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Special pho with steak, brisket and tendon.

Special pho with steak, brisket and tendon.

Count Mai’s Cafe in Midtown Ventura as one of the restaurants that took advantage of the pandemic to give itself an upgrade.

Following a months-long closure, this popular spot for pho and other Vietnamese delights . . . plus a few Hawaiian specialties and some dim sum . . . reopened in June with a new look, a somewhat pared-down menu and what seems to be a fresh start.

Out: the bright colors, kitschy decor and (based on my recent visit) dim sum. In: A modern black-and-white color scheme that’s cool and soothing, a dash of color from a tasteful wall mural, and lovely lamps shaped like lotus flowers. Clean and bright are the first words that came to mind when I walked in with two friends. On a hot summer day, it seemed like the ideal place to relax for a casual lunch.

While the offerings here aren’t quite as extensive as I remembered, the best parts of the menu remain intact: the delicious kalua pork, the wide variety of noodles, the wonderful pho. Despite the heat, I was happy to order a big bowl of “special pho” (steak, brisket and tendon) for my meal, while one of my companions tried a clay pot rice dish (chicken and veggies) and the other went for a Vietnamese-style barbecued pork sandwich served with a small bowl of vegetable soup.

We did, however, start our meal with an appetizer “sample plate,” which was a bit of a mixed bag. The fried hunks of tofu were tasty, especially when dipped in one of the two sauces (peanut and a sweet and spicy concoction) served on the side. And I always enjoy a Vietnamese spring roll (with bean sprouts, cilantro, vermicelli and other fresh ingredients surrounded by a tender, translucent sheet of rice paper) and crispy egg rolls. But the potstickers were a letdown: rubbery and not well seasoned.

The barbecued pork in my friend’s sandwich, on the other hand, was cooked and seasoned perfectly, and topped with fresh and fabulous cucumber, carrots and pickled onions. They were tucked, however, inside a French roll that was dry as a bone. Stellar flavors, but it really needed a sauce or dressing to pull it all together.

The clay pot dish was lovely. Cooked and served together were fried rice, small bits of chicken, black mushrooms and bamboo shoots, all flavored with ginger and other spices. Coming to the table in a handsome clay pot and topped with shaved onions and chopped cilantro, you couldn’t have asked for a better presentation. The meal itself was hearty, rich and multi-textured. Highly recommended!

Mai’s pho was much as I remembered — which is to say, excellent. A long-simmered beef broth came filled with all kinds of good things, like different types of meat, slivers of onion, chopped herbs and, of course, a big pile of rice noodles soaking up all that flavor. With fresh bean sprouts, basil, lime and slices of jalapeño on the side, adding to the flavor and texture was part of the fun.

All told, it was a welcome return to form for one of Ventura’s best-loved Vietnamese restaurants. The decor is a breath of fresh air, and the flavor of the food has possibly been improved upon. Mai’s has a new attitude that will hopefully serve the cafe, and its patrons, well for many months and years to come.