Mimi's Chūka Diner serves chūka, the Japanese take on Chinese food that leans into the sweet, nostalgic flavors of Americanized takeout. The restaurant found its permanent home inside Aeronaut Brewery after a long run of pop-ups around the city, and its retro chrome-and-red-pleather decor carries that diner feel through.
The menu runs through konbu-brined karaage fried chicken, Utsunomiya and shrimp-and-chive gyoza made with wild-caught shrimp, mabo dofu, a handheld chūka burger, piri kara eggplant, and slow-simmered beef and onions. Heritage lettuce shows up in the salads, and the kitchen makes its own shichimi, chili crisp, and sweet-and-sour sauce in house.
It operates as a casual, neighborhood spot, serving dinner alongside weekend brunch, with the brewery setting making it as much a hangout as a dining room.
The menu runs through konbu-brined karaage fried chicken, Utsunomiya and shrimp-and-chive gyoza made with wild-caught shrimp, mabo dofu, a handheld chūka burger, piri kara eggplant, and slow-simmered beef and onions. Heritage lettuce shows up in the salads, and the kitchen makes its own shichimi, chili crisp, and sweet-and-sour sauce in house.
It operates as a casual, neighborhood spot, serving dinner alongside weekend brunch, with the brewery setting making it as much a hangout as a dining room.