Valencia Vietnamese Restaurant MAU Will Close Following Rent Hike [Updated]

Mission District Vietnamese restaurant MAU will close after a five-year run at 665 Valencia Street. Final service is this Saturday, September 30th. A note announced the coming closure yesterday, much to the disappointment of regulars who hurried inside for one more bowl of noodles.

Update, October 1: MAU will reopen in late October or early November after successful negotiations with the restaurant’s landlord.

The typically bustling business suffered from no lack of customers, but instead blames a “significant rent increase” and “rising operational costs” for the turn of events.

Caleb Pershan

MAU opened in 2012 with chef Sante Salvoni, who arrived via Mission institution Slow Club. He left within a month, however, and the restaurant tacked from general Southeast Asian cuisine to more traditional Vietnamese food. MAU’s current head chef is listed as Khai Dang. It’s known to customers for reliable pho and to passersby for its groan-inducing sandwich board pho-puns.

MAU’s retail space, between 17th and 18th Streets, is located the same building that houses the Hotel Tropical upstairs and the restaurant Curry Up Now next door. Eater has contacted MAU for more details on the situation, and will update as necessary.