[Invite] – click here

Sean and I have always loved visiting Mina Steakhouse. It is so much more than your ordinary dining experience but an exciting night of entertainment! By offering high-end cuisine, an adventurous and intriguing menu, and the extravagant show that often accompanies it, we always know that we are in for a treat during our visit.

It is a house of fun, perfect for birthdays, events, or a pre-nightclub meal with friends. When we caught wind of their launch event to celebrate and showcase their new menu, both Sean and I jumped at the chance to go, as we both knew that we would be in for a great time with interesting things to witness!

I won’t go into too much detail about the restaurant itself, as we have reviewed it countless times before (here) but it is a truly unique place in Cambridge, giving off an atmospheric nightclub vibe. It is colourful, loud, and with plenty of swagger – all with a formal yet friendly service that does a great job of making sure you are comfortable.

There was a DJ playing tunes and even a fire-swallowing dancer by the name of Gracie Gillis. She was fantastic and knew how to put on a show by getting involved with the diners without setting them on fire.

Make sure to check out her page for more info (click here)

Mocktails

Mina Steakhouse no longer serves alcohol. Disappointing, I’ll admit, as I used to love their Stella Unfiltered, as it was always served ice cold and was very well maintained. All hope is not lost however, as they still have an extensive list of mocktails.

We both decided to order the Dragonfruit Mojito (pink) and the Bubblegum Daiquiri (blue).

The Dragonfruit Mojito is made from fresh dragon fruit, mint, lime, sugar, soda water.

The Bubblegum Daiquiri is made from bugglegum syrup, blue curaçao, lime juice and comes garnished with those flying saucers you used to buy from the sweet shop many years ago.

Both were visually stunning, with bright vivid colours that really fit in with the aesthetics of the restaurant. I was surprised at the more natural sweetness of the cocktails, as I was expecting them to be overbearing but the balance was just right.

The Menu

The menu has undergone a noticeable transformation since my last visit. While Mina has always been renowned for its steaks, it has never been afraid to experiment with other enticing flavours. This new menu, however, offers a more well-rounded selection that includes unexpected items I was keen to try.

Notable new dishes were the Korean chicken, nigiri sushi, beef tacos, bao buns, and a pasta menu.

I was particularly excited by the wagyu and tomahawk steaks, a fun sounding “Eiffel tower burger challenge”, and a whole lamb leg (for 5-6 people).

I was tempted to go for their classic steaks, as I know they are really good, but I knew that I had to explore the menu further, as there was so much on the menu to get through.

Korean chicken bites

I can never resist Korean chicken, so we dived straight in with some crispy Korean bites for a starter. These consist of fried chicken, coated in a special Korean sauce with generous sprinkles of sesame seeds and Japanese mayonnaise.

A common theme throughout this evening is how beautifully presented everything is. Style is a big part of the Mina Steakhouse image and the food is central to that. The Korean bites were no exception and were brought out on a charcoal plate with salad and a tomato for garnish. The deep rich colours of the Korean chicken were beautiful but even this was overshadowed by the sweet and spicy chicken flavour. This was elevated even further by a crispy yet sticky skin that made them utterly perfect.

Nigiri Sushi

I really wasn’t expecting to see sushi but that just goes to show the versatility and variety of the new menu. The nigiri is presented in a hangiri rice box with three pieces in total. Each piece is made from A5 wagyu beef (Prime++) which is placed on seasoned sushi rice and accompanied by wasabi paste.

These were big meaty pieces that are a real mouthful. The Wagyu beef was top notch but we found ourselves chewing on it much longer than we expected for sushi that is supposed to be eaten in one. It was almost like the quality of the beef was too high for the sushi. I had a great time savouring it but it didn’t seem to match.

Seafood boil

Numerous people on the Cambridge Foodies have asked for a Seafood Boil over the years and I have never known where to recommend it in Cambridge but I can safely say that Mina Steakhouse now offers this dish.

It was easily one of the highlights of the evening. It consists of a bag of seafood mix, with 2 lobster tails, prawns, mussels and cray fish. Corn and potatoes were also included, making it a balanced and an entirely complete meal in its own right. This is all cooked together in a spicy seasoning.

The bag is opened and poured out into a tray in front of you…and boom! There it is!

There is no getting around it, this dish is messy but Sean had no qualms about it and heroically dived straight in and got messy…it was quite a sight to behold 🤣

Speaking with Sean while he was fingers deep in a pan full of seafood, I asked him what he thought (as a man who loves seafood). Sean loved it and felt it justified the price tag, especially since it came with two lobster tails. I tried some myself and thoroughly enjoyed the warm spicy glow that built up the more I ate.

Billionaire boys burger OG

As part of my quest to find the best burger in Cambridge, I ordered their ‘Billionaire Boys Burger OG’. I knew that Mina would likely be a good contender as they never do things by halves. This behemoth came with 12oz of Angus beef with truffle cheese, onions, beef onion, pickles and “chefs special sauce”, all served in a golden bun.

The burger was brought out alongside dry ice smoke, adding that extra WOW factor (check out our video to see). This is another example of the show Mina Steakhouse likes to put on, that often separates them from other restaurants. Ironically, the burger was brought out at the same time as Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” for absolutely perfect timing with the smoke effects 🤣

This was my first time eating gold and I was not entirely sure what to expect. It felt a little superficial that didn’t really add anything to the burger in flavour but then I reminded myself to stop being such a misery and embrace what they were trying to do…Have fun! The burger was wearing a gold cape, for crying out loud, enjoy it!

The burger itself was epic. The Angus steak was thick and succulent with my only challenge being able to get my jaw around it. Towards the end, the bun struggled to hold it all together and started to collapse, as there was so much in there. Despite that, the burger was a true monster with immense flavours.

Shisha

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love a shisha. I am no smoker but there is something about enjoying a flavoured shisha after a meal that really hits the spot. Mina offers an extensive range of different flavours from mixed fruit to bubblegum. There is a lovely seating area outside, so you can watch the world go by and relax. On a summer’s evening it was bliss but there are heaters for the colder months.

Conclusion

Mina has successfully evolved from being predominantly a steakhouse into a diverse culinary destination. While its signature steaks remain top tier, the new menu is a captivating exploration of global dishes from all over the world. Every element, from the premium sourcing to the theatrical presentations, is executed with precision and flair, adding a fun and relaxed atmosphere throughout. Mina’s commitment to serving the finest ingredients is evident in every bite, from the Brazilian-cut grass-fed steak to the dry ice smoke to the candyfloss fire bubbles from my last visit. All of which are just one of many unforgettable highlights you can experience dining at Mina (see here).

This won’t be for everyone and it certainly has that younger more extravagant target audience but it executes exactly what it has set out to do perfectly. As I said at the start, this is the perfect place for a celebration, birthday, pre-drinks, or someone just looking for a dining experience rather than a meal.

Thanks for reading