The hype: The newest addition to the River Valley dining stretch combines deceptively basic plates packed with flavor, and an unexpected focus on premium Burmese furniture—all of which you can purchase right out of the restaurant.
The vibe: House of MU takes its last name from the Chinese word 木 that translates directly to “wood”, which explains all the made-to-order teak furniture peppering the restaurant. The decor choice does lean towards looking like the inside of a furniture store, but more accurately emulates a cozy, relaxed living room to share good food with friends in.
The food: Though there’s no specific focus in cuisine, the menu at MU boasts a strong European slant influenced by the head chef’s training. Chef Tyrell Joon carries a total of 13 years in fine dining, six of which were spent as the head chef at Les Amis. At first glance the food offerings can look unfavorable, but Chef Joon executes on his dishes an attention to bold flavor and plating that he probably by now just can’t shake.
If you’re lucky, the Soup of the Day will be the Butternut Squash ($9), a warm and comforting dip to the accompanying crystallized bread. The Pan Seared Scallops ($19) with cauliflower puree and fresh apple are also good, switching out the usual Hokkaido scallop for French varieties Chef Joon’s more familiar with.
One stand-out feature on the menu is the option to create your own pasta or risotto, where you can select your choice of carb ($14), base sauce ($6), and ingredients like crayfish, vongole and scallops ($5-$12). More customizable than Build-A-Bear and definitely more satisfying, each finished dish comes with a side of greens. We had a divine truffle crayfish risotto ($26), generously doused in truffle and topped with cream hand-beat into foam; though even something as basic as a vongole linguine in aglio olio sauce ($25) was well-made.
For dessert, the Dessert Platter ($48) is a good way to taste an assortment of MU’s sweets, from creme brulee to peanut butter ice cream.
The drinks: Co-owner Suzanna Ho’s extensive personal wine and gin collection makes its way onto the shelves for both takeaway and in-store enjoyment. Particularly for gin lovers, it’s a good chance to try international labels like Bathtub Gin from the UK and Gunroom Gin from Sweden (prices available on request).
Why you’ll be back: For family-style comfort food in a relaxed living room setting. And also if you’ve decided you want to buy the furniture.
