Finally! Chef Ann Kim's much-anticipated Sooki & Mimi (1432 W. 31st St., Mpls., sookiandmimi.com) will open Feb. 3, and you can reserve your table starting Thursday, Jan. 21.
Former Lucia's space in Uptown Minneapolis will reopen as Sooki & Mimi next month
Chef Ann Kim's much-anticipated restaurant is now taking reservations.
Sooki & Mimi takes its culinary cues from Mexico, by way of Korea. The restaurant will open with a 10-course tasting meal ($120) billed as a "celebration of vegetables and nixtamal." You can also add wine, mixed beverage and spirit-free pairings.
Adam Gorski is at the helm of the bar, where a limited number of prepaid reservations will be available. Bar service includes signature cocktails, but no food offerings. A basement cocktail lounge will open later this year.
The name Sooki & Mimi is an homage to Kim's grandmothers, Sook-Young (or "Sooki"), her maternal Korean grandmother who influenced her love of food and cooking, and American grandmother Thelma (or "Mimi"), who introduced her to the arts and western culture. (Read more about Kim's background in this Star Tribune Magazine story.)
This is Kim's fourth restaurant; Sooki & Mimi joins Pizzeria Lola, Young Joni and Hello Pizza in Kim's portfolio. She also oversees the menu at Kyndred Hearth, the restaurant in the Omni Vikings Lake Hotel in Eagan.
Sooki & Mimi will be open for dinner Wednesdays through Sundays. Make reservations at sookiandmimi.com; dine-in only.
Lefse-wrapped Swedish wontons, a soothing bowl of rice porridge and a gravy-laden commercial filled our week with comfort and warmth.