“ad” – Why is this here?

Regular readers of the blog will know that I have been visiting Mina Steakhouse for years. I have always found it to be a unique restaurant in Cambridge, offering high-energy experiential dining, complete with an almost theatrical experience. I describe it as a restaurant mixed with a nightclub, and there is genuinely nowhere else like it in the city. But owner Jay Miah has now officially shifted gears, transitioning from a classic steakhouse to a Pan-Asian menu.

But what is Pan-Asian?

Well, it takes the flavours from across an entire continent onto one single menu, often mixing dishes into a type of fusion. Other examples of this are the Taj Tandoori. Something like this is always a gamble as there is an old rule in hospitality that when a restaurant tries to do everything, the quality usually suffers. Well, Mina is attempting to fly directly in the face of that idea. If anyone can do it, it is the award-winning Jay from Mina, so I was keen to see for myself.

Here is how the new Pan-Asian lineup stacked up:

The whole of Asia on one table

(Click here for the full menu)

As expected, the menu features almost anything you can think of – and it isn’t strictly limited to Asian cuisine, either. You’ve got everything from noodles, Korean chicken, sushi, and kimbap to teriyaki short ribs and bao buns, alongside steaks, burgers, and even the only seafood boil available in the city. The menu sits at a premium tier, and the prices reflect that, which is actually a reassuring sign of quality. For example, their use of genuine Wagyu beef would be pretty sus if it were only a fiver!

I also spotted a couple of food challenges on the menu. One is a hot wing challenge that could win you a five-star holiday for two, and the other is a monster burger challenge that nets you £200, if you manage to finish it. As someone who has only ever met his match once with spicy food (a dark day when my local Indian restaurant went out of its way to utterly destroy me with a custom “Phall XXX”), I couldn’t help but feel like I was well overdue a holiday. What fun!

Mongolian Beef

The Mongolian beef was the absolute star of the show this evening. If you order only one thing when you visit, make it this. The beef was amazingly soft and tender, slathered in a rich, spicy sauce that was alive with flavour and packed incredible depth. Both my guest and I, who both have very different tastes simply couldn’t leave it alone.

Korean Chicken Bao Buns

Korean chicken bao buns are a proper lesson in texture. You get the crunch of thick, crispy Korean chicken against a pillowy-soft bao bun, brought together with a gochujang glaze that delivers a colourful, mildly spicy punch. A gentle garnish of crispy onions and spring onion adds a lovely bit of flavour and freshness to every bite.

Wagyu Sando

Along with the Mongolian beef, the other champion of the night is the Sando Wagyu Beef. This is made with pillowy Japanese milk bread and premium Wagyu beef. It hit that perfect balance of soft, crunchy, and rich. I was a little worried that the thick slabs of beef would be too tough and stringy but it simply fell to pieces on the bite. It is a refreshingly unique dish for Cambridge making it a must try for any foodies out there who fancy something different.

Kimbap & Sushi

Mina has offered sushi for a while, but they now serve a type of Korean sushi called kimbap, with vegetable, chicken, and beef options available. Naturally, I went for the beef, as I was keen to see how it compared to the beef nigiri from my last visit. I remember enjoying it back then, but found the beef a little too chewy for something meant to be eaten in a single bite. Luckily, my fears were vanquished, as their new take was a huge step up. The rolls were larger, tasted fresher, and the beef simply melted. The portion sizes were absolutely massive; each roll filled my mouth entirely, giving my dining partner a glorious 20-second break from my insufferable yapping.

The burger of growth

Mina have completely remade their burgers since the old steakhouse menu. Frequent readers will remember their monstrous “Billionaire Boys Burger OG” – a beast wrapped in literal gold leaf, packed with a staggering 12oz of steak beef and truffle cheese, and served with a cloud of dry ice for an unparalleled level of presentation. Their new take, however, feels a bit more humble and sensible, but ultimately works so much better. Where the original had gold wrapping that added nothing to the taste and a bun that struggled to hold together the sheer extravagance of it all, this version is far easier to manage. Built with two Angus beef patties melting into a soft, cheese-soaked bun, this bad boy was still one of the juiciest, most loaded burgers I’ve had in ages. It’s a great example of how the menu has matured, shifting towards dishes that are still visually impressive, but much more balanced and well-rounded. The chips were loaded with crispy onion and a signature Mina glaze (sauce) that was almost as impressive as the burger. They were medium thickness and crispy while adding colour to the plate.

Signature Singapore Noodles

My guest went for the wok-tossed rice vermicelli noodles packed with fresh veggies, chicken, and king prawns. They confirmed they were top tier and full of flavour and had some lovely red chillies that turned it into a fiery dish.

Mocktails

To wash down the feast, I tried both the blue and pink mocktails, which were absolute eye candy. Their vivid, glowing colours fit right into Mina’s stylish, high-energy nightclub aesthetic – looking just as good on the table as they taste. What really impressed me was the balance; instead of being loaded with overbearing sugar, they relied on crisp citrus and fresh fruit notes that kept them incredibly light and refreshing. They bring all the flair and theatrical vibe of a top-tier cocktail bar, just without the alcohol. The mocktail menu was impressive, with 12 options available ranging from £8-11.

A new era for Mina

Mina has managed to provide a diverse menu with a remarkable selection of food that will satisfy even the largest parties without letting quality slip. Though you may find slightly more authentic or refined dishes at specialist restaurants, you would be hard-pressed to tell the difference – and some of their offerings even surpass those spots, with the kimbap actually being some of the best I have had in Cambridge. Their use of genuine Wagyu is also genuinely impressive, while the abundance of sharing platters and food challenges paired with a high-energy nightclub vibe make this an ideal spot for an extravagant night out.

It’s also worth mentioning that Mina remains the only place (that I know of) serving up a proper seafood boil in Cambridge, and their Tomahawk steak is easily one of the most competitively priced in the city. When you pair that kind of menu variety with Jay’s trademark showmanship (you’ll usually spot him on the floor personally greeting guests and making sure everything running out of the kitchen is spot on) it sets itself apart. There is simply nothing else in Cambridge quite like it, bringing something the city desperately needs: a proper bit of energy.

Thanks for reading