Mai Lan Fine Vietnamese Cuisine

The food here is always super yummy! Service from the owner is always hilarious as he will take the time to chit chat with us and we end up having a good laugh. Parking can be tight if you go during peak times, but they do offer take out too, so that's helpful. If you order seafood (crab and or shrimp which i highly recommend) expect to pay for the ono food as our bill for 4 people who usually order 2 appetizers and 5-6 dishes including their crab dish(es) depending how hungry we are usually tends to be in the range of $300-$400+tip. Which sounds like a lot because we like to eat a little bit of everything we order several different things, but if you go for just 2-3 things, for 2 people, super doable! We go back as often as we can! Supporting small Mom and Pop local businesses is always a big thing for us too.

I've driven past this restaurant almost every day for over a decade and only in 2024 did I decide to try it.Located next to a gas station, it's a very unassuming restaurant offering standard Vietnamese fare. The inside is dated, but I think they like that. There's a full bar which helps with the ample seating of several long tables capable of holding parties as large as sixteen and a handful of more intimate tables of four people. Parking is a crapshoot as it shares a lot with the gas station next door with a few stalls against the wall. There is some street parking depending on the time of the day.My better half and I got shrimp spring rolls, Banh Mi Bo Kho (beef stew with French bread), and meatball pho.The spring rolls had fresh vegetables, chewing wrapping and okay sized shrimp. The dipping sauce was excellent.The pho was decent in flavor and came with many meatballs.The Vietnamese beef stew had a lot of brisket but was spicier than I expected. The French bread was nothing to write home about and I wish you could substitute noodles instead.The staff are polite but do take their time. It was empty for most of the time we were there, which may have explained their leisurely cooking.Decent, but there are so many other good Vietnamese eateries in the area.3.5 stars.

The food was good. I didn't take pics. Ordered spring rolls, won ton saimen, seafood pho, and lemongrass chicken. The place is kinda hidden on the sidewalk! It's a decent place and clean. What made the experience great was the server Hanah. She's friendly and helpful and my son (10 months ) couldn't stop smiling at her. Recommend coming here

Located on the corner of Ke'eaumoku St. & Kinau street, parking is located in the Texaco service station along the building.They have been here from when I was in my teens and decided to try it again since lots of the ones I enjoyed are not under new ownership and the food is not the same.Well to my surprise it was as delicious as I remembered and the owner is still the same!With the wife & him and now his daughter which now handles as the hostess and server.My wife had the tendon Pho which was very tasty and the tendon was not skinny thin where you have a hard time finding it, the vegetables were fresh and a lot.She also ordered the spring rolls and it came out hot and they gave enough romaine lettuce for the number of pieces of spring rolls to wrap. Also they gave a generous amount of sauce that was really tasty.I ordered the Barbecue pork on vermicelli noodles and vegetables it was delicious and a lot I couldn't finish it.I ordered the papaya salad which was also delicious and had to bring some home!After we finished the meal the owners wife came out to give us and another table a complimentary plate of fresh mango slices that was also very sweet and tasty!The service was terrific and it was like eating at a friend's, that is why I like to go to local family run business. My wife said she now has a new Pho restaurant to go to now!The step up into the restaurant is pretty high, so customers that have disability may have trouble getting into the restaurant.They also have a separate room for gathering and private parties.Restroom located in the restaurant They take charge card and cash

Who knew? Clearly over 40 years of doing business in the same location, you will find Mai Lan Fine Vietnamese Cuisine. This establishment has been owned, run and chef'd by Sam Yu for those amount of years, maybe more.I remember visiting him years ago with friends who patronized Mai Lan. The food was good back then and is just as good today. The menu and the general style of cooking and taste remains the same and on par with what everyone speaks of.The decor is simple. Nothing fancy but clean and that's the main thing. It appears as a "Mom and Pop" type place.... I think Mr. Yu wants to keep Mai Lan's image in that light.I just have one suggestion and a must if you are dining at Mai Lan and its CURRY CRAB.Nuf said

This place is so yummy it deserves 5 stars regardless of the ambience. We had Pho Bo Vien. Very flavorful. Been here 2 times now. The food here is out of control yummy. It deserves a line out the door. Don't forget to top your meal off with the Fresh Mango pudding. Mmmmmh We live on Maui and eat here every time we come to Honolulu.

Finally got to a chance to cross this long time Vietnamese restaurant on Keeaumoku across the street from Itchy Butt off my bucket list! So glad I got to enjoy my first time with a group of fellow foodie friends which always makes dining more fun! The restaurant looks deceptively small but actually opens up to another room which also contains a long table that can seat larger groups. The owner of 30+ years, Sam, exchanged a few words with us, sized up our group, and helped us order perfectly for our party of 8. Love it when you get experienced, service that knows with confidence what's best for you. So rare in the restaurant industry which has been hit hard by the labor shortage these days.We started with the spring rolls and Bahn xeo (crepe) which were brought out for us to view, something usually reserved for seafood. After we took pictures of the 2 dishes they took them in the back, cut em up, and wrapped them individually in lettuce leaves. Each of us received our own dish of dipping sauce which was nice so we didn't have to share. I liked the fresh mint leaves which added a little extra something. Vermicelli pot with Kahuku shrimp-though it appeared to only have 2 ingredients, obviously had a lot more because the flavor of the soup which was thoroughly absorbed by the noodles was .... simply SUBLIME! The broth was light but tasted like it had been cooked with lots of herbs. It complimented the sweet plump shrimp perfectly! Just wish there was more of it! TBT I think this was my favorite dish. Short ribs- recommended by Sam who asked if we wanted meat. Tender and tasty, it reminded me of kalbi with a hint of Vietnamese herbs.Ong choy - I loved this version stir fried with garlic which was different from my usual favorite cooked with harm ha.Crab Curry (Cary cua)- "#1" according to Sam, was a dungeoness crab swimming in a big pot of rich curry which paired perfectly with a plain baguette. It's the reason I came and it did not disappoint. *lip smacking!The excellence of the food here stands on the fresh, quality ingredients they use. Visit the bathroom for an interesting authentic experience. I felt like I was in Vietnam. Lol

I ordered the Bo La Lot (Beef Wrapped in Betel Leaf) that I requested to have it wrapped in rice paper filled with lettuce, carrot, cucumber and mint. Love the flavors of this dish. I also ordered an iced coffee which was made with coffee mate not condensed milk.

Fine Vietnamese it isevery dish was delicious and unique! There is a strong herbal smell in. the restaurant but the food is def worth it!

Dinner in Honolulu, Hawaii...Passing by Mai Lan Fine Vietnamese Cuisine many times over the years (around the corner from Kinau Street and Keeaumoku Street), I've always wondered how this restaurant was...Finally, an opportunity to dine at Mai Lan arrived! Our friend, Jolene, was coming back home... Plus, Paul's sister and brother-in-law were celebrating their wedding anniversary! Yay! Double happiness!We arrived extra early to secure one of the free parking stalls around the building's corner next to the gasoline station.Our party of nine were seated in the back room. The worker with limited English was arranging our table and a table for a party next to us. I thought: Ooh - the empty room will be crowded (and loud) soon! The worker kindly let us sit wherever we wanted and brought us glasses of iced water.Paul's brother-in-law knows the owner, Uncle Sam, and had purchased ribeye steaks to be cooked at the restaurant. He also ordered for us some secret menu items that are only available for "special customers".Here's what we ate:1. Bun Xeo - Vietnamese omelette - I've always wanted to try this dish! We cut up the omelette, put some in our lettuce wrap, and dipped/poured sweet chili sauce on each bite - delicious!2. The famous Curry Crab! Uncle Sam brought the live crabs to our table and let them walk around before their demise! Served with baguettes (or rice), this was (in my opinion) the best entree of the evening! Luckily, I came prepared with gloves and kitchen shears as this was a messy experience!3. Grilled Vietnamese style Rib Eye - seasoned well, the beef was tender and juicy!4. Vietnamese style rice - not your average white rice 5. Fried Rice - lots of character! 6. Oong Choi - swamp cabbage with tons of flavor!7. Bean Sprouts - special menu item. Very interesting... With fried, crunchy tiny fish8. Mango Pudding - made with real mangoes. Pureed fruit in a gelatin mixture - a pleasant, not-too-sweet end to a fantastic meal!I'm quite sure I would have had a different experience if Paul's brother-in-law was not there. We're really lucky to have gone with him!