Saturday, January 17, 2009

Mai's

Many omnivores I know are apprehensive about eating tofu (maybe it's the texture or general fear of the unknown), so when my omnivorous friend Marc commented that one of his favorite meals is a curry tofu hot pot at Mai's Vietnamese Restaurant, I knew I had to check the place out. My friend Christopher and I met up with Horacio, Marc, and Ty at the BYOB joint last night for food, wine, and conversation. Upon entering the quasi hole-in-the-wall, we were immediately seated and handed a cork screw. I took the opportunity to contribute a bottle of Becker Iconoclast Cabernet Sauvignon (thanks for the heads up, C&S) to accompany our dinner, and Ty contributed a nice Argentine malbec.

We ordered several appetizers and enjoyed our wine as we studied the extensive menu. I was overwhelmed with the many vegetarian and vegan dinner options! Christopher ordered a lemon grass tofu rice bowl, Marc ordered his curry tofu hot pot, and I ate a spicy vegetable and tofu stir fry. The kitchy-cool dining room catered to a diverse clientele including posh ladies who lunch, young hipsters, and design industry professionals. And I was especially excited to see some fellow Spiral Diner regulars in the crowd! Dinner was fabulous and über cheap...$15 each, 20% tip included. I was so happy with my dining experience last night, I immediately e-mailed my friends Bret and Jenn to plan a follow-up visit to Mai's.


Mai's Vietnamese Restaurant
4812 Bryan Street
(214) 826-9887
 

7 comments:

ChocolateCoveredVegan said...

Looks great! Do you have to specify no fish sauce/paste?

Eddie G said...

I called in advance, but it couldn't hurt to double check. I did, however, feel safe ordering when I saw other familiar vegans there :)

Classy&Sassy said...

Was there Pho on the menu? I'm a pho-natic (!), and this is the perfect time of year for a big, steaming bowl of spicy soup :)

Anonymous said...

I can't believe I haven't heard of this place. I am dying to try their curry dishes!

Eddie G said...

I didn't notice if Pho was on the menu. Sorry :(

And sorry for the initial typos on this post. I think I just fixed them all...

Note to self: let your coffee kick in before typing :)

HeatherBakes said...

I've never heard of Mai's either, but it sounds fabulous! Thanks for the tip...

And wow I want some pho :)

Anonymous said...

Excellent review! I try to get to Dallas as often as possible and I'm so glad to have your blog as a reference. :)