MiMi Mei Fair

Another Chinese fine dining in Mayfair

Apple wood roasted Peking duck

MiMi Mei Fair is perhaps one of the biggest Chinese openings in London of 2021, founded by Samyukta Nair whose family is behind one of the luxurious hotel and restaurant empires called Leela. The executive chef Peter Ho at MiMi has a really strong CV, with senior positions held at the likes of Hakkasan and HKK. Both his front-of-house and chef team also has a number of ex Hakkasan staff so he has a strong team surrounding him. The food offering has a prime focus on Cantonese cuisine, with some Southeast Asian elements in the mix. There is a dim sum menu as well a more standard ALC menu with about 40 dishes ranging from starters, mains, and sides.

Sea urchin and turnip puffs with white mooli

Bean curd skin roll

Peking duck

The dim sum from MiMi is for sure an upgrade of what you would find in China Town. The sea urchin puff had a really thin and crispy layer, and the white turnip blended with the sea urchin nicely to create a sweet-savory taste. The house special Peking duck was pretty spectacular too, finely sliced, the skin was well marinated with the right balance of sweetness and saltiness, the meat was also moist that it was very good on its own without needing the pancake or sauces. However, the black pepper crab leg was a massive letdown, it lacked a wok aroma and arrived hardly warm. At a cost of £40 for 4 little pieces of crab meat, it was a total rip-off. The lobster noodles weren't much better either, it was braised with ‘Yung Chun’ noodles but I felt too much sesame oil was used, and it kind of overpowered everything within the pot.

Black pepper crab leg

Lobster braised with ‘Yung Chun’ noodles

Mushrooms with black truffle

The experience at MiMi Mei Fair was a mixed bag, there were some promising dishes, as well as some very questionable, overpriced dishes. Given I went at its launch period, perhaps it could get better and adjust accordingly. The price level is similar to the likes of Hakkasan and Imperial Treasure but I felt it was a touch below vs both. The service was also very slow and I felt all the tables are too close to one another, which took away that premium feel, which is a shame as I found the decor and design of the space are pretty stylish. There are still plenty of dishes I am keen to try so I would return and hope for a better experience.

Food 3/5

What I paid: 
£75 per person with tea

Average cost without drinks and services:
£75

55 Curzon St, London W1J 8PG

https://mimimeifair.com/