Paying for the ZIP Code - Elevated Mexican Cuisine in Beverly Hills - Mirame [Thoughts + Pics]

The City of Angels features a plethora of restaurants serving great Mexican cuisine. When it comes to elevated or chef-ified Mexican cuisine? Not so much. We’ve had the ahead-of-its-time Rivera (RIP). And for awhile Chef Ray Garcia’s Broken Spanish held a solid lock for providing alta cocina / more chef-driven interpretations of Mexican food, until it’s untimely demise during the pandemic. And when Chef Wes Avila left Guerrilla Tacos to start a new venture, that left a void in this market segment.

With Mirame (or MÍRAME per their marketing), Chef Joshua Gil and business partner Matthew Egan look to bring “Contemporary Mexican with a California sensibility”, and they also state they want to provide “an experience that reflects the layered culinary history of both California and Mexico.” This sounds wonderful, except that it also sounds really familiar, as a number of places have sought this angle before. But we held out hope that Mirame might deliver some creative and wonderful creations.

Mirame is located in the heart of Beverly Hills, on glamorous Canon Drive, just down the street from Wolfgang Puck’s legendary Spago, and a couple blocks away from Rodeo Drive, where you can shop at Gucci, DIOR, Salvatore Ferragamo, Rolex Boutique, Louis Vitton and the like.

Looking over the menu and the bling factor (to cater to the local affluent clientele?) and prices for the neighborhood are evident, from a Bluefin Toro Tostada for $44(!), to A5 Wagyu Beef Tenderloin for $100.

The one area that did look intriguing was their huge list of Mexican Spirits, from many Mezcal, Destilado and Tequilas.

Mirame Fermented Green Tea Salad (Jicama, Cabbage, Peanuts, Sesame, Corn Nuts, Green Mango):

This sounded intriguing: Would this “Tea Salad” be inspired by Burmese Tea Leaf Salads seen over the years by a variety of local Burmese restaurants? Or would it be something completely new? This tasted like the sum of its parts. Definitely not the Burmese-type of Tea Leaf Salad, this was a refreshing starter, crunchy Jicama, Cabbage and nutty Peanuts and Sesame Seeds. The Green Mango didn’t have enough sweetness to counterbalance the tart dressing, but it was otherwise a nice way to start the meal.

Grilled Octopus (Chicken Skin, Avocado, Ayocote Beans, Preserved Lemons):

This was just OK. The Grilled Octopus was fine, but nowhere near as pleasant as Republique’s Grilled Octopus mainstay. There was a slight chewiness, but some tenderness. The Chicken Skin, large chunks of Avocado, Beans all felt disparate. Where they supposed to blend together with the Octopus? Because the chunks of each ingredient were so large cut that it was impossible to get a single bite of all ingredients together unless you cut away at all of it. And the Preserved Lemon overpowered the dish. :frowning:

Mirame Campechana (Shrimp, Scallops, Octopus, Avocado, Cucumber, Black Lime Snow):

This was the highlight of the meal: Fresh Scallops, bright chunks of Shrimp, although very little Octopus, their Black Lime Snow seasoning really livened up the dish. It was lightly briny, aromatic and just a great Campechana with better ingredients. :slight_smile: We’d order this again.

Their Main Dishes section looked uninspired or suspect - Baja Spiny Lobster Thermidor(?!) (What does this have to do with marrying Mexican and California cuisines together?); Sonoma Duck Confit(?!) (What makes this Mexican?); and the $100 Grade A5 Wagyu Beef Tenderloin. So we opted to explore more interesting dishes.

Sonoma Lamb Barbacoa Tacos (Smashed Avocado, Saffron Pickled Fennel, Radish):

First, “yes” you are paying about ~$27 ($21 + tax & tip) for 2 Tacos that are about the same size as Guerrilla Tacos / Holbox Tacos that are also chef-driven. :expressionless:

But if the flavors and ingredients excel, then perhaps it’s worth it? Unfortunately, they fall short as well:

The “Lamb Barbacoa” was slathered in a sweet, thick Sauce that reminded me more of Mole than Barbacoa. :frowning: The Lamb was completely overpowered by this sweet, thick “Mole.” :sob: Could you tell this was quality Sonoma Lamb? Nope.

It is not hyperbole in saying that our Barbacoa de Borrego Lamb Tacos at Barbacoa Y Birria Estilo Guerrero for about ~$2 a Taco completely blows away Mirame’s Barbacoa Tacos. It’s not even close.

Grilled Nordic Blue Salmon Tacos (Okra Sofrito, Green Beans, Pipian, Crispy Onions):

The Grilled Nordic Blue Salmon Tacos were much better in taste: The Salmon was moist and tender, and the Okra Sofrito and fragrant nuttiness from the Pipian (Pumpkin Seeds) really elevated this Taco. Unfortunately the fancy-sounding name turns out to be just fancy marketing for Farmed Atlantic Salmon, :frowning: and while these were $2 cheaper than the Lamb Tacos, you’re still paying about ~$25 for 2 Tacos with this dish.

Service was horrendous, with our server forgetting to take our order for about 15 minutes, and we saw our server maybe once the entire evening after that. But we’re willing to cut them some slack as the restaurant was just learning to navigate re-opening from the pandemic. But the service needs to be noted.

Mirame feels like an uneven attempt to elevate Mexican cuisine. Things like the Fermented Green Tea Salad taste like they would be more at home at M Cafe de Chaya or Vegan bastion Cafe Gratitude than they would be at a place claiming to celebrate Mexican and California cuisines and heritages. The Campechana was tasty, but the price (almost $30 after tax & tip) is prohibitive for some.

And then you get the privilege of paying $27 for 2 Tacos, which are the same portion size as other gourmet Tacos around the city (e.g., Guerrilla Tacos, Holbox, which hover around the $4 - 6 mark), and it’s hard to justify. And to make matters worse, the flavor in the Sonoma Lamb Barbacoa Tacos were downright bad, more like an overly sweet Mole Sauce Taco.

The other key issue is the market niche: Chef John Sedlar’s Rivera and Chef Ray Garcia’s Broken Spanish execute at a far higher level in terms of taste and cohesiveness, and they were cheaper. And if you really want to make a claim at reflecting California and Mexico’s heritage and cuisines, then you’re trying to make the same assertion as Chef-Owner Val M. Cantu’s Michelin 2 Star Californios, which is on a completely other level, it’s not even close. After experiencing a stunning meal at Californios, Mirame’s claim about reflecting California and Mexico’s heritage / cuisine feels empty in comparison. (@ipsedixit @ColinMorey @sck @hyperbowler @paranoidgarliclover)

There were some other items on the menu that seemed interesting, but the current prices and execution don’t line up. It feels like you’re paying for the Beverly Hills location & rent, and while we want to give them another chance, reflecting on the overall experience we had, we’re in no hurry to return.

Mirame
419 N Canon Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Tel: (310) 230-5035

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I can’t think of really any restaurants in BH that really live up to the hype.

With a few exceptions like CUT and Spago, and maybe some of the sushi restaurants (Yazawa, Endo), I can’t really consider BH a dining destination.

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In case you don’t feel too great paying $27 for 2 tacos, I once paid $18 for one taco. When I ordered, it never occurred to me that its for one taco, without an S. Decent duck taco. But I felt totally stupid afterwards. Caveat emptor.

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Hi @sck,

Wow! Sorry to hear. :frowning: Which restaurant was this? In SF?

Some place in Jack London Square in Oakland. I forgot which one it was. I tried to block it out of my memory. :smiley:

If there isn’t COVID, I’d suggest paying for a plane ticket to CDMX and get some elevated Mexican at Pujol or Quintonil. Several months ago the exchange rate was something like 1 peso to 18 USD. So you can get some top notch stuff for mid range US price. I think it probably won’t cost too much more than a meal in Beverly Hills.

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I see your $18/taco and raise you a $52 for two tacos.

#PoloLounge

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I just noticed this.

But I can’t believe they gave you pre-packaged, Sysco sourced crackers for your $30 seafood cocktail, ahem, campechana.

This would be like if you went to Petite Trois and Ludo served Heinz ketchup packets with your Steak Frites.

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Hi @ipsedixit,

Wow! $52 for 2 tacos?! :cry: That’s awful.

Thanks. Yah, at first I thought that maybe they were going for some “nostalgia” or trying to be “counter-culture” or something. But, the more I thought about it, when they charge $30 for this appetizer and they gave those pre-packaged crackers… :angry:

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Mirame is expensive, but not because of its address. Many of the ingredients are expensive and highly perishable: uni, microgreens, etc. Many of the techniques are time consuming; Chef Gil told me that it takes three days to make his voudovan.

I have been to a lot of fancy restaurants including some mentioned on this thread, Cut and the Spago in Beverly Hills. Both are far more expensive than Mirame and I found both disappointing.

Mirame is my all time favorite restaurant by a landslide. I find the food not only delicious beyond description; it also uses techniques, ingredients and ingredient combinations that are new to me. In other restaurants, I’m usually getting a dish I’ve eaten many times; it may be the best version I’ve had or it may not, but it’s not new. At Mirame I am always delighted by having my culinary horizons expanded.

I believe that people who complain about the price are of the belief that food from many cultures shouldn’t cost much. As Ruth Reichl pointed out about Chinese food, that’s why we have so few great restaurants representing those cultures.

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Thanks for sharing @maccrogenoff . I’m glad to hear it’s your favorite restaurant.

As I pointed out in my original post, I have no problem paying for quality ingredients and high execution. I mentioned Californios (in SF). Have you been? When we went it was about ~$250 per person or so, and totally worth it, far more expensive than Mirame. My issue was the end product for what we paid. Just for us, it didn’t feel worth it in terms of execution and our taste buds. But glad it’s been great for you. I’ll give them another try. Thanks!

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