A Top Chef winner is taking over MIMI Chinese for an exclusive pop-up dinner, Canada Reviews

MIMI Chinese the Michelin-recommended restaurant on Davenport wrapped up service on Jan. 4 to start a quick renovation, marking a major turning point after four and a half years of being one of the toughest reservations in the city.

Since it first opened back in 2021, people flocked to MIMI’s for the vibe as much as the food — loading up on those famous four-foot belt noodles, crispy shrimp toast and chicken wings loaded with sticky rice and mushrooms.

The word on the street is that they’ll be back in action by early February with a fresh look for the dining room and a menu that’s been expanded. But instead of just staying quiet while the contractors are in there, they’ve lined up something huge to bridge the gap. On Feb. 3, they’re throwing a massive one-night-only collaboration dinner that’s a pretty big deal for local foodies. They’ve brought in Mei Lin, the super popular chef who won Season 12 of Top Chef and used to be Oprah Winfrey’s personal chef. Lin is a very big deal in the States — her L.A. restaurant Nightshade was a James Beard finalist, and she just won the Tournament of Champions on Food Network last year. Getting her in a Toronto kitchen is a rare catch.

If you’re looking to grab a seat, the Feb. 3 tasting menu is going for $185 a head. The lineup sounds incredible: you’ve got snacks like Dungeness crab haam siu gok and pork and shrimp egg rolls to start, followed by mung bean jelly noodles and scallops. They will also be serving Waat Dan Hor and a Char Siu short rib, then wrapping things up with coconut and peanut sesame balls and osmanthus bing fen. Plus, everyone gets a pour of Rémy Martin XO to go with it.

Grab your tickets here.