Mai Village (6/15/08) is Muy Accomodating

I know they say that yoga is good for you, but it just makes me look like hell. Sure - I strut down Grand Avenue with my spandex and water bottle and biodegradable floor mat, but I walk out of class marinading in my own sweat, feeling like jello, and looking like a disheveled train wreck. Now picture my boyfriend, who was recovering from a rowdy bachelor party, and stick us at the end of 4 hours worth of house hunting, and you'll get a feel for what we looked like when we walked into Mai Village on the east end of University.

Mai Village has a few beebee holes in the windows that it sports like schoolyard scars - you just don't live in that neighborhood without getting a little scuffed up. But the inside is breathtakingly beautiful - a full-size bridge delicately arcs over a sizable koi pond, antique wooden shudders block out the University craziness, and an enormous, antique pagoda has been entirely reconstructed in the center of the main dining area. The restaurant decor gives the feel of eating in the Asian wing of a history museum - it is anything but cheesy - and would make the trip worthwhile even if the kitchen were closed. Even better, they let us in despite the spandex, flip flops, bleary eyes and slumped shoulders.

We kicked it off with an order of Royal Eggrolls. These were more petite than most (the length of a middle finger and the girth of Rolos) but came with a generous side of lettuce leaves, fresh mint, carrot, sliced cucumber, and a clear, sweet house sauce. Unsure of how to proceed, we treated the appetizer as if it were a lettuce burrito with eggroll in the middle, filling each lettuce leaf with eggroll, topping it with veggie garnish, rolling the whole thing up, and dipping it in sauce. Our survival skills paid off... the light veggies toned down the greasiness of fried eggroll and provided a satisfying crunch that contrasted with the soft, pork insides. The cool texture of mint and cucumber were a delightful compliment to the warm eggroll, and the sweet yet subtle sauce tied it all together. Overall, this dish was a success.

For the main course I ordered Bun, a traditional Vietnamese "salad" of vermicelli noodles, lettuce, carrot, green onions, peanut, and fresh basil. I chose a spicy sauteed chicken accompaniment and the dish was served with just enough to give it some bite, but not so much chicken that the flavor overpowered the more gentle vegetable ingredients. Again, the temperature really made this dish work. The chicken was warm, the noodles and veggies were cool, and the same sweet house sauce unified everything. While Bun is a great alternative to the heavier, saltier, saucier dishes, it does have one disadvantage... no leftovers. After a few hours in the fridge your lettuce will turn soggy and the Bun will lose that optimal texture, so I didn't even bother.

Leftover limitations aside, we were impressed with Mai Village. The restaurant provides formal flair with a laid back attitude, it offers a menu full of kung pao staples with plenty to satisfy diners looking for something a bit different, and it let us in despite the fact that we looked like hell. If you're looking for an elegant yet approachable restaurant to whet your Asian appetite, stop by this St. Paul eatery (and take an extra moment to gaze at those koi.)