Restaurant Review: Mãi Mãi

MÃI MÃI VIET STREET KITCHEN

14221 23rd Avenue | maimaivietstreetkitchen.order-online

Instagram: @maimai_vsk

Co-Diners: The E.A.T Crew

I'm a big fan of Vietnamese food. Ever since phở and bánh mì became a fairly regular part of my life, I've been hooked. I certainly have my favourite spots for these delicious foods... But I was not prepared for Mãi Mãi. From the moment that I pulled up to their Terwillegar Towne location and set foot in the door I could tell that this Vietnamese restaurant was very different - and it was my kind of place. Named Favourite Drinks on the Edmonton Food Faves We Crave 2024 list, I was excited for something tasty to sip on and so much more. Opening in February of 2023, Mãi Mãi is bringing a fresh perspective to everything that you thought you knew about Vietnamese food and you can feel it right away. The outside has colourful lanterns hanging above the entrance and once you are inside you realize that they were only a prelude. A shower of lanterns hang from the ceiling and edgy bright murals cover the walls. A multitude of framed art hung in gallery style completes the striking visuals in the room. The space feels new and exciting. Taking my seat, I loved the vibe of the menu itself, a collage of patterns and imagery. The icing on the cake was when I noticed a picture of Anthony Bourdain on the menu along with his quote; "Vietnam. It grabs you and doesn't let you go. Once you love it, you love it forever." He was such a champion of South East Asia. The people running this restaurant are clearly my people. With eight Signature Cocktails on the menu, each one more interesting than the last, it might be tricky to choose one. From the Saigon Negroni to the Pho Old Fashioned, I had to select the Enter the Dragon ($14.00) just because of how beautiful it looked.

Dragon fruit syrup, lemon juice, premium tonic water & Empress gin.

I can't deny that this was one of the most beautiful beverages that I've ever seen. The pink and purple hued liquid with a huge slab of fresh dragon fruit for garnish was certainly eye-catching. Tart and sweet, it tasted more adult than looks would imply. If you want something refreshing and beautiful, this is the cocktail for you. Một-Hai-Ba-Zô!! Mãi Mãi gives you many adventures to choose from and various types of ways to enjoy your visit. I had no idea that they have an entire cafe-style menu filled with beautiful coffees and pastries to enjoy. Opening at 11am each day, I can easily picture myself stopping by early in the day for a cozy cafe experience. There are also bánh mì on offer - lots of them! With eleven to choose from and bread baked fresh on-site, I'm sure that these would make for an exceptional lunch. I will be back to try them! However, on this Saturday dinnertime visit, I really wanted to dig into the menu and try as many different items as possible. They've got an entire Snacks section that includes Edmonton's ubiquitous Green Onion Cake and Phries that taste like phở. It was the Fried Rice Cakes with Egg otherwise known as Bột Chiên Trứng ($16.00) that caught my eye and sounded very unique.

Fried rice cakes with egg, papaya slaw & pickled carrots drizzled with a sweet tangy soy sauce dressing.

This dish reminded me of what would happen if Korean tteokbokki and Japanese okonomiyaki had a baby. Grabbing off chunks of the pancake-like mass, I was blown away by the texture and flavour. The rice cake was toothsome and had a bit of a crispy bite to it but the inside was luscious and creamy. The egg on top was sweet and custard-like. The slaw on the side was the perfect acidic addition to cut through the richness. This was one of my favourite dishes of the evening and it was only from the "snacks" part of the menu - things could only get better! Salad rolls are a big deal at Mãi Mãi. I'm sure that most people have tried one at some point but have you ever had a selection of eight different types to choose from? I don't think I have! Fresh, made to order and served with hoisin dipping sauce topped with crushed roasted peanuts, any salad roll at Mãi Mãi is bound to be good. I went with the Saigon Rolls ($12.00) which sounded fun.

A spring roll wrapped inside a salad roll.

Yes, an inception of rolls. We were able to specify if we wanted pork & shrimp spring rolls or vegetarian and we chose the latter. Every dish is plated so beautifully and with care at Mãi Mãi, each one boasting a rainbow of colours. Biting into my salad roll really did capture all of the freshness of eating a salad - except in a very different handheld way. I almost forgot that there was an entire spring roll on the inside because there was so much else going on. Dunking into the hoisin created a savoury and enjoyable experience.

For me, bún (or vermicelli) is a quintessential Vietnamese dish. Without a doubt, this was my first taste of Vietnamese food and opened the door to so much more. The vermicelli at Mãi Mãi comes with a fresh herb mix, pickled carrots & daikon, scallion oil, crushed roasted peanuts, and a housemade spring roll. And enter the nước chấm at long last, a zesty dipping sauce that I love! I chose the Grilled Pork Belly otherwise known as Bún Thịt Nướng Chả Giò ($18.00) which seemed like a solid choice.

Vermicelli with grilled marinated pork belly.

I'm used to this type of dish being served in a bowl (and then tossing everything together) so this alternate, somewhat deconstructed, serving method felt thoughtful and purposeful to me. I liked the opportunity to pick each of the individual ingredients and to put them into my own bowl on the side. The noodles weren't too sticky and the vegetable components were fresh. The grilled pork belly was presented on skewers which I felt really conjured the street food vibe that you might imagine in Vietnam. The meat was very tender and full of flavour. I also enjoyed the crispy pork & shrimp spring roll, fried to a golden perfection. I mixed all of it into my small side bowl and drenched everything in copious amounts of vinegary nước chấm. This felt like a truly classic way to delight in the cuisine.

Of all the parts of the menu, the Specials were probably what interested me the most. I'd seen versions of most of the other dishes on menus before. However, the Specials is where Mãi Mãi really surprised me with dishes that I didn't expect. Like the Bánh Tiêu Bò Kho ($16.00) which sounded entirely unique.

Hollow doughnut sandwich with bò kho brisket & saté sauce served with shrimp chips.

I loved this sandwich! It's like a beef dip except way better! The hollow doughnut bun is very thin, like if you scooped out the soft insides and only left the crispy outside. I also really enjoyed the sesame seed coating. The brisket was deliciously tender, capturing everything that there is to love about brisket. While the vegetables added a much needed freshness and acidity. Dunking the sandwich into the saté sauce allowed for a customizable heat level and also packed on even more in terms of punchy bold flavours. The light-as-air shrimp chips were a crunchy delight. This dish felt like a whole new take on Vietnamese food and it seems obvious that someone with innovative ideas is in charge.

One final plate from the Specials section lead us to the Mini Crêpes otherwise known as Bánh Khọt ($16.00). I have personally never seen an item like this on a Vietnamese menu before. But it makes total sense given the French influence on Viet cuisine - think crusty bread loaves, mayonnaise, and paté on bánh mì sandwiches. I was so curious!

Mini savoury crêpes with shrimp topped with scallion oil & crispy fried shallots served with fresh herbs, lettuce & nước chấm.

Not at all what I expected, these crêpes looked more like loaded potato skins. I picked up one of the little cups and took a bite. Wow. This dish was unlike anything that I've ever tried before. Juicy, creamy, crispy, oily... A venerable parade of textures. Getting the nước chấm involved only elevated the experience. Sweet, spicy, savoury. These Mini Crêpes were my favourite of the night and they're something special. Please do yourself a favour and try them. These aren't the crêpes that you're familiar with and they're probably better.

Luckily there was room for dessert and it had to be the Chuối Nếp Nướng ($12.00). This dessert easily stood out as the most interesting to me.

Banana wrapped in pandan sticky rice, grilled to perfection, served with vanilla & tapioca pudding.

This dessert was so stunning to look at! Served warm, this dish was another texture explosion, this time bringing in the interesting component of temperature. The sticky rice was chewy, enveloping a tasty bit of banana on the inside. But it's the vanilla tapioca pudding that I liked the most, almost like a warm and sweet soup. I found myself surprised once again by a plate that surprised me and challenged everything that I thought I knew about Vietnamese food. Mãi Mãi prides themselves on their authentic Vietnamese cuisine but I believe that they are doing much more than that. They are reinventing and reinvigorating the cuisine and reintroducing it in a bright, fresh, and current way. The staff is a friendly reflection of this. If you want to take an exciting journey into Vietnamese food and truly appreciate the colour, textures, and flavours of this beautiful culture, Mãi Mãi Viet Street Kitchen is an excellent place to start. Cảm ơn rất nhiều!