At Chez Mimi, ‘Honest, Real Food’ Brings Diners Back for More

My restaurant, Chez Mimi, was reviewed in the Sept. 8 issue of your magazine (“French Re-Connection,” Restaurants, by S. Irene Virbila). For 26 years I have been cooking with one goal--to please my clientele. Continuing to serve a popular menu, or offering a “winter dish” in the summer, makes very good sense when it is precisely what diners demand. It is what has kept us stable and successful for decades while others have failed.

We know that there is no “perfect product” and that our “basic” food is quite special enough when our loyal friends order familiar favorites over and over. Using “sleight of hand” in our cooking suggests trickery, magic or illusion to fool an audience. This technique doesn’t interest me. I cook honest, real food that is satisfying and nutritious--a menu in keeping with the style and theme of my restaurant. I use the finest products I can find. After that, my record speaks for itself.

Micheline Hebert

Santa Monica