xa vang
Was looking for coffee. About to stop at Caribou and saw this Vietnamese place and decided to get Vietnamese coffee. Pho was tempting so I decided to get a bowl. And WOWzer, found one of my favorite pho spots. Savory just how I like it. Hidden GEM spot in the skyway. They gave me a small cup of Bun Bo Hue to try too and it was great, will have to come back for that.
… moreStacey Davis
Mixed Experience – Friendly Service, Disappointing Food
The service was great, and the staff was very kind and welcoming. However, the food left a lot to be desired.
I ordered the Cashew Chicken, which surprisingly came with fewer than two cashews — quite ironic for a dish named after the nut. The egg rolls had good flavor, but they arrived soggy and greasy, likely due to being sealed in a steamy Styrofoam to-go container.
For $16 (after tax and tip), I received two cups of rice and about one cup of chicken with overcooked veggies in a thick, heavy brown sauce. The Sweet and Sour dish had vegetables shown in the steam table, but none were included in the actual meal we received.
Perhaps we would have had better luck ordering one of the Thai or Vietnamese dishes, which I’ve heard better things about. Skip the $13.75+tax Linch Specials or try the other place in the skyway
… moreJohn Kelly
Probably the best pork Bahn Mi (pork or chicken) I’ve ever had. Very fresh ingredients. The french bread was perfectly crispy and crunchy – the perfect accompaniment. As in all sandwiches- the bread is the finishing touch that makes the perfect sandwich. BTW, watch out for the jalapeños (too spicy for me)! Also the Spring Rolls were freshly made, and were gigantic. Highly recommended Mai-Lam Vietnamese Restaurant. Be forewarned, its a bit difficult to find, 2nd floor (Skyway) of the Securian Building.
… moreKyle Jones
Ordered sesame chicken. It was very large hard to eat pieces of chicken. Lo main had frozen vegetables in it. Rock hard needed to be cooked. Fried rice was the only thing decent. And on top of that my meal in a styrofoam Togo cost 15$ never again.
… moreJameel Qazi
Just OK. Service was friendly and quick. I walked in Thursday at 2pm, so not busy. You must enter the building from Roberts street and go up the escalators to the second floor. Then stay left and go to the back of the building. I had beef vermicelli rice noodle salad (aka Bun). It was OK. Salad was good, but the egg roll was not as crispy as I am accustomed to. The beef had a texture of being tenderized with powder. Kinda mushy on the surface. Downtown St. Paul seems pretty desolate. It was over $21 with a can of pop.
… moreAngelina Nguyen
I discovered this in the skyway while walking around during lunch. Their pho is delicious! One of the top in the Twin Cities. (I’m Vietnamese, I’ve eaten a lot of pho around town). The taro boba is fragrant and delicious too. I’m excited that they have bun Bo hue on the menu, I’ll try that next time. Service is great. It’s a clean space. This is my go-to lunch spot in downtown Saint Paul.
Bonus that they’re open until 4pm while nearby food options close by 1:30pm. There are work days when I don’t have time for lunch until 2pm.
… moreKitty Stock
Ordered for the 1st time. Got a call to verify the directions which was thoughtful and they sounded nice. Finding the place was a hassle. Paying for parking also was not ideal. But the service was friendly and area clean. Ordered egg rolls which were great. Spring rolls which were great as well, the peanut sauce was better then I anticipated. Chicken pho was decent, not spectacular. Sesame chicken was amazing, lovely flavor. Fried rice was delicious too. Food pretty good. Location takes away from a great experience unfortunately.
… moreMatthew Linngren
Another first-time experience and I was NOT disappointed! Good large portions and the server allowed me to do a mix-and-match on the combo platter so I could try more than one entrée! I had the sweet and sour pork and the chicken lo-mein, with fried rice and Vietnamese egg rolls as sides. The egg rolls were excellent and super hot (temperature) even after I took my to-go order all the way back to my office to eat. Very reasonable prices and wonderful customer service!
… moreSteven Kensinger
Another great lunch spot if you are trying to avoid corporate chain restaurants. I’ve only had the wonton soup but it was fresh and tasty. They always have a line so I’m sure everything is good. Service is very friendly as well.
… moreK S.
I was milling about the skyway, looking for some lunch. I’d landed on getting some chain shop sandwich, but passing by Mai-Lam I made eye contact with the banh mi, and I knew it was game over.
The sandwich was PHENOMENAL! The bread had that great crusty – but not too crusty – exterior, with a pillowy inside. Juicy, flavorful pork, delicious viet mayo, and all the traditional accoutrements you’d expect. This was absolutely top-notch and will become a regular staple of my weekly lunch time meals.
To add, I was helped promptly by a very nice woman who had popped out from the back when she saw me standing there. I was handed my sandwich instantly and another incredibly nice woman rang me up. I was in and out in less than a minute. I cannot recommend Mai-Lam enough!
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