Since we’ve turned the page recently on Lunar New Year (Jan. 29 though Feb. 12, heralding the year of the wood snake), conversations about “authentic” versus Americanized Chinese cuisine have risen and crested. But what if an “-ized” spin on an original became authentic? Enter Mimi’s Chūka Diner, the newly opened Asian eatery in the Aeronaut Brewery warehouse space where the old Tasting Counter was located. Chūka (or chukka) is Japanese-Chinese fusion, and at Mimi’s that’s exactly what’s cooked up in a classically retro-hip diner space.
The menu is small but packed with down-home comfort. The Chinese dumpling offerings include meat and vegetarian gyozas with house chili sauce, as well as a popular Sichuan-style chili wonton. On the Japanese-American side of the menu is a wagyu brisket burger with the ever-underappreciated American cheese and yaki-barbecue sauce.
The family-style section of the menu is what Mimi’s is all about, featuring “chūka classics” mapo tofu and chicken karaage (fried chicken thighs). For appetizers, I tried the puffy sweet and sour tofu, a big mound of billowy golden triangles of tofu so light on the inside it was as if the soy curd was whipped before being tempura fried. Mixed in were al dente slices of red and green pepper, all under a healthy dose of a sweet and sour sauce. The serving was almost daunting, but it was delectable and airier than it looks. (If I had one nitpick, the sweet and sour sauce ran a bit too sweet.) For a family eat I opted for the ebi chili, lightly battered shrimp that’s wok-fried in a tangy tomato chili sauce. The prawns were big, succulent and perfectly cooked, though I wanted a bit more chili bite from the sauce.
The garlic noodles are on the same menu, a classic stir-fried lo mein with garlic, mushrooms and beni shōga (pickled ginger) that makes for a hearty and satiating nosh. Next time, I might request an extra side of that garlic sauce.
Other fun dishes to try are the matzo ball wonton soup (classic Jewish deli fare but with house wontons) that serves two but could make a good meal for one if paired with an appetizer, the greens and shiitake gravy side and a butter mochi for dessert. There’s also a whole slate of izakaya (Japanese pub) style cocktails, including a super sparkly whiskey highball that adds to the festive and otherworldly ambiance Mimi’s has created inside the Aeronaut Taproom and Food Hall, which is a transportive step away from the daily grind in its own right.
Mimi’s Chūka Diner at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square in Ward 2, Somerville.
Cambridge writer Tom Meek’s reviews, essays, short stories and articles have appeared in WBUR’s The ARTery, The Boston Phoenix, The Boston Globe, The Rumpus, The Charleston City Paper and SLAB literary journal. Tom is also a member of the Boston Society of Film Critics and rides his bike everywhere.
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