"In this city, the best Chinese restaurants are casual. Mimi hasn’t changed that fact, but it has filled a gap for Chinese options that are equal parts sexy and flavorful. There’s no more perfect neighborhood for that kind of restaurant than South Beach. Mimi has the typical look of a sceney restaurant that influencers are paid to lie about—red velvet seats, dim lighting, and at least one dish (the unnecessarily long noodle) that exists only for the algorithm. But the staff here disarm you of that notion with earlobe-to-earlobe smiles and heartfelt soliloquies about green beans. That’s true even if you show up in jeans and Vans (we know because it’s what we were wearing). photo credit: Daniel Neuhaus photo credit: Daniel Neuhaus photo credit: Daniel Neuhaus photo credit: Daniel Neuhaus Setting aside the warm hospitality, Mimi is, after all, a sceney South Beach restaurant. And as such, there are a few ripoff dishes you should avoid—like the $130 beef rib that’s the size of a toddler’s forearm and bland compared to the other entrees. Or the four-foot belt noodle whose only purpose is to be filmed. Instead, focus on the tender seabass dishes. One is bathed in lip-tingling hunan chili, the other rests in a zesty blend of ginger and tangerine peel. They’re half the price of the beef rib and triple the flavor. Mimi is not a product of Miami. It's originally from Toronto. But after eating our way through the dozens of other out-of-town restaurants that pop up around our city like invasive skunk vines, we’ll count Mimi as a miniature blessing. Because not only is it, mercifully, not another Italian restaurant. But it cooks with a tangible passion and knowledge of Chinese food that’s unheard of at a restaurant that looks like it should have a frowning bouncer at the front door. Food Rundown photo credit: Daniel Neuhaus Smacked Cucumber Salad It’s garlicky, crunchy, and the most exciting version of a cucumber we've met in quite some time. photo credit: Daniel Neuhaus Shrimp Toast Toast? Golden and seeded. Shrimp to toast ratio? Nearly 50/50. Side of mustard? Sharp. Order this any time you’re within 100 yards of this restaurant. photo credit: Daniel Neuhaus Hunan Chili Seabass The seabass cuts like cheesecake and the fresno chiles piled on top makes your lips tingle with an addicting burn. When they say spicy here, they mean it. photo credit: Daniel Neuhaus House Char Siu It’s tender and sweet, but it’s missing that volcanic red char of a proper char siu. Prioritize the dishes above (and the General Tso chicken) instead. video credit: Julia Malave Belt Noodle They demonstrate the length of this alleged four-foot noodle tableside before snipping it into less impressive bite-size pieces. Yes, it’s the height of most pre-teens, but it’s a stiff noodle that’s too heavy on sichuan peppercorn. video credit: Julia Malave Rice-Stuffed Chicken Wings These off-menu wings are one of our favorite things we’ve had here. They come deboned and stuffed with sticky rice and bamboo shoots. It's normally featured as part of the tasting menu, so we can't gurantee it'll be available a la carte. But it's worth asking politely. video credit: Julia Malave Ma Lai Gao The bouncy cake arrives steaming and with enough springiness to make a backyard trampoline jealous. It’s the perfect not-too-sweet dessert to conclude a Chinese feast." - Mariana Trabanino
