Meet Mindy Lim

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mindy Lim a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mindy, thank you so much for joining us today. There are so many topics we could discuss, but perhaps one of the most relevant is empathy because it’s at the core of great leadership and so we’d love to hear about how you developed your empathy?

That’s a question that gets to the very heart of why Daikon exists. For over 20 years, I was a chef in a very traditional sense. I owned three other restaurants, and my world was built around classic ingredients and techniques. The truth is, I didn’t think deeply about empathy in relation to my ingredients back then.

The condition that changed everything for me was a single, incredibly vivid dream.

In the dream, it was a fish that was looking at me while I was scraping its flesh. In the fish’s eye, I see tears, pain, and struggle. It was so real and so haunting that when I woke up, I couldn’t shake the feeling. For the first time, I had truly connected with the suffering of an animal that, until that point, I had only ever seen as food.

That dream was the catalyst. It was an involuntary, profound moment of empathy that I couldn’t ignore. It completely shattered my perspective and made it impossible for me to continue my career in the same way.

So, that one condition—a subconscious moment of connection—forced me to develop a conscious empathy. It’s what led me to spend the next six years re-learning my craft and is now the foundation of everything we do at Daikon. My goal is to translate that empathy onto the plate, creating compassionate food that is so delicious and satisfying that no one feels like they are making a sacrifice.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

What I Do
I’m the founder and head chef of Vegan Sushi Group, which includes Daikon Vegan Sushi & More and Basil Vegan Thai & Sushi in Las Vegas. We’re creating a 100% plant-based Asian culinary movement that proves compassionate food sacrifices none of the flavor. Both restaurants reimagine traditional Asian cuisine through an entirely vegan lens, offering innovative dishes that satisfy vegans and omnivores alike.
What Makes It Special
Three key elements set us apart:

Culinary Innovation Across Concepts

At Daikon: Sophisticated sushi using roasted tomato for “tuna,” orange bell pepper for “salmon,” king oyster mushrooms for “calamari”
At Basil: Plant-based Thai fusion featuring dishes like Basil Fried Rice with seitan, grilled yuba (tofu skin) for “Chicken” satay.

Our Yellow Magic Roll at Daikon earned PETA’s Top 10 Vegan Sushi in the U.S.

Mission-Driven Restaurant Group – We’re building more than restaurants; we’re part of a meaningful strategy against industrial animal agriculture while creating sustainable, equitable dining options. Every dish across both concepts represents our commitment to helping all beings be happy, free, and well-fed.
Accessible Excellence – We’ve positioned ourselves as an “elegant evolution of plant-based Asian fusion fast-food cuisine” – making exceptional vegan dining approachable and convenient with dine-in, takeout, and delivery options.

Current Focus & Expansion

Growing Vegas Vegan Empire – With two successful concepts, we’re now Las Vegas’s premier destination for plant-based Asian cuisine, especially after becoming the city’s standard-bearer for vegan sushi
Cross-Concept Innovation – Leveraging insights from both restaurants to continuously develop new plant-based techniques and flavor profiles
Sustainability Leadership – Both locations use plastic-free packaging and reusable tableware, reinforcing our environmental commitment
Community Building – As a women-owned restaurant group, we’ve created sanctuaries for the vegan community while attracting curious newcomers seeking extraordinary plant-based Asian cuisine

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Three Most Impactful Qualities/Skills

1. Deep Traditional Culinary Expertise (20+ Years)
My two decades working with traditional cuisine before my vegan transformation became my greatest asset. Understanding the fundamental properties of ingredients – texture, umami, fat content, mouthfeel – allowed me to reverse-engineer plant-based alternatives that truly satisfy. I knew exactly what I needed to replicate because I’d mastered the originals first.

2. Unwavering Conviction Born from Empathy
My 2014 dream about the crying fish wasn’t just an epiphany – it became my North Star. This profound emotional connection gave me the courage to close three successful non-vegan restaurants and completely redirect my career. When you’re driven by genuine compassion rather than trends, you push through every obstacle.

3. Technical Problem-Solving & Experimentation
Creating convincing vegan sushi requires constant innovation. I spent six years experimenting – discovering that roasted tomato could mimic tuna, that king oyster mushrooms have the perfect bite for calamari, that konjac and carrots could become shrimp. This willingness to fail repeatedly until achieving perfection is essential.
Advice for Those Starting Their Journey

Master the Fundamentals First
Don’t skip traditional training. Understanding classic techniques gives you the foundation to innovate meaningfully. You can’t successfully break rules you don’t understand.

Find Your “Why” Beyond Profit
Whether it’s sustainability, compassion, or health – anchor yourself to a mission bigger than business. This conviction will carry you through the inevitable challenges of pioneering something new.

Embrace Systematic Experimentation
Keep detailed notes on every attempt. What worked? What didn’t? Why? Treat your kitchen like a laboratory. The “perfect” plant-based alternative might take 50 iterations – that’s normal, not failure.

Start Where You Are
I had three non-vegan restaurants when I had my awakening. Don’t wait for the “perfect moment” to begin your transformation. Start experimenting, learning, and evolving from wherever you are today.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Yes, we’re actively seeking collaborators who share our vision of compassionate, innovative cuisine.
Who We’re Looking For:

Plant-Based Food Innovators – Chefs, food scientists, or suppliers developing new vegan proteins and ingredients. We’re always experimenting with novel substitutes and would love to collaborate on R&D.
Sustainable Suppliers – Local farms and producers growing unique vegetables, mushrooms, or plant-based ingredients. We prioritize partnerships that strengthen our farm-to-table pipeline while supporting sustainable agriculture.
Mission-Aligned Investors – Partners interested in expanding our Vegan Sushi Group footprint across Nevada and beyond. We have proven concepts ready to scale.
Community Organizations – Non-profits focused on food accessibility, sustainability, or animal welfare. We’re committed to making plant-based dining more accessible to underserved communities.

How to Connect:
Reach out directly:

Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @daikonvegansushi @basilvegan
Websites: www.daikonvegansushi.com | www.basilveganthai.com
Visit us: 7210 W Lake Mead Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89128

We believe the future of dining is plant-based, and we’re building that future one partnership at a time. If you share our passion for proving that compassionate food sacrifices none of the flavor, let’s talk.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.daikonvegansushi.com
• Instagram: @daikonvegansushi @basilvegan
• Facebook: Daikon Vegan Sushi
• Yelp: Daikon Vegan Sushi & More