The rustic yet modern interior design of MIA Italian Tapas & Bar is meant to evoke the feeling that one has been transported to Italy, chef Drew Fisher said.

“To me, it feels very homey,” he said. “It’s not super dark where it’s like an extremely romantic place. ... [MIA is a place] where you could sit and enjoy yourself, [and] you don’t feel rushed.”

MIA is named after owner James Sun’s youngest daughter, who was born shortly before the restaurant opened in January 2016.

“Having a restaurant is just like having baby,” Sun said. “You have to make everything yourself. … There’s a lot of things to worry about.”

Sun, who grew up in Shanghai, attended school in Switzerland to study hotel management and later studied culinary arts in Rhode Island. He has worked at numerous restaurants in New York City and Boston where he gained experience in modern American, Italian and French cuisines.

“I just love food and different kinds of cuisine,” said Sun, who also owns Cedro Scratch Italian & Wine Bar in far Northwest Austin.

Fisher said he has been cooking since the age of 14. After culinary school, he lived in Italy for a year and worked at several restaurants in Europe.

In Austin, Fisher helped open the Cafe No Se and Central Standard in the South Congress Hotel and joined the MIA team three months ago so he could work in a scratch Italian kitchen.

Making food from scratch, including the pastas, requires planning ahead and being creative with ingredients so there is less waste, Fisher said.

“Everything has to be fresh because if you’re doing it from scratch, there’s no preservatives,” he said.

MIA focuses on tapas, or small plates. Sun said the concept is for each person to order two to three items to share with the table.

“It’s more enjoyable with friends or family to share different things and have nice conversation,” he said.

MIA Italian Tapas & Bar
11420 Rock Rose Ave., Ste. 120, Austin
512-215-9598
www.miatapasaustin.com
Hours: Mon.-Thu. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-9 p.m.