Had the pleasure of taking a few friends to the Mai Village Vietnamese restaurant this past Saturday night. When we entered the restaurant there was a koi pond, bridge, and many different pieces of Indochina art. We were all favorably surprised and impressed.
Mai Thai is located at 394 W. University just west of the state capitol and is on the SW corner of Western and University.
The dense, crispy fried spring rolls at Mai Village passed with flying colors and best of all, we each received our very own dipping sauce which is rare at most places. We also enjoyed our respective entre orders ranging from Vietnamese noodle salads to stir fry. Photos of some are included with this blog.
While dining at our table, we were introduced to the owner of Mai Village and his daughter. They were most gracious and inquired how we liked our dinner choices. While doing so, we discoverd how adversely this restaurant has been affected with the construction of the light rail, which runs along the University corridor, and does make access to the restaurant quite difficult and as a result patronage has slipped and business has decreased.
Given our excellent dining experience, I would encourage readers to give this restaurant a try.
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| CONSTRUCTION OF LIGHT RAIL ALONG UNIVERSITY AVE. |
Took a Saint Paul friend here for lunch today and must say the koi pond, bridge and Indochine decor is quite a surprise...very thoughtful and high kudos for atmosphere. Now I don't get over to Saint Paul much but when I have I've rarely been disappointed by the city's Asian food offerings and I wasn't this time either. There are plenty of Vietnamese restaurants toward the capital without a hint of romance but each with something special to look forward to. The dense, crispy fried spring rolls at Mai Village passed with flying colors and best of all, we each received our very own dipping sauce which is rare at most places. It wasn't very crowded but I'd have to say the service was a bit aloof and surprisingly slow but certainly not rude. All of us ordered "safe" choices and the portions were just satisfying enough. The curry beef was delicately scented and perfectly citrusy/spicy (perfect for a hot afternoon). The sweet and sour chicken could have used some extra vegetables but overall was well balanced in flavor and as thoughtfully presented as the restaurant itself. Our friend had the hot and spicy chicken and again the flavors were out of the park BUT the chicken could've been fresher. Overall, we all enjoyed the place and would definitely go back. This place just screams for a dinner party with maybe a larger group of friends on a cold night
Took a Saint Paul friend here for lunch today and must say the koi pond, bridge and Indochine decor is quite a surprise...very thoughtful and high kudos for atmosphere. Now I don't get over to Saint Paul much but when I have I've rarely been disappointed by the city's Asian food offerings and I wasn't this time either. There are plenty of Vietnamese restaurants toward the capital without a hint of romance but each with something special to look forward to. The dense, crispy fried spring rolls at Mai Village passed with flying colors and best of all, we each received our very own dipping sauce which is rare at most places. It wasn't very crowded but I'd have to say the service was a bit aloof and surprisingly slow but certainly not rude. All of us ordered "safe" choices and the portions were just satisfying enough. The curry beef was delicately scented and perfectly citrusy/spicy (perfect for a hot afternoon). The sweet and sour chicken could have used some extra vegetables but overall was well balanced in flavor and as thoughtfully presented as the restaurant itself. Our friend had the hot and spicy chicken and again the flavors were out of the park BUT the chicken could've been fresher. Overall, we all enjoyed the place and would definitely go back. This place just screams for a dinner party with maybe a larger group of friends on a
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| The owner and his daughter |
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