Mai's Place Catering

Just picked up a Family Tray for Four from Mai's Place Catering ($60). I usually had trays delivered during the height of the pandemic, but now that some events are opening up, they don't deliver anymore *and* they don't offer the trays for two either. I picked up the tray from San Bruno Market in the Portola District of SF (thank goodness for the parking lot!!). Easy pick-up from a friendly store owner/manager(?). The food is still as good as before. I ordered extra Spam and egg onigiri, but some only came with Spam and no egg; still good, but not *quite* as good!! She also substituted a couple of onigiri for the eggrolls that we don't usually eat, so that's a plus!The tray's presentation was, again, excellent. Garlic noodles were delicious, beef and chicken skewers tender and delectable, cha trung (?) very flavorful, and empanadas yummy! Two of the onigiri are enough for a light lunch, but I tend to eat more than that just because it's so good!!

Had a great experience with Chef Mai, the food, and the service. We were preparing catering for a baby shower for about 40 guests only a few weeks before the event and fortunately Chef Mai had availability. She was very responsive over fb messenger and email through the whole process. She sent over sample menus that I was able to look through. I selected some key dishes that I wanted and she was able to figure out the quantities for each and recommended a salad as well. I was a bit nervous about ordering food for this event without being able to taste test it, but based on the reviews and pictures I was hopeful. And the food did not disappoint! The guests and I loved the food. And it was also all very well presented (with their full service staff on site for the entire event). The service was also quick and professional. We were hosting in a condo building and they had no problems making multiple trips up the residential elevators in our building's common areas to set up the food. Everything was seamless and I didn't have to worry about anything. Would recommend Chef Mai for other small events!

COVID-19 DELIVERY UPDATE I rarely do updates but Chef Mai SAVED the day today!  For my stepmom's birthday, I ordered a gorgeous cake from a amazingly talented pastry chef to be delivered to her.  Unfortunately, my order couldn't be fulfilled last minute due to a family tragedy (my heart goes out to the chef's family).  As a Virgo who always plans way ahead and writes a to-do list everyday, I was frantic.It was 8 PM last night....the night before her birthday.I decided to text Chef Mai to see if there was any chance she had time to make and deliver a Family Meal to my stepmom for lunch the next day. She texted me back immediately and said, "no problem". She even asked about my dad's dietary restrictions which I told her to don't worry about. With my last minute order, I didn't want to be difficult. It's my stepmom's birthday after all so my dad can just watch her eat. Lol! Chef Mai had the Family Meal delivered to their home HOT before the 11 AM delivery timeframe. My dad facetimed me while they opened up the family meal and their eyes WIDENED with the spread (this is the picture they sent me): https://bit.ly/2Lk3y1v.The Family Meal B for four included:  Housemade Cha Ca (fish cakes), Housemade Chả Trứng Hấp (meatloaf), Chả Giò (fried egg rolls), Bò Lá Lốt (grilled beef wrapped in betel leaf), Bánh Bôt Loc (shrimp & pork tapioca dumplings), Tiger Prawns, Lemongrass Beef, Bánh Hỏi (woven rice noodles), and myriad of fresh veggies and herbs to make wraps. This entire spread was only $65 including tax and delivery! She even threw in an order of Bánh Nậm (Vietnamese "tamales" filled w/ pork & shrimp) on the house for her birthday.  Since COVID, both my stepmom and dad have barely left the house (only for walks). They haven't had Vietnamese food since February so it was real treat for them...especially since some of the Hue specialties can't be found in SF. Chef Mai doesn't get the recognition and exposure that she deserves. Her catering business is super under the radar (no IG, no website) and is based on word of mouth. During COVID, she pivoted to food delivery because of cancelled weddings and large events. I found her on a FB COVID Food Group. She posts weekly menus on her FB page: https://m.facebook.com/maisplacecatering/.She offers an array of Vietnamese homestyle dishes. She even has Com Tấm, broken rice plates; this is the only place in SF that has it. I've seen people post asking for a very specific Vietnamese regional dish and she makes it happen. All her prices include delivery and she now delivers all over the Bay Area - 3 entree minimum for SF - Burlingame deliveries and 4 entree minimum for deliveries to Oakland, Hayward, Peninsula, and all the way to Man Jose.Text or email your order to her. Payment via Venmo.Chef Mai's Vietnamese food is legit as you can get in SF without having to go all the way to E Man Jose. With the lockdown back in full force again, it's the perfect opportunity to order some of Chef Mai's delicious Vietnamese dishes delivered right to the comfort of your couch.

Chef Mai and her team did an amazing job of catering our 90-person wedding.* Food: Chef Mai created a delicious, personalized, Asian fusion menu for us. Dinner was buffet-style, and so many people went up for seconds and told us how good the food was.* Execution: We had an extremely tight timeline, thanks to the fact that our venue, a museum, didn't close to the public until 5pm. Her team kept everything running smoothly and finished cleaning up well before we needed to be out.* Value: We interviewed 13 (!) wedding caterers. Chef Mai was the only one whose proposal came in under our budget. She went above and beyond to make it work, even arranging to pick up our rentals to save on the delivery cost.Finally, Chef Mai is just a lovely, considerate person. We were taking photos during all of cocktail hour, so we didn't expect to have a chance to try our appetizers, but we found samples of them waiting at our seats when we sat down for dinner. We saw her personally wheeling our wedding cake out to make sure it got to the cake cutting in good shape. And when we badly underestimated how much ice we needed for the bar, she handled it herself so we could enjoy our wedding and only let us know about it the next day.I'm so glad I reached out to Mai's Place Catering - I almost skipped over them because of the lack of a website. They're a hidden gem!

After two years of planning a COVID wedding, Safia and her team worked on my wedding during the Labor Day weekend in 2021. From my experience (as well as my wedding planner's experience), Safia was a pleasure to work with - flexible, creative, and trustworthy. There were a few obstacles with the venue, but as a bride - I felt very comfortable in Safia's hands. She's a pro! She also made me think about making better choices for my guests and I cannot thank her enough for that. The food was amazing - shout out to the duck bao buns, tuna tartare, and bo la lot - my favorites! The last thing I wanted to note was that Safia was extremely flexible during the two-year postponed planning period. We heard horror stories about wedding vendors from our friends and family and am grateful it was so easy with our vendors, especially with Safia and her team. I would highly recommend Safia and her team to work on your next event!

This review is three months late but I wanted to give Chef Mai all the credit she deserves for executing the MOST BEAUTIFUL and MOST DELICIOUS bridal shower spread I've ever seen! I had my bridal shower in June of 2021 and right off the bat, Chef Mai was the most responsive caterer I've communicated with. She answered all my phone calls (even when she's on the road) and was able to whip up a scrumptious menu within hours of speaking with her. I had a very vague idea of what I wanted for my brunch themed bridal shower but after speaking with Chef Mai, she confidently knew and understood what I was envisioning. This is what she prepared for me: Smoked Salmon Mini Bagel Board, Spam & Tamago Onigiri, Mushroom Onigiri, Bacon Devil Egg, Bulgogi Quesadilla , Ham & Cheese Omelette Cup, Chicken & Pandan Waffle w/ Pecan Maple Syrup, and a Fruit Cup.THE FOOD:Y'ALL! My mouth watered reading her proposal and all for a very reasonable price. She is very honest and transparent with her prices and she lays them all out in the proposal, meaning no hidden fees! She also does her best to work with your budget (and mine was very small). I've spoken to several caterers before her but none of them gave me such a delectable selection of food for such a fair price. Everything was just delicious! My favorite was the Chicken and Pandan Waffles but honestly, everybody loved everything and all my guests asked for her business card after. Not to mention, her presentation was just stunning! She brought her own platters and decor and beautifully put together an aesthetic spread that was not only delicious to eat but fun to look at.THE SERVICE:Not only does Chef Mai make awesome food, but her service and professionalism are unparalleled. She and her team arrived on time and they STAYED for the entire duration of my party to serve guests, clean up, and even consolidated extra food for to-go. They constantly replenished the table and even though I didn't go through her for my desserts, she and her team took the initiative to keep refilling the dessert platters and make EXTRA charcuterie cones which my mom and I made. All I can say is, I am beyond pleased with her service and could not refer her enough!If you read this far, just contact Chef Mai and book her. You will definitely not regret it. I am so happy to have found a reliable and amazing caterer. I will absolutely be hiring her again for my future parties. Thank you so much Chef Mai for everything. You are truly the BEST!

My son wanted traditional Vietnamese food for his Bar Mitzvah party and Chef Mai delivered! We hosted 80 guests and everything was perfect. The planning was smooth, Chef Mai was very professional and easy to work with. The service was amazing, the room was gorgeous, and everyone RAVED about the food. And in the end, I didn't have to bus one thing or clean at all. HUGE thank you to Chef Mai and team. I recommend them highly for any of your catering needs. THANK YOU so much Mai's Place Catering.

Discovered Mai's Place Catering through the Bay Area Eats FB page. Ordering was very easy - texted Chef Safia what I wanted and she responded right away to confirm the order and send payment information.This was such a treat! Our first time having Vietnamese food since the pandemic started (most restaurants require pick-up or use 3rd parties for delivery).The "Tray A" family meal was home-delivered yesterday and so delicious (and affordable)! It serves 4 (though we had plenty of leftovers) and included:- Lemongrass Beef Skewers- Chicken Kabob Skewers- Spam Onigiri- Philly Empanadas- Imperial Rolls- Garlic Noodles- EggloafAlso added a side order of Nem Nuong (which came with rice paper, vermicelli, herbs, and other goodies).We're still enjoying leftovers today! The Spam Onigiri, Imperial Rolls, Garlic Noodles, Philly Empanadas and Chicken Kabobs were our favorites. Will try the Nem Nuong later today.The tray arrived ready to heat and was home-delivered during the lunch hour. Support your local businesses!

A couple of months into the pandemic, I was getting damn tired of my own cooking. Then one May day, my sister piggybacked on her friend's order from Mai's Place Catering's Family Meal Program. After my first bowl, I was hooked, and joined the FB Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/244887736876982/), so I could see the weekly menus.Being in deep Pacifica, I'm super appreciative that she delivers to us, as our delivery and takeout options are limited. We try to make it worth her while by combining our orders with another family and my parents. Some of my favorites include:- Ox Tail Pho with Tai and Bo Vien (love at first bite)- Duck Banh Cuon- Bo Ko (Vietnamese Beef Stew)- Thai Beef Salad- Empanadas (Spicy Philly Cheesesteak FTW)- Mai's Famous Lasagna (a little sweet, but so good)- Beef Stew- Pho GaMy family also likes the seafood dishes, like the Hu Tieu Nam Vang. I'm missing out though because I've developed a tragic seafood allergy. Play a small violin for me.Anyway, I'm so happy we discovered Mai. I'm not sure what life will look like post-pandemic, but I'll keep ordering Family Meals from her as long as she continues doing it. When she stops doing Family Meals, I'll look forward to her catering one of my post-pandemic social events!

We had Safia cater our wedding for 50 people. She was very thoughtful and help us come up with a menu that fit within our budget. Not only was there more than enough food. Everyone couldn't stop talking about how good the food was. I definitely recommend her for any catering needs. She went above and beyond for us!!!!