Tampa Bay Times

“Who would have thought a space that until recently housed a fast-casual Asian chain would become something this swanky and upscale? But Mei, the new restaurant from the Orlando-based Omei Restaurant Group, has stepped up the fine dining game from inside the confines of what was once a Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi on St. Petersburg’s Third St. South.”

I LOVE THE BURG

“After coming back to Florida, I’ve found the community in St. Pete to be one of the most supportive and interesting in the state,” Chamberlain said. “I really wanted to bring my experiences from Colorado—the ethos and intentionality of service—to the same areas that I grew up in.”

Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

“The restaurant will operate with a commitment to sustainability, including whole ingredient utilization, preservation to reduce waste, partnerships with local farms and fishermen, composting, and biodegradable packaging—grounded in the belief that thoughtful cooking begins with responsible sourcing and mindful use.”

St. Pete Catalyst

Mei will be a “culmination” of Chamberlain’s career experiences. 

“It will have an eight-seat chef’s counter that will be really focused on foraged produce as well as local ingredients,” he said. “This calls back to my time at Beckon. It will also have a Japanese pantry, which calls back to my time at Kōsen.”  

St. Pete Rising

Chamberlain’s background includes time in Denver at Michelin-starred Beckon, where he trained in classical French and Nordic cuisine.

That experience now shapes Mei’s approach, which combines European techniques with Japanese ingredients and cooking methods…

Tampa Bay Certified

“The kitchen pairs French technique and a Nordic ethos with Japanese ingredients, built on three preparation methods: koji aging, dry aging, and binchotan grilling. Koji, a mold integral to sake, miso, and soy sauce, has gained wide adoption in fine-dining kitchens as an aging agent that deepens savory character in proteins; binchotan, the dense white charcoal associated with Japanese yakitori, delivers high, consistent heat with minimal smoke…”

Tampa Magazine

The St. Petersburg restaurant features a French bistro-inspired dining room and a tasting counter highlighting Japanese flavors and Nordic preservation techniques. The menu changes with the seasons, driven by ingredients from local farmers and foragers, with vegetables and sides rotating frequently. From Japanese seafood and sustainable ingredients to house-made breads, pastries and sauces, Mei focuses on simplicity, craftsmanship and letting quality ingredients shine…”

Tampa Bay Times

In just a few months, Mei has cemented itself as one of St. Petersburg’s most talked-about fine-dining restaurants. The darling of the menu is undoubtedly the crispy-skinned dry-aged duck breast, which comes glazed in a peppery cherry gastrique with tart cherries and Swiss chard.