Big Hug Hospitality and Harlo Entertainment announced the expansion after building a massive following in Canada for their theatrical and hyper-regional take on regional Chinese cooking.
Mimi Chinese will serve dishes from ​​regions in China like Guangdong, Sichuan, Hong Kong, and Hunan. Culinary director David Schwartz, who won the 2023 Michelin Guide Toronto Young Chef Award, leads the kitchen alongside executive chef Braden Chong.
"Miami Beach shares our love of food and celebration," Schwartz says. "We're not here to elevate a food culture — we're here to honor it and bring our own creative twist to the table."
The raw dishes showcase bright flavors, from a smacked cucumber salad tossed with wood ear mushrooms to Dai-style striped jack with mint and chili.
Photo by Daniel Neuhaus
A Deep Dive Into Regional Chinese Cooking
The kitchen, which makes all the key components in-house daily, brings many of its Toronto hits to Miami Beach. Its menu spans China's many regions through raw and cooked dishes.The raw dishes showcase bright flavors, from a smacked cucumber salad tossed with wood ear mushrooms to Dai-style striped jack with mint and chili. Chef specials range from "General Tso" chicken with ginger syrup to "Hidden Chicken" loaded with chilies. For groups, the kitchen offers larger-format plates like an 18-ounce black pepper striploin, A5 Wagyu ribeye from Kaneko Farms, and a whole bass prepared two ways — with scallion and ginger or Hunan-style with house fermented chili.
But the kitchen showstopper is the "Four Foot Belt Noodle," a long, wide noodle coated in housemade chili oil and topped with mushrooms and cucumber that is popular with Instagram set for its dramatic tableside stretching and cutting. Rice options include green scallion fried rice with roasted scallion oil, while the vegetable section offers plates like charred cabbage spiced with cumin.
Many dishes come tagged with their Chinese regional origin, giving diners a culinary tour, if you will, through China's provinces.
The bar stocks wines, sakes (including barrel-aged options and magnums), baijiu, and cocktails created for the menu.
Photo by Daniel Neuhaus
Moody Vibes and Drinks Await
Mimi Chinese brings calculated drama to Miami Beach. The windowless dining room comes draped in red banquettes and staffed by bow-tied servers. Once inside, the outside world disappears by design – you're there to eat and focus on the meal.The bar stocks wines, sakes (including barrel-aged options and magnums), baijiu, and cocktails created for the menu.
For the holiday season, Mimi Chinese will be open Saturday, December 21, Thursday, December 26, through Sunday, December 29, and Tuesday, December 31, through Sunday, January 5.
Beginning Wednesday, January 8, Mimi Chinese will be open five days a week.
Mimi Chinese. 1575 Alton Rd., Miami Beach; mimichinese.com. Opening Saturday, December 21.
