The Man and I were in Weston-super-Mare, and in the market for some seriously tasty din-dins. His Nibs’ work colleagues had given us a couple of cracking suggestions, so we were feeling pretty cock-a-hoop as we headed out in the evening. One suggestion was for Thai food, which should’ve been nice and straight-forward, but you all know us (well, specifically, me!) and have probably gathered that it wasn’t that easy. Weston actually has a pair of Thai restaurants and we went to the ‘other’ one to the one that had been suggested! However, I am a firm believer in that things work out exactly as they’re meant to, so when we realised our boo-boo, we didn’t flap.
MiMi’s is a total gem of a venue. As you step over the threshold, it’s like stepping into another world. Simple, wood-effect laminate flooring and an exposed stone wall provide a calming, natural colour palate, with richer bronze tones coming from a huge print of Buddha. Gentle lighting is provided by twinkling fairy lights and amber-hued bulbs in intricately carved-out metal pendants. Faux foliage and blossoms hang from the ceiling, and decorative runners adorn the tables as well as vases of fresh blooms. No Thai restaurant would be complete without a touch of kitsch, would it? Enter the far corner table and its blown-up lager bottle tops and neon hints; oh, and energy? That was coming from the typically frenetic, vocal kitchen team that could be half-seen from the restaurant.
Our server was a super-friendly young lady, who was Tigger personified – honestly, she was never still, all evening! We were quickly sorted with drinks: Coke for The Man (£3.25), and a large glass of Shiraz for me (£&). I do need to mention the wine pricing at MiMi’s, just because it’s so up-my-street: other than Prosecco, a 125ml, 175ml or 250ml glass will cost you £5, £6 or £7 respectively… and if you fancy pushing the boat out and having a bottle, it’ll only cost you £19. Clearly, it’s not your vintage-harvest bottles, but it’s perfectly good, drinkable wine and goes well with the food on offer.
Talking of food, we were soon munching on some complimentary Thai Prawn Crackers and paired Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce. I have to say, the spice levels of the crackers were a step up from the ones we usually get in the ‘Shire: there was a definite tingle going on on my tongue! Whilst we were nibbling away, the pair of us were discussing what to order for our mains – choice is certainly not lacking at MiMi’s Thai Bistro. The extensive selection sees some familiar ‘crowd pleasers’ nestled amongst some not-so-familiar offerings, so it took a bit of time to pin down a firm choice. Breaking ourselves in gently, we opted to have the Mixed Starter for Two (£18) as this contains Spring Rolls, Thai Fish Cakes, Chicken Satay, Prawn Toasts, and more Prawn Crackers on, served with Sweet Chilli- and Peanut Satay- Dips.
Thai restaurants always present their food beautifully, and MiMi’s is no exception: colour burst everywhere, and each element was perfectly placed to make the platter nice and symmetrical. At the centre was a lovely salad garnish that was crisp and cool, contrasting nicely with the piping hot temperature of the starters. We both reached for the Thai Fish Cakes first, and these always have that curious texture that reminds me of a Marshmallow! The outer is strangely elastic but not rubbery, and is easy to pierce with cutlery; inside, the softer filling was certainly packing some spice punch, and our taste buds were quickly on high alert.
If you like crunch, the Spring Rolls will have you clapping in glee; the pastry outer was golden, non-greasy and its gossamer fine layers crunched loudly when bitten into. Filled with a multitude of teeny-tiny pieces of chopped vegetable that also crunched, the flavour was nicely clean in the mouth. Just as crunchy on their outer were the Prawn Toasts; not so long ago, His Nibs wouldn’t have touched these if his life depended on it, but here he was, chowing down like a real food hound! I do love a proper ‘peanutty’ Satay, and the pieces of moist Chicken Breast at MiMi’s in Weston-super-Mare come with a sauce that.is.the.bomb. What I liked (other than the flavour, which is a given) was its slightly thinner consistency; if it was as thick as Peanut Butter, it wouldn’t work: there has to be some ‘slip’ to it so that it can coat and cling to the poultry. This one was the business; a small detail, but an important one, I feel.
Having polished off our Mixed Starter Platter, we waited for our mains to arrive, keenly ogling the multitude of tasty-looking dishes that were going to other tables in the meantime. Being the proverbial ‘Sticky Beak’ that I am, if I’m not people-watching, I’m food-gazing! It wasn’t overly long before ‘Lady Tigger’ (as I had affectionately decided to call our marvellous server) was carefully placing our meals down and leaving us to tuck in with a customary Thai bow.
His Nibs had opted for one of MiMi’s new dishes, Duck Tamarind with Crispy Noodle (£19.50), and I went for Prawn Chu-Chee (£15, £2 extra for the Prawns) with Jasmine Rice included. Being the glutton I am, I couldn’t resist having Som Tum (Papaya Salad, £14) either: I don’t know what it is about this iconic Thai Salad, but it just gets me in the feels, y’know?
All I’m going to say is that Chef is a feeder! Huge portions of food lay before us, so we just had to gird our loins and make a start. The Man’s Duck dish really was gargantuan, and the crispy-skinned Duck Breast could easily have fed 2-3 people, no word of a lie. Moist and tender, the duck had a beautiful, gamey taste to it, partnered with the unmistakeable tang of molasses-and-citrus of Tamarind. A nice service touch was the fact that the Tamarind came in a separate pot, meaning you could add the whole lot if you love it, or have just a smidge if you’re not so keen; guess what The Man did? Yep, the whole lot got slapped on. Fine, crispy fried Noodles were as light as a cloud, melting instantly in the mouth, and these would’ve been more than enough accompaniment to the Duck…but there was also a portion of Jasmine Rice on the plate – told you it was a rare-old plate of food! By the time he was finished, the poor old Man Bird could easily have stepped into the
Monty Python ‘Mr Creosote’ skit…nobody offer him a wafer-thin mint, or we’re done for!!
Mind you, I’m saying this with tongue-firmly-in-cheek: just call me ‘Beaky Two Dishes’! In my defence, I’m just going to say that the Som Tum must surely count as one of my 5-a-day? Finely julienned Green Papaya was crisp and bright, paired with [at my request] a single, thinly sliced Red Chilli for a pop of heat that, combined with the spiciness of my main dish was enough to contend with. Sweet Tomatoes, Green Beans and Carrot added colour to the ethereally pale Green Papaya, and whole Cashews and Peanuts added even more crunch and an earthiness that tempered the sharp dressing that coated the salad. This was the food of my dreams, it really was.
I didn’t really know what to expect of my Chu-Chee dish, other than it would be crammed full of taste and texture – and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Thankfully, whenever I order something new, I always err on the side of caution if asked how spicy I would like it, so I opted to go ‘medium’ on this occasion; and thank goodness I did, else my head would’ve exploded trying to contain the heat! Plump King Prawns and fresh Kaffir Lime Leaves languished in a bath of Chilli-flecked Coconut Milk, and these were a gorgeous combination that was manageable enough in terms of spiciness. It was on my second or third mouthful that the heat-o-meter alarm began to sound, making me inspect the contents of my plate a bit closer. There, looking as if they were mere bit-players, were clumps of Black Peppercorn: humph; Innocent my diddle. These tiny spheres were prancing all over my tongue like burlesque performers, their spice bombs exploding like displays on the 4th of July – pass the yoghurt, stat.! Can you imagine if I’d said to Lady Tigger “I’ll have it [the Chu-Chee] at its ‘normal’ level”? I’d be a proper hot mess, melting on to the floor! That’s the beauty of Thai food though, it really does cram an impossible amount of spice, taste and texture into every atom of its ingredients.
Our server had ensured that we’d wanted for nothing during our meal at MiMi’s Thai Bistro, and I have no reservation AT ALL in awarding Hot Wings to this amazing Weston-super-Mare Thai Restaurant. To book a table call 07878 366689 or visit www.mimisthaibistro.co.uk and hit the ‘reservations’ button. Mimi’s Thai Bistro is closed Sunday and Monday (though will open for bookings of 15 or more people), open Tues-Thurs 5.30pm-8.30pm, Fri-Sat 5pm-9pm (last food order at 9pm, bistro shuts at 10.30pm prompt).
