First look inside Melbourne foodie fave opening in WA

With an acclaimed chef at the helm and an epic Asia-meets-Australia menu, Perth’s newest restaurant is promising to bring diners a taste of the exotic in the heart of the CBD.

Scheduled to open to the public on February 3, Miss Mi is the first Western Australian outpost of the acclaimed Melbourne eatery of the same name.

PerthNow was this week given an exclusive first look at the venue, which is part of the Novotel Perth Murray Street hotel and features a menu created by Phillipino-born chef Alex De Leon.

De Leon, who has previously cooked at Perth favourites Apple Daily, Low Key Chow House and Dainty Dowager, says he aims to combine modern and traditional Asian techniques and ingredients, with a strong focus on WA produce and sustainability.

“Showcasing the unique ingredients, dishes and complex flavours of Asia is at the heart of the Miss Mi philosophy,” he says.

“We want to evoke memories of your trips to Asia.

“We make all our sauces, spices, curries, and sambals in-house. We pair them with the best produce from local suppliers to bring these bold, vibrant dishes to Perth diners.”

With influences from Borneo to Bangkok, the menu ranges from street snacks to mains cooked using the traditional art of the Asian grill.

Among the offerings are grilled octopus with cucumber, mint and lassi; lamb shoulder rendang; and Szechuan-glazed lamb ribs with pickled red cabbage and garlic crumb served on smoking paperbark.

The cocktail list is designed to invoke exotic holidays while drinkers can also sample a bespoke Asian-Australian-style gin created by Miss Mi in collaboration with Perth’s Wandering Distillery.

Designed by local firm The Scanlan Architects and Singapore-based Kreat Studio, the venue itself features dramatic dark wood finishes and decorative Asian-motif tiling, while the large-scale neon exterior wall mural by renowned local artist Drew Straker was inspired by both a traditional Chinese streetscape and WA’s native wildlife.

Miss Mi is open for dinner Tuesday to Saturday and lunch Thursday and Friday.