Mai's | |
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Restaurant information | |
Established | 1978 |
Owner(s) | Anna Pham [1] |
Food type | Vietnamese |
Dress code | casual |
Street address | 3403 Milam Street |
City | Houston |
County | Harris |
State | Texas |
Postal/ZIP Code | 77002 |
Country | United States |
Coordinates | 29°44′28″N95°22′48″W / 29.741192°N 95.379959°W |
Website | maishouston |
Mai's is a Vietnamese restaurant in Houston, Texas that first opened in 1978.
Originally opened in 1978 by Phin and Phac Nguyen, [1] Mai's was the first restaurant in Houston to feature Vietnamese cuisine. [3] The couple named the restaurant after their daughter, who took over the business in 1990. [1] Her name means "golden flower", and this meaning, of significance to the family, along with its relatively simple pronunciation, was a reason for its selection. [4] Mai had a signature dish, a beef stew. [5]
A fire on February 15, 2010 caused most of the roof to collapse. [6] The fire did not cause any injuries reported to authorities. [7]
Authorities determined the incident was caused by a wok that caught fire. [3] The restaurant re-opened on April 16, 2011. [3] The business has since been passed down to Mai's daughter Anna. [1] Phin Nguyen died in 2017. [8]
Anthony Bourdain visited Mai's when he went to Houston in 2015. That year he stated the restaurant gave him "The first great meal and most memorable great meal I had in Houston". [9]