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    Mai Lee

    4.1 (1.3k reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated a few days ago

    Mai Lee Photos

    Business Info

    MAI LEE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Mai Lee

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    Reviews With Photos

    Nordia B.

    My mom & I went to lunch. I decided to try out this spot because I've heard raves about it. While the food was very flavorful, I think services could be a little warmer and more intentional. For example, my has a Jamaican accent, when the server came to the table to get our drink orders (we haven't had the chance to checked the menu as of yet) she began to to state her request and his initial tone was kind of aggressive. He could have simple ask for her to repeat. I will say his, attitude got better with each interaction there after and he frequently checked on us and offered to go containers and drinks for the road. Pros: Beautiful restaurant. Located close to the shopping centers in Brentwood

    Thai tea
    Kay S.

    Great take. Friendly and fast service, clean and friendly environment. And great food, the bun no hue was amazing, the curry dish was great, drinks were good and desert was the best. Zero complaints will absolutely be back.

    Vinny M.

    Mai Lee has become one of our reliable STL comfort spots. The menu is huge, but the staff is always kind and happy to help guide you if you're not sure what to order. My daughter especially loves the noodle dishes here, which makes it an easy family pick for us. Favorites: 17, 133, 34, 14, 54

    No. 165
    Byron C.

    Mai Lee rents space in places that don't even seem like they should be restaurants and then passes the savings on to YOU in the form of Chinese and Vietnamese food that's better than you can get anywhere else, but at a significant premium. I'd explain why that makes sense, but it's more work than I'm capable of, on a day when the weather is finally getting nice enough to go "knees out." My boss should feel lucky I even showed up today. He can't reasonably expect me to actually do anything. I've eaten here once or twice over the years and only ever ordered off of the Chinese menu, from which you really can't go wrong. I was there last night with members of my running group. I wasn't sweating showing up in gym clothes, like Sam Jackson and John Travolta after they had to clean out the back of that car in Pulp Fiction, because this place is next to a gym, and I bet they get a lot of larger women who wander over in ostensibly not transparent yoga pants. Granted, a lot of girls dress like that everywhere they go, especially in Richmond Heights. This was my first time visiting a Vietnamese restaurant since I went to Vietnam, and I was feeling adventurous. I'd seen the proverbial man in black pajamas up close, and I was ready to sample his wares. No Diddy. I toyed with the idea of just picking a number between 1 and 200, since this place has roughly 200 numbered menu items, but I decided against that. I needed to at least read the descriptions, uselessly vague though they might be, lest I received something with a "protein" I wasn't expecting. Ahem. No matter how much you study the menu, as if it's test-prep for a crucial GED exam, you never really know what you're going to get until they bring it out. But you probably can't go wrong. I went with number 165, which was the first thing listed under Specialties. I can't remember what it's called, and the name might be utter nonsense, like when people get Chinese characters tattooed on their lower back. It consisted of shrimp, scallops and crab sticks, along with vegetables of some sort, with charred rice in oyster sauce. It's served in a boiling cauldron that must be kept six miles below the earth's surface, where they're keeping Epstein until the coast is clear, until it's ready to be served. The top layer is just rice, like mashed potatoes on a shepherd's pie, but you can hear the inside sizzling like a fajita. You're warned to not try to actually eat it from the serving dish. The food itself is insanely hot. You have to let it sit on a plate a little bit just to cool off. It's a generous helping of seafood, except when you take the cost into consideration. One of those items is those imitation crab sticks they used to sell deep-fried at Chinese food restaurants in the hood, known colloquially as... uh, never mind. I'd complain, but I find them weirdly delicious. Everything about this dish was delicious. The sauce was slightly, almost imperceptibly, sweet, with a caramelized onion flavor. The scallops were somehow not overcooked despite how hot everything was. I'm at a loss for how they got the rice perfectly crisp and yet not overcooked into oblivion. I could have done without the tails on the shrimp, but what are you gonna do? I ordered a Japanese beer that the waiter forgot to put on my bill. I pointed it out, in order to appear to be classy in front of women, but he said don't worry about it. He may have been concerned that I was toying with the idea of not leaving a tip, for cultural reasons. Admittedly, I was. I'll have the users of this app--including any ladies who might be reading this--know that not only did I tip 20%, but I rounded up to the nearest dollar. You're welcome.

    95 chicken with bamboo in garlic sauce
    Austin S.

    Mai lee... you needn't an introduction. An absolute STL institution. Good luck driving by around dinner and snagging a seat. The place stays jumping. Full of flavor, sometimes just simple dishes with solid execution are all a kid can ask for. This place does it. A novel of a menu can be intimidating at first glance. Stick with the basics, or maybe get a bit adventurous! Service is great. The vibes are consistent with a cantonese style eatery on a grander scale. The dish was great. I got their lemon grass chicken essentially. It was a bit heavier than many vietnamese dishes I have eaten, but flavor was great and it had a good portion of chicken. Sometimes these stir fried dishes get bogged down by too many veggies. This one has great balance of meat:vegetable.

    Shrimp St. Paul
    Shalaunte W.

    Duh M. was our server. He was busy but definitely kept an eye on us. Helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly. Excellent service. Upon walking in hostess was welcoming. 15 min wait but it went quickly. This is a busy place. Open And well lit. We ordered chicken wings. Shrimp lo mein with added cabbage, Shrimp St. Paul , won tons, plain rice. Cooked hot and fresh. I will definitely come back to try different items on the menu.

    Chicken pho, spring rolls
    Andrea J.

    I don't know if I could love a place more. Maybe of they had booths and a little more privacy in the dining area but will absolutely love this place forever. Huge fan, and the wait staff are awesome and always on it. The food is next level, and I wish they had cooking classes because I want to be able to make some of this when I'm not in the area. Top 10 on STL for sure, cheers to 40 more years Mai Lee!

    Shrimp Pho
    Desiree R.

    I absolutely enjoyed myself at this place my first time coming the inside is very spacious our server was soooo nice gave some awesome recommendations like the Mai Lee sampler platter and Pho I got the shrimp pho and it was sooooooo good I drank all the broth lol The spring rolls as you see are huge which is very nice. Came here for lunch the inside of the restaurant was very spacious. They are in the Brentwood area a few mins from Galleria Mall. So it was perfect after I finished some shopping I came here for a nice lunch! Will definitely be back to try something different

    Tiffanie T.

    Not bad. Didn't have any of the pho, com, or mi dishes. Instead oddly had some more home cooked dishes recommended by our waiter who thankfully spoke Vietnamese! Bo lúc lát was good and my colleague had the thơm xấu. Tried the nem cuốn too and thought there would be more than 2 rolls and more nem for how big they were Great for large parties looking for a place that serves alcohol. Will have to come back and try the traditional dishes. I did appreciate the Vietnamese and English menus and how diverse their menu options were with Vietnamese and Chinese

    Vit Ca Ry
    Cleo G.

    Mai Lee was good. The restaurant is a sort of cafeteria-hall vibe which is interesting, but the menu is large and very authentic. The menus are mobile and you use a QR code to read it. Here's what we got: -Potstickers: 8.5/10 - The dumpling dough was thick, which made them unique and delicious. The sauce that they came with was also to die for. -Vit Ca Ry (Duck Curry): 8/10 - The broth is incredibly aromatic, with a lovely coconut base flavor. The bowl is HUGE and we did wish that some of the ingredients (potatoes and carrots) were cut smaller for ease of eating. However, the duck leg was moist and the noodles were plentiful. -Bun Ga Nuong (Noodle bowl with Chicken): 7/10 - This was good, but simple. I do wish that the chicken was more flavorful, and that it had been presented more beautifully like the rest of the dishes. But it did the job.

    bun ga rau cai
    Kristen D.

    Very delicious. The service was a bit weird, but nothing that was off-putting. We came here after quite the drive, so we took turns using the bathroom after we decided on our orders. No one came to take our orders until everyone was seated at the table. It was quite busy inside and outside. We were sat inside where it was a little loud. I enjoyed the decoration. The food was splendid. I got a meal from the Vietnamese portion of the menu. However, someone in my party got a meal from the Chinese menu and was not impressed considering the price.

    Rice
    Kats M.

    Mai Lee Food Review My friend took me out before a show and encouraged me to try something new instead of my usual #142. The server suggested the #152 GF Dau Hu Chien Gion - crispy tofu stir-fried with onions, served with their special pepper lemon sauce ($22.95). I ordered mine without onions and added veggies for an extra $6.00 - definitely worth it. The tofu was perfectly crisp with great flavor, and the vegetables were cooked in a garlicky mix that was delicious even on their own. I'm not a big lemon pepper fan, but I gave the sauce a try and was pleasantly surprised at how well the flavors came together. If you love lemon pepper, you'll really enjoy this dish. Personally, I'd order it again with a different sauce, but it was still very good. It reminded me that I need to step out of my comfort zone and try new menu items more often. There was a small hiccup with my order because the restaurant was busy, but the server was kind and quickly corrected it. That's what good customer service is about--fixing the issue with care. Overall, Mai Lee continues to deliver excellent food and service. They never miss a beat, and I'll definitely be back. If you haven't already, get out there and try something new on the menu--you might be surprised like I was! Yes this was all vegan.

    Chicken egg foo young lunch
    Jim B.

    The guys at the bar always take care of me when I come in for lunch. They have a big carryout business and they pump it out along with the bar area seating.

    Stir fry noodles

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    21 days ago

    Amazing food, HUGE menu, and friendly staff! The portion sizes are also very plentiful.

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    2 months ago

    The service was trash....messed up my order! Food was mid...will not return! Guy taking the order is rude!

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    20 days ago

    Small portion and expensive. A pho only has two meatballs (sliced into 8 little chunks)

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    Page 1 of 34

    Mai Lee Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Mai Lee

    Do they serve Hainanese chicken?

    What menu on the website should I look at for Saturday lunch?

    Due to the pandemic, I would call them to verify

    Is a fire pot the same thing as hot pot?

    I don't think so...I believe the fires they have a burner going under it when they deliver to the table.

    View All 4 Questions

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    Thai Table

    Thai Table

    4.1
    (216 reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $$

    I've been trying several different Thai places, looking for a great Thai restaurant since moving…read moreaway from "my" local place run by two old Thai women in Gulfport MS. This one comes very close! I always order Nam Tok Beef spice level 3-4 and my spouse always orders Pad Kee Mao spice level Thai spicy. My beef was tender, spicy and flavorful and the sticky rice was a nice change to regular rice. His noodles were wide and tender, the veggies were fresh and the spice level was good. Maybe not as spicy as we're used to, but the flavor and freshness was there. Will be back, many, many times. Thanks for having a nice place to get my Thai fix.

    Visited Thai Table during a trip to Missouri and ended up finding a great spot for dinner…read more One thing I liked right away was that it's more than just a Thai restaurant--they also have a boba tea shop and serve crepes, making it a fun place if you're looking for drinks or dessert after your meal. The service was also quick, and our food came out promptly. We started with the Cucumber Salad, which was fresh and refreshing. The standout dishes were definitely the Basil Fried Rice, which was packed with flavor, the Pad Kapow, which was fantastic, and the Spicy Drunken Noodles, which are absolutely worth ordering if you enjoy Thai food. We also tried the Red Curry and Panang Curry. Both were decent but didn't stand out as much as the other dishes and felt a bit average in comparison. Overall, we had a really enjoyable meal. If you're in the area and craving Thai food, this is definitely a solid choice, especially for the fried rice, Pad Kapow, and drunken noodles.

    Photos
    View as you walk in
    View as you walk in
    Summer rolls
    Summer rolls
    Boba and crepes ordering desk.

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    Boba and crepes ordering desk.
    Meyou

    Meyou

    4.6
    (121 reviews)
    2.5 mi

    I don't need fancy as long as the food is delicious. This is what Meyou has to offer. Flavorful,…read moremade-to-order Thai food and a friendly service to boot. They had 2 wait staff working when we went and both greeted us immediately and seated us inside. Their air conditioning was broken and awaiting repair and they had signs throughout explaining that. It was still cooler inside than out so we sat inside. I was curious what a butterfly lemonade was so I ordered one. It was good and quite refreshing with traditional lemonade at the bottom topped with a vibrant deep purple concoction on top. After I educated myself, I found that the deep purple concoction is steeped tea made from butterfly pea flowers. We started with some egg rolls - fried with ground pork and vegetables and served with sweet and sour sauce. The sauce was great! I normally pass as most of them have a cloyingly sweet flavor that I don't like but theirs had a really good balance of flavors amd not too sweet. The egg rolls were flavorful enough to stand on their own though and yes, delivered piping hot to the table. I had the drunken noodles with beef at medium spicy level. At first bite, I was immediately able to taste the spicy level I chose. A great sign. Then I sniffed and started sweating. Another great sign of good spice level. My husband ordered the yellow curry with tofu and medium spice level as well. At first he said it could be hotter but then midway through he decided it was more of a build up and thought the level was actually perfect. Serving size was great. You can definitely get another meal out of an order! We took the rest of our food home. I cannot wait to eat my leftovers today. What a great spot for a delicious, quick dinner!

    Does anyone else do second lunch? If I accidentally check in at the wrong location I have to order…read morefrom both places! Such was the case with Meyou, I headed over there after eating at another location. They had a sign on the door that the air was out but they were still serving, that is such a bummer for them, it was pretty hot. Inside it was super warm, there were a couple tables eating in. The server at the cash register was super great! He had to be miserable as the heat from the kitchen was intense, but he was super pleasant and helpful. I placed a to-go order for Fried Pot Stickers and Chicken Drunken Noodle. I waited for a bit, and my food was ready and I was on my way. I tried a bite of Potsticker with sauce in the car and saved the Drunken Noodle for dinner. Small spot in Webster with good food and super staff

    Photos
    Meyou
    Chive appetizer
    Chive appetizer
    Chive appetizer

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    Chive appetizer
    Robata Maplewood

    Robata Maplewood

    3.4
    (256 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$

    Robata is a small place with an ample parking lot size for its seating, or close to ample. I think…read morethere may not be enough seating for its customer demand... that's a sign of a popular place. Happy hour prices + the food quality are what had my friend invite me here. Some rolls are half off and so are a few beverages, like hot sake. I had never had hot sake. I've only had any sake once. I liked it fine, but I didn't want a second order after I finished the first. I was disappointed that Robata was out of plum wine. Instead I ordered what was described as a white sangria, but it tasted more like a brandy. I had a few sips and gave it to my friend. I had 4 vegetarian sushi rolls. Only the asparagus was included with happy hour. My 3 other rolls were takuan, pickle plum and BB. As much as I like plum (keep reading), and takuan was a pleasant surprise, and the asparagus was good, the BB, which has tempura asparagus, cream cheese, and sweet soy, was my favorite item of the evening. I was happy to see umeboshi onigiri on the lengthy menu. These were of a good size, but I think it perhaps would have benefitted from a higher pickled plum to rice ratio. (The only time I've had it has been from a food truck and I don't know how representative it is of onigiri.) Each order of food took a while to come out. My friend had trouble getting the server's attention when she wanted to put in more orders. Robata is not a place for a quick happy hour bite. It's going to take a while, especially if you're ordering in multiple rounds like we did. When the kitchen got too busy, my order another roll was denied. That happened well before dinner service ended and it was disappointing. I would have waited a bit longer. But it was probably good to get cut off from sushi at some point. We were a little confused by the bills. My friend may have overpaid (not gotten happy hour price) for some of her items, and there was some question about whether mine had been billed correctly, but in the end we decided that mine was probably correct. Hers, though... we aren't sure. I think I'll return to Robata for the BB roll, plum wine, and maybe something new, but I will be sure to have plenty of time, order a bunch all at once, and check the bill.

    Since my source for umeboshi onigiri seems to have ceased operations (does anyone know what…read morehappened to the Izumi food truck?), i was pretty excited to see pickled plum rice balls on the menu here. I came with a friend for happy hour. We got the half off sushi (which included the mackerel nigiri, which is my FAVORITE (Tho, theirs isn't as good as Sushi Hanna in Alton)) and house hot sake, which was perfect for this freezing week. The heat was out? Which the waitress apologized for. They had a space heater out, so we sat right by that. I also ordered a few of the onigiri to go. They aren't the best I've had, but I'll probably be back semi-regularly to get my fix of the flavor, which is just so unique. Same for half off mackerel Maybe one day I'll even try their non-sushi offerings...

    Photos
    Robata Maplewood
    Onigiri
    Onigiri
    Edamame

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    Edamame
    The BAO

    The BAO

    4.2
    (476 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    The Bao is a modern Asian restaurant and cocktail bar in the heart of Clayton, MO…read more Dimly-lit, this small restaurant space delivers on big flavor. The menu consists of asian-fusion steamed buns, rice bowls, and udon noodles. Our favorite bao buns are the Fried Chicken, Wagyu, and especially the Bangkok Chicken. Their bar encompasses a significant amount of the space offering craft cocktails and a wide selection of premium spirits including soju and sake. We stopped in after running an errand in Clayton and found out it's Clayton Restaurant week. Their Restaurant Week menu was a great deal of 4 courses at $39 including your selection of 3 bao buns to try. Unfortunately we did not have big enough of an appetite to order the Restaurant Week menu but did partake in their happy hour when a selection of cocktails are $10. Their happy hour is Sun-Thurs 4-6 with specials on wine, sake, beer, and select bao buns and snacks. Service is always polite and brief here to allow for a relaxing, and possibly romantic, dining experience. Although a smaller restaurant, they are able to accommodate larger reservations by pushing tables together. Can't wait to go back and try the rest of their menu!

    Recently came here for lunch with my little family. We try to avoid coming down to Clayton bc…read moreparking can be horrendous but it was in our favor. Walking in, you seat yourself at any available table and there's a QR menu to view. A server eventually comes around to take the order, and then bring it out. Service was okay, maybe a bit cold? The food was pretty good for the value so I think lunch here is the way to go if you want baos. My husband said the actual bao was okay, but I guess I wasn't focused on the bread and more on the filling. I loved the tofu bao - I think that was my favorite. The Green Thai Jasmine was also lovely! I'd love to come back to try the ramen especially the matcha-fied version! Very chill inside tho!

    Photos
    Inside vibes - dimly lit and intimate
    Inside vibes - dimly lit and intimate
    Truffle wagyu BAO
    Truffle wagyu BAO
    BOBA Thai Tea

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    BOBA Thai Tea

    Mai Lee - vietnamese - Updated August 2026

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