Mimi’s Chūka Diner — Restaurant in Somerville

Pandemic-era bento pop-up turned into a brick-and-mortar diner.

Interesting concept. Asian diner is still a rarity in the Northeast (usually a NY/LA trend),and since Somerville doesn’t have a lot of good options for Asian food, this seemed like a perfect addition. One of the co-founders has Chinese-Japanese roots, and the menu was a mix of Chinese and Japanese comfort classics.

We visited for dinner on a Tuesday evening and found the space almost empty. It’s a bit tucked away, and while Aeronaut Brewing next door was busy, this place didn’t seem like the obvious companion spot for a casual beer bite. Still, the food was well-executed and comforting (Though I would have probably loved it more if this came in a casual bento box).

Our favorites were the Subuta and the Garlic Noodles. In the former, we expected the usual heavy, glossy glaze on the pork, but this version came lightly coated. It looked dry at first glance, but the pork was cooked perfectly. Lean, but not tough or stringy. Surprisingly enjoyable with a more restrained touch.

Garlic noodles was the most recommended item on the menu, and it was great. Lo mein-style noodles often struggle with blandness due to their thickness, but not here. The triple garlic sauce and garlic confit delivered an assertive, well-balanced punch, and the sprinkle of (what I assume was) black garlic powder added a warm, toasty aroma that rounded out its flavors. Not a must, but possibly the best in the area.

The other two dishes—Ebi Chili and Chicken Karaage—were both solid. With a huge bowl of steamed white rice on the table, all these entrées just worked together nicely. Nothing mind-blowing, but no complaints.

Only miss was the Sichuan-style chili wontons. My friend insisted on trying these, but they were underwhelming. Overcooked filling, bland sauce, and zero heat. Felt like a watered-down version of...

Utsunomiya Gyoza ($10): 5/5 Crispy and flavorful enough that I could eat it without the sauce. Garlic Noodles ($16): 3.5/5 Good portion size. The noodles were fragrant and cooked well but too salty. The pickled ginger helped, but there was not much of it. The edamame could have helped, but they were also heavy on the salt. Chicken Karaage ($18): The chicken was extremely dry. I actually could not finish it because it hurt to swallow, which was disappointing because it was the most expensive of the things I ordered, and I had only added it based on reviews. I know it would taste better fresh dining in, but I picked it up at my scheduled time and ate it within 15 minutes, so I do not think the time caused this level of dryness. The sauce and cabbage were good, though.

Overall, I was looking forward to this place but was a bit disappointed. I like the fact that they offer take-out 7 days/week for the full hours, but dining in might be...

Someone put their WHOLE PUSSY into the cucumber salad. It was so perfect today that I had to let everyone on my Instagram know how perfect it was. Now, I’ve gotten the cucumber salad (dine-in & takeout) over a dozen times but today was different. While it’s been yummy every time, I haven’t ate it in a month or two. And from the first bite today, I knew that THIS cucumber salad was what dreams were made of. Mimi’s crew has been listening to feedback and working to provide the best menu possible.

Overall, I absolutely love this place. The Ebi with a side of white rice is my go-to order. Every meal I’ve had here is so satisfying and there’s nothing quite like it in the area. My Vietnamese family dined in with me when visiting for my graduation back in May. Mimi’s got 5 stars from them too! Shoutout to the Mimi’s for...