There are a multitude of incredible Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai restaurants in St. Louis, many of them in University City on Olive Blvd. However, THE restaurant wildly popular with locals and restaurant industry types alike since 1984 has always been Mai Lee. The ever-hustling staff serves up over 200 dishes that are super-fresh, bright, flavorful, and so consistently perfect it is almost disturbing.

I didn’t understand the enormity of what would happen to the restaurant industry until I took my family to lunch at Mai Lee one Saturday in March 2020. We were seated immediately in the beloved, usually packed restaurant. A few days later, when I interviewed Qui Tran, the son of Mai Lee founder and chef Lee Tran and himself now one of St. Louis’ most high-profile restaurateurs, I heard uncharacteristic fear in his voice: “I’m really (expletive) scared.” When I stopped by for takeout two years later — a favorite: No. 174, truu xao xa ot, stir-fried lamb with chiles and lemongrass, hot and verdant; a classic bun bowl; chicken fried rice from the Chinese menu for the kids — Mai Lee was bustling once again.

This Brentwood restaurant remains an essential destination for Vietnamese cuisine in St. Louis, almost 40 years after founder Lee Tran opened Mai Lee in its original Delmar Boulevard location. The restaurant started as a Chinese restaurant, but Tran gradually introduced dishes from her home country, giving many St. Louisans their first taste of pho, goi cuon (Vietnamese spring rolls) and other Vietnamese staples. Tran’s son Qui (also of Nudo House fame) runs things these days, but the quality is still as strong as ever.

While diners expect to see a wide range of rice and noodle dishes at Asian-American restaurants across the country, it’s unusual to see a sandwich on the menu. But that’s not the case in St. Louis. Recognizing that Americans eat a lot of ingredients between two slices of soft white bread, a creative St. Louis-based immigrant restaurateur invented the St. Paul sandwich, which you’ll find on the menu of many Asian-American restaurants in the city.

If you suppose that eating out with young kids requires seeking eateries with children’s menus and ordering dull brown items (like chicken strips, fries, and grilled cheese), you may not consider the best Vietnamese restaurant in town appropriate for a family outing. Nonetheless, think again. Apart from being an adults’ favorite place, Mai Lee satisfies all demands of kids below 13.

The vibe: Mai Lee was St. Louis’s first Vietnamese restaurant, and its staying power comes from its excellent hospitality and thoughtfully prepared cuisine. The menu: The extensive menu here offers a diverse array of traditional Vietnamese dishes, from rice plates to bun (noodle bowls) to chao (rice porridge). Vegetarians rejoice: There are pages of dishes here to choose from.

It’s hard to narrow down what to order at Mai Lee, but the Tran family’s pho is perhaps its most quintessential dish. Here, it’s all about the broth, a mouthwatering, anise-scented nectar that's simmered for 20 hours before being served with cuts of rare flank steak, onion, cilantro, Thai basil, jalapeño, citrus, and bean sprouts. 8396 Musick Memorial Drive, 314-645-2835.

Mai Lee is a popular Vietnamese-style restaurant located in a strip center in the outskirts of the city. This local favorite is famous for its egg noodle soup and traditional Pad Thai, but also offers several gluten-free and vegetarian options. While using chopsticks is encouraged, the restaurant staff will happily provide you with a fork if needed.

Whatever you were expecting this St. Louis food to be, you probably didn’t expect to find it on a St. Louis Chinese food menu. But that’s where the St. Paul Sandwich, another very unique St. Louis food, resides. The St. Paul sandwich at Mai Lee consists of an egg foo young patty dressed with lettuce, tomato and pickles on two slices of white bread.

Incredible pork buns and banh xeo, belly-warming phở, and their banh mi are a steal at $4. (Pro tip: Pick some Mai Lee banh mi before attending one of St. Louis’ many free, outdoor picnic-style events). Qui (@phokingqui on insta — he has a sense of humor) and his family put their heart and soul into this place and his new venture, Nudo House.

Mai Lee: Most of you have probably heard of pho, and many of you have probably eaten a bowl of this hot, noodle soup with flavorful broth, al dente vegetables and sometimes meat. I had yet to experience it, some people asking which rock I was living under. Mai Lee, a authentic Vietnamese family restaurant, set the standard so high!.

- Rating: 4.5 / 5 (242 reviews)- Detailed ratings: Food (4.5/5), Service (4.5/5), Value (4.0/5), Atmosphere (4.0/5)- Type of cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese- Price: $$ - $$$- Address: 8396 Musick Memorial Dr, Saint Louis, MO 63144-2914- Read more on Tripadvisor. You may also like:Highest-rated Southern restaurants in St. Louis by diners

IN A NUTSHELL: Perhaps no restaurant better embodies both our history and present than Mai Lee, the beloved Vietnamese restaurant led by the Tran family. As the city’s unofficial culinary ambassador, Qui Tran bubbles over with pride for what his family has created and uses his position to help future talent realize their potential.

The secret behind Mai Lee's beef pho tai is owner Qui Tran's mother's variation on the traditional recipe and fresh toasted spices -- fennel seeds, star anise, clove, allspice and cinnamon. Beef bones are simmered for stock for eight to twelve hours. Ginger and onions are then roasted to bring out their sweetness.

– Rating: 4.5 / 5 (242 reviews)– Detailed ratings: Food (4.5/5), Service (4.5/5), Value (4.0/5), Atmosphere (4.0/5)– Type of cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese– Price: $$ – $$$– Address: 8396 Musick Memorial Dr, Saint Louis, MO 63144-2914– Read more on Tripadvisor. You may also like:Closest national parks to St. Louis

Food Network said the St. Louis-area special was said to have been created by a Chinese-American chef hailing from Minnesota. It’s a mix of an egg foo young patty, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles between two slices of white bread.

At the vanguard of Vietnamese cuisine when it came upon the scene more than two decades ago, this local favorite serves up tasty summer rolls, delicious pho and banh mi, firepot soups and an entire Chinese menu, as well.

Since the same team that opened Nudo House is behind the restaurant Mai Lee, you can count on seeing variations of their signature pho on the menu. Even so, my favorite thing on the menu is by far the ramen.

For authentic Mexican fare, locals suggest El Toluco Taqueria & Grocery (order a torta), and Mai Lee for Vietnamese and Chinese classics like pho, rice porridge, noodle bowls and more.

Peanut sauces can be subbed out for fish sauce to make it GF. Chicken and pork are usually safe, but steak and beef are marinated in soy sauce.