St. Pete gets Mei
Downtown St. Petersburg’s former Bento spot will become Mei — a new restaurant promising Japanese ingredients, foraged finds and in‑house fermentation in a compact downtown footprint (Tampa Bay Times, reported March 27) (tampabay.com). The opening signals continued appetite for creative, globally inspired concepts in Florida’s dining scene (tampabay.com).
Mei will take over the former Bento site at 320 3rd Street South in downtown St. Petersburg and is being fitted into a roughly 2,700‑square‑foot space. (ilovetheburg.com) Executive Chef Alex Chamberlain is leaving his post as chef de cuisine at Michelin‑starred Kōsen in Tampa to lead the new kitchen at Mei. (kosentampa.com) The restaurant plans two distinct dining formats: The Living Room, which seats 50 and will offer à la carte plus an optional prix fixe, and The Kitchen Counter, an eight‑seat chef‑guided tasting area. (ilovetheburg.com) Benjamin S. Coutts, the 2023 MICHELIN Guide Florida Sommelier Award winner, has been named to run Mei’s beverage program. (guide.michelin.com) The project is backed by restaurateur brothers Johnny and Jimmy Tung, whose local portfolio includes Kōsen, Tantō, Zōtō and Yūgen and is tied to a planned Tokyo Swim Club rooftop lounge in West Ybor. (ilovetheburg.com) Interior work is by Jacob Portillo of Omei Design Studio, whose renderings show a neutral‑palette scheme inspired by Nordic cabins and Japanese teahouse aesthetics using natural materials and seasonal accents. (ilovetheburg.com) Mei has launched a waitlist on its website, plans to operate Wednesday through Sunday, and has not announced a firm opening date despite being expected to debut this spring. (ilovetheburg.com)
