“It was my eighth birthday, a couple years after my family emigrated from Vietnam,” reminisced Michael Bui, owner of Pho Mai. “My mom made a special cake for me to bring to school and share with my classmates. They hated it. Threw it right in the trash.
“I don’t like admitting this, but I didn’t blame my classmates back then. I also hated Vietnamese food. It was the only thing I had to eat at home growing up. Sometimes you just want a burger, you know? I bet I was the only kid in town who actually looked forward to school lunches.”
Michael’s punishment for such puerile ingratitude? Dormitory food, which made his mom’s pho, banh mi, and com tam seem like the manna they are.
“I’d count down the hours until I could go home from Carlson and eat real food,” said Michael. “I also looked forward to helping out at my parents’ restaurant. Vina Plus: the best pho in St. Paul, hands down, because the head chef (i.e. my mom) was totally undistracted by profitability. For her, it was a labor of love. It was the same way for my dad, whose engineering salary kept Vina Plus afloat.”
Michael split off from the family business in his pursuit of the American dream. A JD from Hamline. An MBA from Capella. A three-decade-long career in IT, which has made him the network manager of a tech company in downtown Minneapolis. “Support from an outstanding community, a whole lot of hard work, and the good fortune to have grown up in the greatest country on earth to pursue success in,” said Michael. “They have all put me in a position to share what I now love best: Vietnamese food!”
Michael’s initial foray into restaurateurship began and ended in 2005; an edifying yet ill-fated stint running a bakery in Brooklyn Park. Ten years later, he joined his mother and older brother at MT Noodles, which still operates in Brooklyn Park. In 2020, he opened the inaugural Pho Mai in Dinkytown alongside Peter Do, his wife’s brother.
“And then, in 2022, something amazing happened: the grand opening of Asia Mall in Eden Prairie,” said Michael. “It meant a lot to me, seeing a showcase of Asian food and culture spring up right in my hometown of 20 years, where my wife and I raised our four children. Finally! A chance to feed our neighbors.”
Michael opened Pho Mai, Bober Tea, and Mochi Dough at Asia Mall in 2023. Keefer Court Bakery & Desserts followed the year after. His secret weapon? Two of the culinary world’s hardest hitters: Anh, his mom, and Mai, his wife.
“My mom is an inspiration – 72 years old, and working just as many hours a week,” said Michael. “She’s the only person I know who brings her own cookware on vacation. She still travels back to her hometown of My Tho (the ‘MT’ in MT Noodles) fairly often, and never returns without some great new ideas for our restaurants.
“Mai, as you might imagine, is the heart of Pho Mai. She also grew up in her family’s restaurant – Saigon City, in what used to be the Como Shop in St. Paul – but unlike me, she was born with real culinary talent. She’s the one who knows how to make our tantalizing pho broth, which requires freshest of bones, a delicate blend of spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise, fennel seed, and clove, and 24 hours of careful attendance. She’s also a virtuoso at making the fresh liver pate, lightly pickled carrots, special sauce (a secret family recipe), and everything else that goes into the perfect banh mi. That sandwich is the main reason why we started our own bakery.
“It’s impossible to pick my favorite Pho Mai menu item. I definitely love our spring rolls. They’re served ‘unassembled,’ with the rice paper, homemade pork sausage, rice noodles, and crunchy vegetables you need to roll your own. (Don’t worry! We’ll teach you how.) Our egg rolls are also exceptional; golden brown, and packed with meat (perfect if you don’t like the ‘fried salad’ egg rolls at some other restaurants). Mai is also the mastermind behind the lo mein, sesame chicken, and other classic dishes that many Americans find to be a more accessible entry point to Asian cuisine.
“If you’re somehow not full after that, head across the mall to Bober Tea and Mochi Dough for dessert. Nothing pairs better than boba tea made with fresh strawberries and an ooey-chewy-crispy mochi donut. We donate hundreds of those donuts to Eden Prairie Schools’ annual teachers’ summit every year, as thanks for everything they’ve done for our kids. We bring them to the Eden Prairie Police Department sometimes, too, because … well, they’re cops. They need donuts.
“It always brings me happiness, seeing people come to Pho Mai to embrace a culture that isn’t their own. Americans have become a lot more receptive to new experiences than my classmates were 40 years ago! That cake they threw away on my eighth birthday? Our bakery can’t make enough of it to keep up with demand. We sell out all the time.
“It’s incredibly humbling to watch so much hard work pay off, and just as satisfying to welcome my community to an affordable meal. Dinner at Pho Mai for a party of four costs less than $100, easily. Come today and see!”
Pho Mai and Asia Mall are located at 12160 Technology Drive in Eden Prairie. Visit PhoMai.com to learn more.