There are those who consider themselves artists, and those who consider themselves to be craftsmen. Pastry chef Mimi Mendoza is most certainly both, incorporating a very personal sense of style, a willingness to experiment, and a refined playfulness into her technique- driven creations.

Mimi grew up in San Jose, California, with a love of both art and literature. Upon graduating from high school in 2006, she enrolled at San Francisco State University to pursue degrees in art and creative writing. As the weeks progressed, Mimi found herself missing class to spend time in the kitchen, cooking and experimenting with different techniques. As professors commented on her frequent absences, her roommates noticed her unmistakable love for cooking and suggested that she look into culinary school. In 2008, Mimi transferred over to the International Culinary Institute at the Art Institute of California in Sunnyvale with the intent to become a food writer. Her teachers noticed her keen eye and already-honed kitchen skills, and encouraged her not to limit herself to solely writing.

While at the Culinary Institute, Mimi worked as a barista at a café called Sugar Butter Flour, owned by Irit Ishai, one of the original chefs at Los Gatos’ famed Manresa. Early on at the cafe, Mimi’s duties were expanded to include helping in the kitchen with baking, decorating wedding cakes, and other detail-oriented work—her background in sculpture and ceramics made her a natural. She was soon offered a position in the kitchen as head cake decorator, and later, was promoted to pastry chef.

Mimi’s professional journey took her to pastry chef positions at different restaurants and bakeries in the South Bay. In August 2014, she was welcomed on as pastry chef at Chez TJ, a one-Michelin-starred restaurant in Mountain View, managing the pastry department and all pastry production. During this time, Mimi also collaborated with her boyfriend John Shelsta, who is also a pastry chef, on a number of his pastry pop-ups, which quickly became beloved by the South Bay community. These pop-up events allowed Mimi to play with more bakery- style items, in contrast to the refined dishes she created at the restaurant. In September 2016, Mimi set her sights westward, relocating to Hawaii to join the Senia team on their forthcoming restaurant opening in Honolulu’s Chinatown.

Mimi continues to integrate an artful sensibility into the craft of pastry. Driven by a strong personal style and classic technique, Mimi seeks to bring out the natural, elemental qualities of her dishes, working with ingredients through the lenses of color and flavor. Much of her work is inspired by her travels, childhood memories of flavors, and even works of literature, as she remains a writer and an artist at heart.