Mai-Lam Vietnamese Restaurant

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.

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

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.

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.

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.