Prineville, Ore. — After more than a year of unexpected setbacks and months of determination, a longtime dream has finally become reality as Mai’s Bamboo Deli officially opened its doors this week at the Corral Tap Room & Food Carts on Prineville’s west side, located at 791 N.W. Third St.
For owner Mai-ly Larsen, the opening marks the beginning of a new chapter rooted in family tradition and a passion for sharing Vietnamese-inspired cuisine with the community.
“My mom is half Vietnamese, and she’s had a restaurant all our lives,” Larsen said. “She wanted one of us kids to carry on the tradition.”
Larsen previously operated a restaurant and food trailer in Okanogan, Washington, for about two years before life took an unexpected turn. After her mother’s home was destroyed by fire, she sold the business and moved to Central Oregon to be closer to family.
“We came and moved near family, and we said, ‘Why not do it again?'” she said.
The journey to opening in Prineville, however, proved more difficult than anticipated.
Larsen said she purchased a custom-built food trailer last year from West Coast Food Trucks, a Nevada-based company, but the trailer was never delivered despite a deposit payment and numerous delays the owner attributed to multiple causes. Larsen eventually requested her money back.
In April, the company’s owner & CEO, Jonathan Noland, reportedly said they were refunding Larsen’s $10,000 deposit, according to the messages Larsen shared with the Prineville Review. Calls placed to the company’s main number went straight to voicemail with a message saying it was full. Separate calls placed directly to Noland and the VP of Sales did not return our requests seeking comment.
Adding more questions—there did not appear to be any registration of West Coast Food Trucks with the Nevada Secretary of State.
While the dispute delayed the business for months, Larsen chose not to let the setback derail her plans.
Instead, she secured a rental trailer and decided it was finally time to open.
“We’re just going to do it and go for it,” she said.
Originally planning to operate at another location, Larsen ultimately found a home at the Corral after approaching property owner Jerry Kropacek about bringing the business to the food cart pod.
“I brought him some food and asked if he’d like us to take the spot,” Larsen said. “The next day, he said yes.”
Even opening week brought a few final hurdles. Although the business had already received approval from the Crook County Health Department, Larsen said the team had to quickly secure propane before serving customers. Earlier over the Fourth of July holiday, Mai’s Bamboo Deli held a limited soft opening featuring its mochi donuts while completing the final preparations.
Now officially open, the deli offers a Vietnamese-inspired menu built around family recipes and flavors Larsen has known her entire life. Early customer feedback has already been encouraging, particularly for the business’s mochi donuts.
Larsen said she’s simply excited to introduce something different to the local dining scene.
“We’re just happy to bring our menu to Prineville,” she said.
For Larsen, opening the business is about more than launching a new restaurant—it’s the fulfillment of a dream years in the making.
“It’s just always been a dream of mine,” she said. “We’re just excited to actually finally open.”
Mr. Alderman is an investigative journalist specializing in government transparency, non-profit accountability, consumer protection, and is a subject matter expert on Oregon’s public records and meetings laws. As a former U.S. Army Military Police Officer, he brings a disciplined investigative approach to his reporting that has frequently exposed ethics violations, financial mismanagement, and transparency failures by public officials and agencies.
