MiMi's Kitchen — Restaurant in San Jose

We discovered a hidden gem in a strip mall! We sampled numerous dishes, starting with the California roll. Despite using imitation crab, their unique method of finely mashing it, combined with excellent sushi rice, made it exceptional.

The gyoza were a highlight—crispy on the outside and tender inside. Each order came with six pieces, and we enjoyed them so much we ordered another round.

We tried three different sizzling rice plates: pork belly, Korean short rib, and eel. All were outstanding and left us craving more. Beware, though—the sizzling plates are extremely hot.

We also enjoyed a noodle dish, though I can't recall its name, and the chicken udon noodle soup, which was quite satisfying with its perfectly textured noodles and savory broth—perfect comfort food.

Our only complaint was that one dish was forgotten, and we had to remind the staff. It must have been an oversight in the kitchen. Nevertheless, we waited patiently for the last dish to arrive before starting our meal.

Parking is abundant in this mall, so there's no need to worry about that.

I'm eager to return and try more sushi and sashimi. They looked incredibly fresh at other tables.

January 2025 update: Yes, this is my new obsession place. I’ve been here three times in one month. This time I focused on sushi. The sashimi combination was full of large fish pieces, very fresh, on a bed of ice to keep them cool , and with both fresh and concentrated wasabi. Excellent! The Hamachi carpaccio was delicious. Tangy and with a little spice from sliced chilies. You will not see carpaccio this big elsewhere. But even though it’s big, it was very tender and delicious. And lastly, as a filler, California roll. They’re just good.

March 2025 update: Doh! I found a weak point, in my opinion. I had the pork belly ramen for the first time. I want thrilled. The soup base was very bland and the noodles seemed more instant than authentic. I don’t know, I could be wrong but that was my thought.

The eel sizzling rice plate was as fantastic as ever, though. I think I’ll stick to those sizzlers and the sushi and sashimi next time.

May 2025 update: Tried something new this time. It’s a hot pot. With beef, mushrooms, tofu, glass noodles, and veggies. I really think one order is good enough for two people. But if course my eyes are bigger than my stomach, as usual, and ordered California roll and hamachi nigiri. And then I was FULL!

The one thing they can improve is they to serve hot tea. I mean, it’s all Asian food here. So we asked for hot water instead. Guess what,...

Food:

It's as good as any sizzle plate spot like Pepper Lunch, Sizzling Stone, or Sizzling Lunch. If you want to have that type, I suggest going to those places. MiMi's doesn't have a clear identity on what it's trying to offer. Between sizzling plates to Korean food to Ramen... Nonetheless, the food is decent. I've had the following: *Sizzling Pork Belly 8/10 *Sizzling Eel 9/10 *Takoyaki 7/10 *Cucumber Salad 8/10

Price are a tad on the higher side but like most, everything has gone up while portions are smaller to eek out as much profit as possible. The dishes weren't exactly amazing. They are good and if you don't want to travel to far to have amazing, MiMi's will suffice.

NOTE MiMi's include a service fee if you dine in. I implore you to never support bad business practices where they're adding more onto the customer to cover their operational costs. TIPS are still expected. For that, I no longer will patron this business until it changes. We may do take out but we'll see. There are plenty of other restaurants that do each dish better and you don't have to worry about paying more when closing...

I stopped into Mimi's Kitchen after a day in San Jose. I was looking for a good ramen spot, and this place had really high reviews. I wanted ramen but saw the Sizzling Beef Plate and it looked delicious. I ordered the Sizzling Beef, gyoza, and takoyaki. It was my first time trying a Sizzling Beef dish and the takoyaki. Both dishes came out steaming hot. (Make sure to poke some holes in the takoyaki so it can cool down a little.) The beef dish continued to cook at my table as the meat went from medium rare to medium. I took a bite off the top and got a lot of the salty seasoning. After mixing everything together the dish became more balanced and every bite was full of flavor! You place your order from the QR code located on the table and the women working bring out your food as soon as it is ready. They were very polite and welcoming, and worked hard cleaning and helping customers throughout my entire visit. It is a small restaurant, but super clean with nice decorations and quotes on the walls. Next time I come back, I will have to try the ramen and the cheesy corn! Highly recommend if you are looking for...