After being confined to the “Clayton bubble†in terms of food options, it’s surprising to find out that there are actually hidden gems scattered throughout and near the Clayton area. That’s why one day, when I walked into the restaurant Mai Lee behind the familiar Sports Authority and Best Buy at the intersection of Hanley and Eager Rd., I was so surprised.
Mai Lee is not just an ordinary, run of the mill Asian restaurant. Indeed, you can’t even begin to categorize it as that from the first moment you walk into the door. On the left, the dining area is full of tables with a busy Friday night crowd of families, young people on dates, and older folk, while on the right is a spacious, modern and well stocked bar. There are a few people sitting at the bar, chatting with the friendly bartender and eating heartily from their bowls of noodles.
When I picked up a menu, I was still not convinced of how legitimate this tucked away, formerly unknown to me restaurant was. However, upon further inspection of the menu I was pleasantly surprised by the vast number of options it offered. Pages upon pages were full of Vietnamese options of soups, appetizers, sandwiches, noodle bowls, beef, chicken, pork and seafood dinners, do it yourself spring roles, and also Chinese options, including soups, appetizers, fried rice, and entrees. Upon learning the story of Mai Lee, I found out that it was a family owned restaurant opened in the 80’s by a family escaping from war-torn Vietnam. The restaurant started off offering only Chinese food, but customers began especially enjoying some of the Vietnamese dishes offered that it began offering both regularly, and interestingly enough, Mai Lee is regarded as the first Vietnamese restaurant in St. Louis. The restaurant changed locations about two years ago, but is yet to become a favorite of CHS students, most likely due to its hidden location.
I personally ordered the egg rolls and a beef and noodle dish, both of which were delicious and fresh. The bartender was kind enough to point me in the direction of what matched my own personal tastes. The egg rolls included lettuce, cucumber and cilantro on the side that added personality to the typical dish, and an abundance of green also dominated the beef and noodle bowl. Overall, the cleanliness, freshness and amazingly large selection made me eager to return to Mai Lee to try more of their tasty selections, and hopefully a larger number of CHS students will as well.
