepared in a delicious garlic butter sauce with rice on the side to mix as you wish. You absolutely CANNOT leave without trying their Crab Rangoon.
~Christy

I don’t usually give 5 stars, but WOW this place deserves it! Ate here for dinner an hour before closing with some friends and it was well picked. The food was succulent and really satisfying, we ordered the dinner for 4 and the portion sizes were just enough in each course that came out to fill all us up. The hospitality was nonetheless excellent and warming. The restaurant itself was in great upkeep. Well recommended.

Decided to try something new with the geocaching crew and after some Unilocal roulette we decided on Mai Lee. We visited around 12:30 on a Saturday.
We were immediately greeted and seated. Once we were seated we were brought water. We looked over the menu and decided on Bun Xao Sate — Bo Hay Ga, and Hu Tieu Bo Vien. The waiter came over after almost 5 minutes. He took our order and told us he would put the apps in immediately (crab rangoon). The rangoon came out after about 10 minutes followed by the meals another 10 minutes later.
The portions were great. The prices were decent. The service was decent. The atmosphere was Asian hipster. The noodles were cooked great and the broth in the soup was pretty good. The waters were never empty, which is always a plus on a day of geocaching.
The Bun Xao Sate was bland. Not enough sauce and definitely not enough seasoning. The noodles were cooked great and there was plenty of food, but it was just underwhelming. The Hu Tieu Bo Vien’s meatballs were spongy and bland. Not super impressed with the meals.
Overall the food, although plentiful, was bland. The service was good and the prices were what you’d expect for the area. Probably wouldn’t return.

I got the combination phở and spring rolls to go and everything was really good. At first I was kinda iffy about this place because it’s so nice and clean and modern looking, I feel like all the «good» phở places are like run down and in the hood. Anyways this is a nice clean restaurant. The décor was cute and service was great! Upon walking in I told them I needed to place a to go order, the host sent me to the bar. The bartenders were so nice and attentive.
The price, I thought this place was a little pricey but they defiantly do not skimp. In my phở I like lots of meat and broth, and that they delivered!!!

My wife was feeling under the weather the other night with allergies. One thing that always seems to comfort me when I’m not 100% is some good Vietnamese food. So I chose Mai Lee for dinner.
We’ve been here countless times and the food is always good. But ever since they’ve moved to this larger location, the service seems cold and uninviting. I’m used to it and have come to expect it here. However, to my surprise, this past visit we had a very friendly, on-​top-​of-​it waiter. It made a meal at one of my favorite spots so much better.
He recommended the duck. First of all, I’ve never had a waiter her ‘recommend’ anything here… we’re usually greeted with a ‘what do you want’ attitude. Secondly, this is one of the few dishes here I haven’t had the chance to try, and when I did try to order it last time, they were out. The meal was awesome. The duck came roasted with a crunchy skin and the right amount of sweetness. Plus the sauce they serve with it is so good. The wife got her usual vermicelli with pork and egg roll and as usual enjoyed it.
For once, the service matched the food. My only gripe is that Jay works the bar area so you have to sit at one of those tall tables to get quality service.

We eat phở tai here fairly frequently. The bahn mi are only $ 4 and are a nice lunch pair with the phở. The restaurant gets packed and lines can be long. When the wait is long, there is no where to stand except awkwardly in the crowded lobby as servers rush by.
The dining experience is not great. The servers tend to be rushed, impassive, and inattentive. Skip the dining circus – order your food to go and arrive on time to pick it up. There is often a wait for the carry-​out, as well.

I grew up in SoCal and have eaten plenty of Vietnamese food in my life. If I had to choose one place to get authentic Vietnamese food in America outside of the Westminster area it would be here. The last time I had banh xeo was a year and while on my way walking around I decided to stop by on a Saturday morning. One of my better decisions. The banh was cooked well and it came with just enough vegetables to eat it and not feel too guilty. The service was quick, but from what I hear that was because of the morning. Looking forward to coming back.
The waitress said their peak times go out the door, so I’m just glad I got to taste this wonderful place.

Light and airy, Mai Lee is constantly packed with customers over weekends including families and friends and a good showing of Vietnamese and Chinese speakers; the dining room is buzzy and slightly resembles a school canteen.
Service is welcoming, polite and informative, and the standard of cooking reliably high. The menu contains about 200 items, with certain dishes portrayed in adjoining color pictures: a handful of starters, lots of bowlfuls and plates, some side dishes and drinks. It takes a while to make decisions.
Starters include herby rolls and crispy egg roll, packed with vermicelli, mushrooms and shredded pork. I remember there are delights like juicy seared steak cubes marinated with honey, garlic and five-​spice; and a crispy soft salt and pepper soft shell crab which was splendid. A dish of pork ribs stir fried with chili and lemongrass was also memorable, so too roasted chicken with ginger sauce. Phở/​Bun/​Mi soups are somewhere between decent and mediocre though, with a strong base stock and all the power of traditional spices and herbs that suppress the aroma of beef.

I came here once and when they sat us down and started ordering food they ordered us to move to a different table and I didnt like that… I dont think we should have moved .we should leave but my friends got up and got to the next table so i followed… but it was iritating. They made me feel terrible… to give a table to somebody else while we already was seating was not polite.

Terrific Asian food. Started with dumplings and very good texture. Had number 94 with chicken and it was a huge dish. Soups are entrée size so don’t start with soup unless you are starving. Will go back

Mai Lee is one of my favorite restaurants in STL. The restaurant is clean, the servers are fast and friendly, the food is reasonably priced, and people are usually very happy with their meal. My go-​to items are the: #8 Hu Tieu Dac Biet, #12 Phở Tai Bo Vien, #34 Goi Cuon, #46 Cha Gio, and the Mango Sticky Rice dessert. There have been 2 or 3 times when my friends and I would come to Mai Lee just to have some drinks and the Mango Sticky Rice. You will not be disappointed by the food or service here.

Have you ever been to Mai Lee when it wasn’t packed? I sure haven’t, and it’s on my weekly lunch/​dinner rotation. The best part is, they never feel slow or overwhelmed. No matter how busy it gets, the staff is friendly, cheerful, and efficient. It may sound cheesy, but I kind of feel like Mai Lee is a St Louis treasure.
If you’ve never tried Vietnamese food before, start simple with a «banh mi ga» (chicken sandwich). When you’re ready to try phở, order the «phở tai» — hard to go wrong with either of those.
All in all, it’s such a well run operation. I wish other restaurants could take a page from their playbook on how to crush it in the restaurant business.

I can’t say that I’m surprised at all that this was the best Asian food I’ve had in stl. I trust my fellow Unilocalers and knew you all wouldn’t steer me wrong!
We started off with the crepes. Really fresh and had lots of flavors. I’m not totally sure what was cooked inside of it, but it was good. :)
All 3 of us got the seafood charred rice special. It was unreal. Squid, shrimp, scallops, and veggies were the perfect topping to the charred rice. If you’ve never had it, charred rice is basically fried rice, but just on one side of the grain so it’s got an intense crisp to it. The sauce that was throughout it had so many depths of flavor I can’t tell you what it was, just that it was amazing.
We also ordered the crab rangoon. Get this for sure! ! They do a great job of actually using crab in it, rather than it being 95% cream cheese like most other places.
I can’t wait to go back! ! But first, I’m going to eat my leftovers :)

A great experience. Clean~ Fast~ Fantastic service~ Easy parking. I would recommend my friend to eat in when they come to St. Louis.
We ordered Cha Gio. Phở. Those are delicious.

Best phở you will have in your life. That is all i really need to say. The chinese food here is good though rather expensive. The beef phở is the best you will ever have. Was recently there on the restaraunt’s 40^th anniversary and customers flooded the place with bouquets of flowers. It’s that type of place.

The broth used to make the delicious soup at Mai Lee is something from a culinary dream. There is food that is good and there is food that is good for your soul, and a big bowl of beef phở from Mai Lee is a textbook example of both. Incredible service and awe inspiring food makes this a St. Louis eatery that is truly addictive.

Mai Lee doesn’t need another review but it’s one of my favorite restaurants of all time and I have eaten here too many times to count. I was here in between lunch and dinner on a Friday afternoon. Great time to visit Mai Lee because as you know it’s often packed, the servers are rushed, and there’s nowhere to wait for your table. I have a few regular dishes that I order here. On Friday I ate Bun Bi Cha Gio, vermicelli noodles w/​shredded pork and egg roll w/​peanuts. Its light yet filling and perfect anytime. I get it without the shredded cucumber. My other favorite is Muc Chien Gion, crispy salt & pepper calamari with no green pepper. This is the food I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about. It’s always perfectly cooked and the flavors are spot on. It won’t take a lot of convincing to get me to go here!
Postscript: A lot of reviews complain about the service here. It’s one of those places you just go knowing the service isn’t that great but you overlook it because you like the food. Also, not sure why we’re even having this debate when some of the entrees are as low as $ 8 or $ 9. Clearly we shouldn’t be expecting the same service we would get at Kreis’ for $ 50+ per person.

I came in starving and left completely and utterly satisfied. From their spring rolls to their fries shrimp in sweet potato batter and to I don’t even know what it was but it was AMAZING. I was completely full but didn’t want to stop eating. I don’t live here but I do visit my parents and every time I come down here I definitely want to come back for more! Not to mention that their staff was very attentive especially when it came down to clearing our table for our next course. With a low light ambience, it’s a very warm feeling when I entered which is symbolic to how I’m going to feel leaving the place. Definitely recommend!

My wife and I dine here often. We love their food. And if you’re a regular, the service is sometimes frustrating. They don’t come to your table until you’ve been seated for 7 – 10 minutes. This is normal. We were there right at opening at 11 AM today and that was the case once again. But if you’ve not been here before, you’ll need all that time to figure out what you want. They have over 200 items on their menu, and that doesn’t count the Chinese section on the last few pages.
We ordered spring rolls without cilantro. My wife doesn’t like cilantro but you can withhold it from many of their dishes. For my entire I wanted the duck curry soup, but they were out. So I chose #21, the anchovy based soup instead. This was the first time I tried this dish. It was packed with seafood, pork, vermicelli, and the broth was wonderful. I always blown away that they have so many food options and everything is great.
If you can get over the odd, cold feeling of their service, and instead focus on their food, Mai Lee will leave you wanting to return.

My fellow elite Unilocaler and I scoured the Unilocal reviews for something new and different. Happily, we found it in Mai Lee! It’s tucked in a little spot between several
Free parking garages right there at the corner of highway 40 and Hanley.
Kind of a small space with a bar on one side and dinning room on the other. Service was very quick so our wait was minimal. The menu however, is huge! Thankfully they have lots of photos on the menu so you can kind of see what you’re getting. My friend and I each ordered a couple small plates to share. I was impressed with the spring rolls, especially the peanut dipping sauce. My friend’s noodle bowl of chicken, thin little noodles, fresh veggies, a lovely broth and crunchy tidbits was probably the best thing we had. My cold peanut noodles were tangy and nutty.
We will definitely return to try the other many, many Vietnamese and Chinese dishes. I’m especially looking forward to returning and trying the cold coffee. I spotted a pot of it on a nearby table as we left and I almost wanted to return to my seat to try it. Definitely looking forward to my next visit!

I met a friend here for lunch and was pleasantly
surprised. Mai Lee offers table service. I had expected it to be an order at the counter type of place. The restaurant was full for lunch on a Saturday with a small wait. There were a few open spots at the bar but we waited for a table. There is outdoor seating if the weather permits. Park for free in one of the nearby garages.
Mai Lee’s menu is overwhelming. We tried to choose a few smaller things to share. All of the items we had were very good. The noodle bowl with chicken was amazing, #65 Bun Ga Nuong. I am already craving that dish. The spring rolls were fresh and delicious. This is the type of fresher, healthier, better tasting food I have been looking for. I cannot wait to return.
On my wish list for mey next visit: Crab Rangoon, Phở, and Cold Brew Coffee. I hope to return very soon!

Probably your best option for Vietnamese in Saint Louis. Is the food outstanding? No, but it is above average. The fresh spring rolls were good but the rice wrappers were way too thick and chewy. Com bi suon cha had potential but the shredded pork and pork chop were dry and overcooked (it tasted like jerky), respectively. The phở is good but slightly small. I will be back for coffee, phở, and to try their banh mi.
The free parking is a plus.

Pro: This is my go-​to Vietnamese restaurant in StL! Great food in a relaxed environment. It’s relaxed enough to stop by after shopping nearby, but nice enough to plan a dinner there with the significant other. My appetizer favorites are the Goi Cuon (spring rolls) and the Goi Sen (lotus root salad w/​pork and shrimp). Both set a good tone for what’s to come… like the Com Dac Biet (rice w/​egg cake, shredded pork, pork chop, & fried egg)! I have spent many pennies as a repeat offender to his dish. Other favs include the Canh Ga Kho Xa Ot (chicken w/​hot chilies, garlic, & lemon grass) and all varieties of Phở (traditional Vietnamese soup).
Con: PACKED during peak hours. If the nearby retail places are congested, Mai Lee will be too.
Bottom Line: You really can’t go wrong with this place. Been here plenty, and will return…

Amazing dinner. First time here and the reviews are correct. It was a 20 min wait but it’s 6:30 pm Saturday evening. The food was superb. Place was packed all night. I can’t say enough good things about the food. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy.

I’m not sure what I can say about Mai Lee that more than 400 other people haven’t already said, but I can tell you about the place from the perspective of someone who had never had Vietnamese food until today. Well, maybe a spring roll.
I met a friend here for lunch at 11:30. She’d been to Mai Lee several times, but as indicated, I was a total n00b.
Mai Lee seems like a great place to have your first Vietnamese meal. Their menu boasts around 200 choices, and that count includes only their Vietnamese dishes. Mai Lee also offers a selection of Chinese dishes. So, this also could be a bad place for your first Vietnamese meal if you have trouble making decisions or if you’re going to order Kung Pao beef. ;)
Mai Lee’s menu is available online, and I studied it for days. I looked at Unilocal pictures, read reviews, and read about Vietnamese cuisine. I /​really/​wanted com chien duong chau (#171, Vietnamese fried rice).
My stomach was saying, «Let’s go!»
But my heart was saying, «No.»
‘Cause I’m on a diet. It’s just that the fried rice looked and sounded so delicious. My friend even told me her boyfriend loves it. Ahhh! I wanted it. Fortunately, #171 convinced me, in the form of song, to get something else:
«If you want to order me, baby, there’s a price to pay. I will go straight to your waistline if you don’t run five miles today.»
Yeah, I don’t run. So, I went with bo luc lac (#89, marinated steak cubes with lettuce, tomato, and onion). I omitted the onions. The n00biest way to describe it would be to say that it was essentially a really nice steak salad. The steak cubes were served with a dipping sauce. I believe it was a lime or lemon pepper sauce. It probably has a name, or maybe it doesn’t. That’s how little I know about Vietnamese food. However, I didn’t need the dressing because the beef had such great flavor. I believe my words at the table were «This is awesome.» Though, I did come across a tough bit of gristle. No biggie, but I imagine I was making a funny face as I tried to figure out how to discreetly get rid of it.
My meal also came with a side of white rice. I brought that home with a little bit of my leftover steak to have for dinner. However, the steak cubes weren’t long for this world. They’ve already been eaten, so now I’m just going to add my rice to some soup this evening. Mmm, soup and rice! My leftover steak made a nice snack, but consequently, dinner took a turn from hurrah to blah.
Our waiter was pleasant, and I was incredibly impressed with the way he packaged my food to go. He put it in a foam container for me, and then he put that container inside of a bag. But, wait! There’s more! He then rolled up the open end of the bag and tied it so that the container would not leak and make a mess in my car. My friend said that’s the way they do it here.
Overall, it was a great experience. I’d love to go back sometime to try something else. Phở is on my list, phở sure. (I’m sure no one has ever made that pun before.)
Things to know:
–It’s expensive. Most dishes are $ 13.95 or higher. My bo luc lac was $ 18.95. However, many soups, sandwiches, and noodle bowls are under $ 10. (Though, they might just be a nickel under $ 10. :))
–The restroom is for customers only.

I wish they stop jacking up their prices… I don’t remember spending close to $ 20 for the chicken curry entrée. The portions are shrinking and the curry is always soupy. I’m left with a little disappointed every time I order it.
On the bright side, majority of the staffs are friendly, and they are accommodating to large groups. One big kuddos I can give to Mai Lee is being one of the first restaurants to diversify the St. Louis cultural food scene.
Sorry…I just was a little stunned with the sudden change of prices… Welp… It’s been nice knowing ya.

Mai Lee is a real gem of St Louis. With it’s history of being the first Vietnamese restaurant in the city, I’d say it’s a staple at this point. They have transcended the trendy/​hip restaurant feel by simply doing what they’ve always done; cooking legit Vietnamese/​pan Asian food – and doing it really well at that. Integrity, yadig?
The menu is pretty large, but that’s not a bad thing. I haven’t eaten a thing that i didn’t enjoy there. Great phở, DIY spring rolls, banh mi, and St. Paul sandwiches! I tried my first ever St Paul at Mai Lee and what sounded not that appetizing when described to me countless times before, ended up being absolutely delicious.
I really like that the last page of the menu is a Chinese menu. There’s a big garage connected to the building so parking is never an issue.
⁵⁄₅ will always love Mai Lee.