* My Le Vietnamese

My Le had been grouped along with a few other Vietnamese restaurants in another post, but out of respect today it gets its own post.  It could be the best Vietnamese restaurant in Japan.

Be-to-na-mu Restaurant My-Le

My Le (Mee Lay)- This restaurant finally popped up in a review in the Japan Times here. I'm not sure why it took me so long to find it, because I thought my search had been thorough. Everything in the Japan Times article turned out to be true and it was the most authentic Vietnamese we have had in Japan.

A lot of places claim to be Vietnamese and are even run by Vietnamese here but they either don't do it right (sorry) or have tried to modify the dishes to what they think their Japanese clientele will like.  All the usual condiments one usually gets with your soup or Bahn Xeo were missing. My Le is different though in that ALL of the vegetables, herbs, and condiments one would expect are there! woohoo! Thanks My Le!

Experts in the kitchen

Akinori Masauji is the owner and is married to a Vietnamese girl. His wife, mother in law and father in law rule the kitchen. So there you go, some real Vietnamese cooking.  The pictures tell the story. Thanks again Aki for some great food! By the way, if you go to My Le from Yokosuka, tell him he needs to open up a branch in Yokosuka! Everyone do this please.

They have a great picture menu so ordering is a snap. They also have Vietnamese beer and liquor.

It's located near JR Kamata station which is nearby Keikyu Kamata station (that's the one you transfer at if going to Haneda airport.) While it's not exactly close to Yokosuka, it is accessible on a weekend night. But it's better suited for weekends as a train ride from Yokosuka will still cost you 51 minutes.

The restaurant generally requires reservations (due to demand) and does so in two hour blocks. So everyone will either get a reservation from 5-7 or from 7-9pm. You have the entire two hours to enjoy your meal without worrying if others are waiting trying to get a seat. Not sure if the 9-11 slot requires reservations. I did see one or two individuals come in without a reservation and were seated at the small bar. Update: I found out that the two hour block mainly applies to Saturdays and Sundays. Tuesday through Friday you should be able to walk in as long as you don't have a large group.

English is spoken (Akinori-san speaks it pretty good) and when you call to make a reservation ask to speak to someone in English. I usually just ask "English OK?" and they usually understand to get someone that speaks it. If not try Eigo-ga kudasai.

My Le has an extensive menu and is sure to suit many different tastes. They are all Vietnamese dishes, but you can find some stir fry, spring rolls, summer rolls, fried rice, many soups, and grilled chicken or pork to name a few. You can even have Banh Mi sandwiches.

If you've been struggling to find authentic Vietnamese here similar to what you used to get in Hawaii or California or even Vietnam... My Le is the place for you.  How do I know good Vietnamese? Well, my better half is Vietnamese and has been keeping my tummy happy for over 20 years. She too loves My Le.

Location: 2F Sekine Bldg., 5-1-4 Kamata, Ota-ku, Tokyo
(03) 3732-3185

Open: 5-11 p.m. Tues.-Fri., 5-10 p.m. Sat. and Sun.; closed Mon. Nearest station: Kamata (Keihin-Tohoku, Ikegami and Tamagawa lines).

How to get there: From the East Exit of Kamata JR Station, turn left and take the side street next to the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ. At the end of the block, cross the bicycle park and take the street on the left (next to a restaurant called Suzusho). You will see the stairs leading up to My-Le on the left after about 40 meters.  It's also listed on the blog map.

Alleyway leading to My Le

Front end operations

Banh Xeo with plenty of veggies and herbs

Goi Cuon

Banh Khot

Cha Gio Chao Tom with Nuoc Mam Sauce

Nem Nuong

Banh Xeo the sequel

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Pho

BaBaBa

More Pho

Alert! Napkin sighting in Japan!