Miss Yip Chinese cafe - South Beach, FL

A classy Chinese restaurant

I have walked by the glass walls lined with huge glass jars (filled with interesting knick knacks like sauce bottles, chopsticks etc...) several times in the past few years; made it inside a few weeks back. I am talking about Miss Yip at South Beach, one of the best places for vegetarian Chinese food. I have already been back there since my first visit.

The place was immaculately decorated - tufted red leather seats against gorgeous red printed wall paper, dark wood tables contrasting the patterned white mosaic-like tile flooring, Chinese checkers boards instead of paintings adorning the walls. The place seemed a bit incongruous in South Beach, had a more New York vibe to it. Was already won over; had not eaten anything yet!!

Over my two trips to Miss Yip I have tasted most of the vegetarian items on the menu; have listed a few of my favorites here:



Dim sum - dumplings:
We ordered both the vegetable dumpling and the tofu and vegetable dumpling – the fillings are completely different. What makes these so special is the thick (yet non-gooey) outer rice shell that is steamed to perfection.

Singapore curry mei fun:
Really thin rice noodles sautéed with julienne vegetables and seasoned with curry powder (very similar to the Madras curry powder most Indians are familiar with).

Ma po tofu:
Spicy food naturally appeals to me, so most of my favorite Chinese dishes are from the Sichuan province. Ma po tofu is a staple in most Chinese restaurants and I have had my fair share - this was by far the best version. The bean and chili sauce was sprinkled with jalapeño pepper slices adding just a little more oomph to the dish.

Moo shu wrap:
The menu describes it as fresh steamed crepes served with a wok-fry of minced carrot, onions, bell pepper, bamboo shoot, celery, Chinese cabbage and mushroom with hoisin sauce.
Made an interesting appetizer.

Link to their menu