Hey ya’ll & thanks for tuning back in! I’m back with another food spot for you and if you are unfamiliar with Mai Lee, let me get you up to speed. This family ran restaurant has been serving authentic Vietnamese & Chinese cuisine in St. Louis for over 35 years. The founder Lee Tran, her husband, and young son fled from the Vietnam war in 1978 and she ended up working at several Chinese restaurants around St. Louis in order to make ends meet.

Lee Tran opened a tiny six table restaurant named Mai Lee in 1985 and it had a full Chinese menu but being that she still wanted to honor her heritage, she slowly started to add Vietnamese food to the menu. The customers really loved her food which led to the business growing and it hasn’t stopped since. Mai Lee is a staple in the STL community and it’s also regarded as the very first Vietnamese restaurant in St.Louis.

Now that you know a little bit of the history of Mai Lee, let’s get into the food that we ordered. To start, my friend Candace and I both ordered the Ga Lui which is the Chicken Shish Kabob. You get three marinated and grilled chicken shish kabob’s per order and they are topped with a delicious peanut sauce.

For my entrée, I ordered #81 on the Vietnamese menu which is the Bo Xao Lan. That means curry beef in Vietnamese and the dish is made of tender flank beef that is stir fried in coconut milk, lemon grass, and curry and it’s topped with crushed peanuts, and onions. It also comes with mushrooms but I don’t like them so I asked to have mine made without mushrooms. This is probably one of my favorite dishes to order at Mai Lee. I love all things curry but this dish is truly on another level. It’s so filling and full of flavor! I’m getting hungry again just thinking about it. lol

It also comes with an egg roll and steamed rice but you can upgrade your rice to fried rice if you would like. Side note, if my fried rice does not look like this then 🗣I don’t want it! 😍🤤

My friend Candace ordered #95 on the Vietnamese menu and she got the Ga Xao Xa Ot which means Chili Chicken. It’s chicken that is stir fried in hot chili, garlic, and lemon grass. She also got fried rice and an egg roll with her meal as well.

We ate SO good at Mai Lee and not only is the food amazing here, but so is the hospitality. The service is always great and every time that I eat here, I always leave with some tasty leftovers. 😋 If you have never been to Mai Lee, then I highly suggest that you give them a try. They offer a Chinese and a Vietnamese menu so you will have plenty to choose from. Oh and btw, their Pho is also amazing! I can guarantee you that no matter what you order, you will leave full and happy that you decided to come by.

Thanks for tuning in and until next time loves… happy eating!

Erica Leigh

Mai Lee

8396 Musick Memorial Drive, Brentwood MO 63144 (With free garage parking)

314-645-2835

Monday- Closed

Tuesday-Sunday – 11AM- 9PM