The inside of this place has a ton of boxes scattered everywhere on half the side of the building…read more When I immediately walked in the guy looked at me but I was looking at the menu then he came up to the counter to take ny order. I ordered a half order of veggie fried rice, crab ragoon, and whole order of chicken fried rice. The rice itself isn't the dark looking type of rice that most people from STL is used to. The crab ragoon was only filled with cream cheese. The rice was just bland in my opinion and definitely needed some soy sauce. If you are looking for some flavor I'd look elsewhere. For $24 its overpriced for sure.

Only ever ordered online, but here's what I have to say…read more Food is generally prepared fast and arrives quickly. Excellent delicious food that has never disappointed. Amazing deals and great proportions. Highly recommend.

For two people, this is my go to order:…read more *Deep fried handmade tofu with special sauce (17.95) *Sautéed lamb with cumin (19.95) *Storm fish fillet (19.95) The lamb has enough of the "wetness" and vegetables to eat and mix with the rice. The lamb pieces used to be small but they are huge now! Appreciate the owners taking the feedback. I think they make the tofu in house. They are huge thick soft pieces with enough crispness on the outside. It's a good introduction to how seriously Chinese people take tofu and how in other countries they have a huge variety of tofu, vs the select few we have in the U.S. And I used to be partial to the spicy fried fish at cate zone, but chilispot has upgrade this dish a lot. It's perfectly crispy and hot!!! Even if you don't like fish, it's a great dish and also makes for great leftovers. I know the fried chicken is popular but I find the chicken pieces are too small. Even with two heavy eaters, we still have leftovers for another meal

We stopped at Chilispot for a family lunch and overall enjoyed our meal…read more The dumplings were a favorite at our table, while the spicy chicken was my personal standout. It was excellent and had just the right amount of heat. I also enjoyed the smoky ham fried rice, although it lacked the distinct smoky aroma I was expecting. Some of the other dishes didn't quite land for me. The fish soup wasn't my favorite, and the beef noodle soup wasn't especially memorable. The cumin lamb, however, was better than expected and ended up being one of the stronger dishes we ordered. That said, the service was friendly, the portions were generous, and there are plenty of interesting options on the menu. I'd definitely come back to try some different dishes next time.

Where has this place been all our lives? We've completely been sleeping on Mai Lee and now it's…read morebecome one of our favorite restaurants. The food is absolutely phenomenal. The bún bò Huế is hands-down one of the best we've ever had. The broth is rich, flavorful, and perfectly balanced, and we keep telling ourselves we're going to order something different... but we can't stop coming back to the bún bò Huế! The shaking beef is incredibly tender and full of flavor, and the beef curry is another standout that's absolutely worth ordering. Everything tastes fresh, especially the generous plates of herbs and garnishes. The cilantro, basil, bean sprouts, and limes are always fresh, crisp, and plentiful, which really elevates every dish. The service has been outstanding every time we've visited. Everyone is friendly, attentive, and welcoming, and the restaurant is always clean and inviting. The menu has such a huge variety that we've officially decided to make it a date-night challenge to work our way through the entire menu. At this rate, that may take a while because we keep ordering the bún bò Huế over and over! This place is an absolute gem. If you enjoy authentic Vietnamese food, do yourself a favor and give Mai Lee a try. 10/10, highly recommend.

Mai Lee has been a staple in the St. Louis area for years, and I've been coming here for a long…read moretime, including for date nights. As a family-owned restaurant, it has a warm, welcoming atmosphere and an extensive menu with plenty of Vietnamese dishes to choose from. The food is generally good, although it can be a bit hit-or-miss depending on what you order. Most of the time, I leave satisfied, and there are several dishes that keep me coming back. The service can also vary depending on who you get, but one consistent highlight is the female owner. If you're lucky enough to sit at the bar when she's there, she'll make sure you're taken care of and goes out of her way to make guests feel welcome. What keeps me returning is the combination of the large menu selection, and the comfortable atmosphere. While not every visit is perfect, Mai Lee remains a local favorite that's worth trying, especially if you're looking for authentic Vietnamese cuisine and a place with a long-standing reputation in the community. One of my longtime favorites was the chicken bánh mì, although I haven't had it in a while. My absolute favorite item on the menu is the shrimp spring rolls. They're always fresh, flavorful, and paired with a delicious dipping sauce that keeps me ordering them every visit. While not every experience is perfect, Mai Lee has earned its place as a local favorite with its family-owned charm, extensive menu, and dishes that keep customers coming back year after year. The shrimp spring rolls alone are worth the trip!

It was a mistake to try Chinese food on Christmas Day. I hadn't planned ahead and hadn't gotten…read moregroceries, and a Jewish friend of mine mentioned his Chinese food tradition, so I figured I'd give this place a shot. Maybe they're fine on other days, but it took two and a half hours for my meal to be ready, long after the quoted time online. I sat outside in my car for a while when I went to pick it up, and the place was totally packed with people waiting for their food. Perhaps they should have capped orders or something? I'm sure they were exhausted and working nonstop. The pepper chicken was pretty good, except it was missing the egg I paid to add, as well as the rice. After waiting so long, I was really annoyed about the order missing the extras. It was an extra $5 to order online, too. I'm giving them grace because they were way overworked that night, and the food was pretty good. But they definitely need to cap orders or give more accurate time estimates. There were a lot of furious (probably hangry) people there who left without their orders.

So, I got delivery, pretty late...the food was hot and fresh! It was delicious, and I literally got…read morethree meals out of my one order of General Tso's chicken. And they include a free small side! I got crab Rangoon, then ordered another order of it, knowing that a small side wouldn't be enough. To my surprise, in total, even if I had not gotten the extra couple of pieces, it would have been enough! And their crab Rangoon is also delicious! I will definitely be ordering from then again! I've been looking for a new Chinese spot that delivers on Sunday, since that's apparently the only day I crave Chinese food, and most restaurants are closed on Sunday, which is another reason why I really like this place!!!

Greta customer service every time! The food is always fresh, never disappoints. The menu has…read moresomething for everyone and the boba options are endless.

Excellent food and delicious noodles. It can be quite busy, so make sure you check in on Yelp…read morebeforehand, especially during peak times. Food is definitely worth it, though, and well priced. We've tried so much from here and every, single thing has been good. Highly recommended.

Had to update my review because this place has banger after banger!!…read more Their lo mein is fire, their pho is the best I've ever had, and the sesame chicken is crispy and delicious!!!

Take for 314 day. It was really tasty though we weren't a fan of the crab rangoon. The filling…read moretasted nice though maybe too sweet but wasn't a lot and there was a lot of chewy dough. Oddly, the egg drop soup was slightly sweet so I had to doctor it up with green onion, white pepper, and sesame oil. The shrimp St. Paul was a standout. Love that they season the egg foo young patty and the white bread and had lots of fresh onion and pickles for the crunch. They also didn't over cook it! The beef lo mein was spot on, the fried sichuan bean curd was also sooooo good. Chicken balls for the hot braised chicken was over battered but the sauce was on point. Will come back.

Came here on Wednesday night and it was pretty busy but we got a table easily. I've never been to a…read moreplace like this before so it was a little bit of a learning experience. You grab a bowl and start putting in whatever ingredients you want. They have a lot of different items that you can choose from. They have a weight minimum, which I think should be pretty easy to hit. Once you have all your toppings, they weigh your bowl and you pick out your soup broth. I really don't like spice so I went with the tomato soup base and it had a good flavor and a little bit of spice but definitely not too much. my friend got the sweet and spicy soup broth and it tasted delicious, but would've been too spicy for me. The food came out pretty quickly. They have a station for free rice and water which was really nice. They also had some suckers that you could grab as a little treat on your way out. I would definitely come here again, but it is a little bit pricey your bowl is gonna start around $16 and go up depending on the weight. Everything is super fresh and delicious so it is worth the cost.

This is one of my go-to spots for a hangout, it's wonderful. There's enough seating, and the hotpot…read moreis easily shareable. I flinch whenever I hear the "movoc" and I get so excited I want to throw up whenever someone suggests going to movoc for a hangout. There are lots of toppings to choose from, and I think that the concept of hot pot price by weight just like FroYo is fun and unique. Service is fast, and clean. The hot pot was delicious and not too spicy and the sauces they had to offer were very delicious as well. Not too salty. It's a wonderful place, whether you go alone or with friends.

I was a little nervous coming here when I looked at the reviews. I'm not sure if they're under new…read moremanagement or what, but I was pleasantly surprised. The hot pot was fabulous. Given my food sensitivities, really I appreciated that they brought sauces and sides over for the hot pot and that they weren't self serve at the buffet. Did not eat from the buffet but it looked very clean. I will come back :)

The prizes are good with good quality food and plenty of choices. The staff are friendly and helpfulread more