Kateryna Topol –
Mi Mi Vietnamese, located at 686A Gerrard Street East, is one of the oldest family restaurants in East Chinatown (east of Broadview Avenue). Opened by Xao Yen Nham and Tan Phat Trieu in 1994, Mi Mi is a “labour of love” inspired by authentic Vietnamese flavours.
“We grew up in this place,” said daughter Ni, referring to herself and brother Khiem Quyen Trieu. After graduating from then-Ryerson University, for a few years Ni worked as an events coordinator before coming back to help her parents run the business. “I thought it would be just a couple of years, but it has now been over 20,” she smiled.
For 30 years, Mi Mi Vietnamese was located next door, but a heavy rent increase led Yen and Phat to purchase the adjacent building. “This used to be a hair salon,” Ni said. “The space didn’t have a commercial kitchen, so it was a big project.”
What was estimated to be a year-long endeavour turned into a three-and-a-half-year renovation, coping with regulations, permits, city commissions and Covid-19. “It was a lot of work,” Ni admitted.
Yen and Phat retired two years ago, handing the reins over to their daughter. Ni’s brother, aunt Phuong Tran and cousin Ha Tran stepped up to take over the kitchen, while Ni runs the front of the house and knows the regular customers by name.
“My parents are still very much involved, taste testing and checking recipes. I call it a committee of adjustment,” Ni chuckled.
Vietnamese food calls for fresh ingredients in every dish. Mi Mi’s primary supplier is a market across the street. “We’ve been working with them for almost 32 years and choose our produce at their warehouse,” she shared. “If we are missing something, we just go across the street,” she added before taking a bag of sprouts dropped off by the supplier into the kitchen.
The robust menu features Vietnamese classics and a few Mi Mi signature dishes such as Bun Rieu soup, which takes a day to make, with most of the time spent developing broth flavours. Do-it-yourself platters and BBQ meats are popular dishes.
Unlike other restaurants that use flattop stoves, Mi Mi Vietnamese grills its barbecue meats, brushing them with honey to create a juicy and delicately sweetened flavour.
The dishes are modular, allowing guests to choose rice or noodles as sides, and almost everything comes with spring rolls. The restaurant goes through two or three hundred pork spring rolls per week, all made by hand in the restaurant.
Be sure to try the traditional Vietnamese coffee, Cafe Sua Nong, made with condensed milk, and a classic dessert, Che Ba Mau, built with layers of beans, jelly, coconut milk, and crushed ice.
Mi Mi Vietnamese accepts cash and e-transfers. Learn more at mimivietnamese.com.
