The team behind popular South Beach Vietnamese restaurant, Behn Mi, are expanding their footprint to mainland Miami with the opening of their new all-day cafe Mimi’s. Spearheaded by New Wave Hospitality Group, which is comprised of executive chef Benjamin Murray, chef and restaurateur Michael Kaplan, and real estate investment company Arch Companies, the restaurant gives an update to the all-day cafe menu with a twist on classic dishes.

Named after the nickname Kaplan’s nieces and nephews have given him, the restaurant features a wide variety of breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. For breakfast items like the drippy egg sandwich, herb cured lox, pastries, and crispy smashed potatoes can be found, along with an extensive coffee program. Lunchtime offers a variety of salads and heartier dishes like a smash burger topped with American cheese, sherry caramelized onions, and a smoked pickle mayo or the crispy skin branzino. Happy hour runs into dinner with dishes like pan con tomate; steak and eggs with shallot chimichurri, fried egg, and alligator pepper; or the decadent chicken and eggs with creme fraiche, farro miso toast, and fried chicken.

 

This is the second restaurant New Wave has debuted over the past few months. The group was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic when Murray was furloughed and decided to pursue a passion project of his, Benh Mi, by selling meals on social media that he created out of his Downtown Miami apartment. The pop-up helped him reconnect with Kaplan and New Wave was born.

“The pandemic has been hard for people and businesses alike, but I would argue that few industries had to pivot as much as restaurants over the past year and a half,” said Kaplan. “Like many chefs we used that uncertainty to fuel our imagination, try something new and pave new ways of dining in our home city that cater to both the current- and post-pandemic times. Mimi’s is a byproduct of that passion project.”

Mimi’s takes over the former Latin Cafe 2000 space with a complete redesign by CDK Design principal Cindy Kam. It features indoor and outdoor seating in a tropical setting with Art Deco-style palm frond decor, a large black outdoor bar, and greenery throughout.

Mimi’s is now open at 2501 Biscayne Boulevard. It is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. every Wednesday through Sunday. Pastries are available from 7 a.m to 8 a.m., breakfast from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., lunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., happy hour from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., and dinner from 6 p.m. to close. Breakfast and lunch are counter service, while dinner is full service.