Youngmi Mayer Danny Bowien And Baby Mino

Mother Stories

The Power Parents Behind Mission Chinese

Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano

Jun 3, 2014

There’s just something about a woman who describes her home’s aesthetic as “Amazon.com chic” that makes us fall in love with her instantly. Which is precisely what happened when we met new mama Youngmi Mayer, the woman behind the man behind New York’s new hotspots, Mission Chinese and Mission Cantina. Just a couple of years ago, the pair decamped from San Francisco, where Mission Chinese was born and has become a culinary destination for both hipsters and Martha Stewart alike. Before having baby Mino just three months ago, the couple had settled into a studio in Little Italy and the city’s competitive food scene seemingly effortlessly, being anointed Best New Restaurant of 2012 by The New York Times, among other accolades. And while Mayer’s past includes stints as the first server at Mission Chinese and a food writer, she’s now taking on her most prized role to date, a role that she was surprised to find out she’d like so much! Read about that, plus take a peek inside the couple’s downtown studio, right here!

: "Amazon.com chic."
Youngmi, in her living room, wears a Tsumori Chisato dress and Miu Miu heels. Mino wears Misha and Puff bloomers, a Ketiketa cardigan, and a Bonton onesie.

: "Yes. Before the baby, the only furniture we had was our chandelier, bed, and sofa. Now we have every baby item ranked 4.5 stars or higher on Amazon.com. I literally bought the crib and two articles of clothing, thinking that would be enough stuff, and quickly realized I needed a lot more."

: "Surprisingly, not that much. The street noise gets a little intense, so we put Mino's bassinet in the walk-in closet during the day for his naps. I really want him to have his own room, so we are looking for a new place. We weren't planning on having a baby when we moved in."

: "The sofa area!"

: "Honestly, I have no idea what I'm doing."

: "I love the chandelier we bought on the Bowery. We blew all of our money on it when we moved in, so for a while we slept on the floor under the chandelier. It's pretty much the only decor item we own."

: "I have to wake up early in the morning, which is a huge pain in the butt for someone who used to wake up at 1 p.m. Obviously, the good change is that I now have a beautiful baby."

: "This is going to sound terrible, but I was surprised to find myself happy to be a mom. I was someone who was on the fence about having children, and I didn't know how I would feel after having a baby. It surprised me to find that I am utterly obsessed with my son and I'm very glad we decided to have him."

: "I'm really excited to create a bond with Mino that mirrors the bond I have with my mother. I can't believe there is someone who will think of me in the way that I think of my mother, because that relationship is so profound. What makes me most nervous? Um, the fact that one day I will have a teenage son."

: "I just wanted a Korean name that was easy to pronounce and spell in English. Technically it should be spelled Min-Oh. We didn't know if we were having a girl or a boy, so the names we chose were Mino or Hera."

: "When someone else is holding him and he sees me and smiles…my heart just explodes."

: "Any day when he wakes up later than 8 a.m. and we walk Danny to work is magical."

: "I love when he stretches. He does this intense full-body smooshy-face stretch. I also love that he looks just like his daddy."

: "I am very similar to my mother in my sense of humor and I enjoy joking around a lot. My mother happens to be incredibly energetic, while I am super slow and mellow."

: "Bjork. I would love to be that eccentric."

: "I care, but I want to look like I don't. Basically, I'm a 16-year-old. I have a few Tsumori Chisato muumuus that I basically live in. Also black leggings. When I became pregnant I was pretty excited when I realized I wouldn't have to buy any maternity clothes."

: "We only have a tiny amount of space, so I wanted everything to fit in seamlessly. I've been surprised by how little space we need for a lot of stuff."

: "Christina Tosi gave us a handmade quilt, which we love. He sleeps on it every night."

: "I really want this over-sized neoprene shirt from the Opening Ceremony & Magritte line. For Mino, I want to get the Marie-Chantal onesie that has gold angel wings on the back. Super cute!"

: "Day to day would be a flow-y Tsumiro Chisato muumuu, with or without leggings, and I've been wearing my Birkenstocks all summer. For business or a night-out, I would probably replace the Birkenstocks with some heels."
Youngmi, in front of Mission Cantina, wears a Bernhard Willhelm dress, Mansur Gavriel bucket bag, Birkenstocks, and YSL lipstick. Mino wears bloomers and a sweater by Misha and Puff and Into The Wild booties.

: "I love Tsumori Chisato, just because her prints are so eccentric and fabrics are so fancy, but her stuff is super easy to wear. I buy a lot of handbags and I really love Celine (because obvi). but I scored a Mansur Gavriel bucket bag a few months ago and it's absolutely the most amazing diaper bag."
Danny wears Umbro shorts, Common Projects sneakers, and Moscot glasses.

: "We live near both Opening Ceremony and Creatures of Comfort and I end up picking up a lot of stuff from those places, since they're so close by. I do a lot of online sale shopping. Also Amazon.com!"

: "Right now I am not working, but last year I wrote a couple of things that were published in food mags. As for it changing: No, I've always hated it and still do."

: "I was the only server when Mission Chinese first opened in San Francisco. It was bonkers from the first day and after that we hired a bunch of other servers. I worked there for about a year before I had to stop because my relationship with Danny was suffering. I haven't been involved in any way since."

How has life changed for you since becoming a father? "I have even more stress!"

What are your favorite things to do with Mino? "I spend time with him every morning so that Youngmi can sleep in a little. He's 3 months, so doesn't do much yet besides smile."

How would you describe Youngmi as a mother? "She is very loving and would do anything for him."

How do you want to celebrate your first Father's Day with your son? "Sleep."

What excites you the most about being a parent? "I'm excited to be a family with him and Youngmi."

What makes you most nervous? "The cost."

: "S.F. is obsessed with organic, sustainable, farm-to-table, etc. to the point that every almost successful restaurant needs to follow that ideology in order to succeed. In NYC it's much more diverse. You have the $1 pizza place, the fanciest fine dining establishments, and everything in between, and it's ok that your restaurant doesn't compost."

: "It's a ton of fun. The NYC food community is surprisingly friendly. It's especially fun seeing the same people in new cool restaurants and at events in other countries."

: "That I can order diapers at 3 a.m. delivered to my door."

: "I would love to live in another country for a portion of Mino's childhood. Pretty much anywhere!"

: "I wake up at 8 and usually walk Mino around the city because it helps him take his naps. We get home around 2 p.m. and then try to wind down for night time because he gets easily overstimulated."

: "We have been flying with Mino about once a month. We also have 2-3 trips planned for the rest of the summer. I have no advice for flying with the baby except for: If the baby cries, remember you will never see the people on that plane ever again."

: "At first I really missed S.F., but now I am in this weird in-between place where there are things I absolutely adore about NYC and also truly miss about S.F."