Hannah Cheng

The Essentials In 2014, Cheng co-founded Mimi Cheng’s, building the restaurant around the food that had long defined the table at home. The specialty is Taiwanese dumplings, a dish she traces back to childhood with a sentence that feels equal parts affection and origin story: “My mom has made Taiwanese dumplings for us ever since we were little.” There is a warmth in that inheritance, but also a quiet pragmatism. Cheng has described the opening decision without gloss, acknowledging the leap with disarming candor: “So, my sister and I, with no restaurant experience, decided it would be a good idea to sign a 10-year restaurant lease.” The line captures the spirit of the venture—bold, a little improbable, and deeply personal. What began as a family recipe and a shared instinct became a place where a dish associated with comfort and ritual was given a public life, served under a name that keeps the original source visible.

Signature

Hannah's signature dishes include Taiwanese dumplings. That signature feels fitting not because it is elaborate, but because it is exact. Taiwanese dumplings are the center of gravity here, carrying the flavors, memories, and family logic that shaped Mimi Cheng’s from the beginning. In Cheng’s world, signature does not mean reinvention for its own sake; it means fidelity to a beloved tradition, presented with enough confidence to stand at the front of the room.

In Their Words “We named it Mimi Cheng’s after our mom.” “So, my sister and I, with no restaurant experience, decided it would be a good idea to sign a 10-year restaurant lease.”