Mimi Williams

Chef/Owner, Counterpart Vegan; Los Angeles, CA

Almidra (Mimi) Williams is the executive chef and partner at Counterpart Vegan, an all-day vegan restaurant in Los Angeles, where she has made her mark on the menu with original recipes featuring made-from-scratch vegan ingredients. With Counterpart Vegan temporarily closed and reopening in a new location in late 2021 / early 2022, Almidra is currently consulting on Bardonna’s all-day brunch menu in Santa Monica. Almidra grew up in a close-knit community in Laytonville, CA, where her parents instilled a strong work ethic and value for taking care of the community and where she started cooking at the age of six with help from Betty Crocker’s Cookbook. She initially pursued a career in nursing, but switched gears to attend culinary school in Kansas after her father’s passing, eventually working her way up from line cook to sous chef in kitchens across America. Midway through her career and while pregnant with her daughter, Almidra had difficulty consuming meat protein, which catapulted her into a vegan diet. Returning to the industry as a vegan chef, Almidra was inspired to create plant-based versions of dishes she would serve professionally. Her classical French training aid her ability to manipulate fresh produce to mimic the taste and texture of meat-based dishes, including classic techniques like emulsification, laminating, and sous vide. In addition to running the kitchen, Almidra takes care of her 12-year old daughter and resides in Los Angeles. She’s an avid traveler with her heart stuck in Mexico, which largely influences her cooking. (Los Angeles, CA) @counterpartvegan (Instagram)