Mai's Restaurant on Milam

Eat here before or after downtown theater. Mai's was a great choice my friend, Ann, made for dinner last night before we attended a performance at the Wortham. We parked conveniently in Mai's parking lot, enjoyed a delicious, modestly priced Vietnamese dinner, and were on our way within 45 minutes. The  spring rolls--2 to an order for just $3.50--were tightly filled with three shrimp (also available with chicken, pork or tofu), vermicelli, bean sprouts, and lettuce, accompanied by a crunchy peanut-laden peanut dipping sauce. The Pad Thai with chicken ($10.00), which I was glad to see on the menu even though it is not a Vietnamese dish, was very good, although not the best in town. The dish had large slices of tender, white meat chicken, slightly chewy flat rice noodles, crunchy peanuts and bean sprouts, and sauce that added just the right sweetness. My favorite dish of the evening was the baby bok choy, which was steamed to a perfect crisp-tender, and seasoned with slivers of stir-fried garlic in a light sauce. Fantastic and just $7.00! We shared everything and walked out comfortably full, with plenty of time to make our curtain. Make your way to Mai's soon.