Opened in May last year, House of MU, the latest casual restaurant at Mohammed Sultan Road, has added an extraordinary dash of flavour and form to the popular dining enclave.
The first thing that anyone who enters will notice about House of MU is its modern industrial vibe accentuated with Burmese teak furniture galore. It is also where the restaurant gets its name from — ‘mu’ refers to wood in Chinese. The bar area, with rows of specially curated wines and spirits on display, looks especially inviting as a cosy hangout after office hours.
The brainchild of three partners, Suzanna Ho, Joel Low and David Yong, House of MU is the first and only restaurant in Singapore that is fully furnished with collectible Burmese teak furniture — you can purchase any piece that catches your eye while dining here!
The concept was born from their love of fine food and expertise — Suzanna and Joel have extensive F&B experience in the UK and Singapore respectively, whereas David’s family runs teak factories in Myanmar. For this new venture, the trio specially commissioned furniture designs fashioned from the highly sought-after Burmese teak.
Get your money’s worth
Apart from an aesthetically pleasing interior, the restaurant serves up hearty creations by former Les Amis chef Tyrell Joon. The menu is designed to incorporate comfort home-style dishes with gastronomical techniques he has acquired in top-class kitchens over the years.
Thanks to Chef Joon’s vast experience in Michelin-starred establishments, guests can look forward to refined culinary skills even in the simplest dishes at House of MU. For instance, the Mushroom Soup is made from slow-simmering button mushrooms for hours, before adding cream, butter and milk to achieve a delicate, light texture that melts in the mouth. Who knew such a common dish could taste so sophisticated?
Similarly, the popular pan-seared scallops are given a sublime twist with the accompaniment of cauliflower puree and fresh apple slices that enhance the sweet flavours. The scallops are cooked via the sous-vide method to retain its tenderness and juiciness.
As the owners are strong believers of bonding over mealtimes, food sharing is greatly encouraged in the restaurant. This is evident from the MUnster Platter, a generous medley of meats cooked in the Rolls Royce of grills — the Josper oven, celebrated for its ability to achieve perfect done-ness while keeping the meat succulent.
The combination of the prized Japanese Binchotan charcoal and apple wood logs lends an intense but not overwhelming smoky flavour to the meats, which include prime cuts of beef, grilled chicken, roast lamb, pork tenderloin, and herb sausages. The platter is available for different group sizes — a poignant example of how you can sample fine-dining quality at a fraction of the price.
The restaurant also allows diners to customise their pasta or risotto. You can choose your preferred carb, sauce (tomato, aglio olio, truffle cream, black ink), and ingredient (crayfish, vongole, uni, scallops, chicken breast, duck breast, vegetables). If you find it tough to make a choice, the recommended combinations include truffle cream risotto and linguine aglio olio with clams.
Sweet bonus
One of the most outstanding things about House of MU is that it has an in-house pastry chef — a rarity in most casual dining restaurants. Besides dinner and drinks, it provides an all-day service that includes coffee, pastries and light lunches. The availability of free Wi-Fi and a kids’ menu also makes MU a welcoming space for families and people who wish to work remotely.
Chef Pang Ji Shuang produces daily bakes such as Oreo Chocolate Cake and New York Cheesecake, but the most impressive is the basket of homemade breads that is for starters. The aroma and the impeccable balance of chewiness and crunch will make anyone fall in love with it immediately. Every bite was a delight.
For the perfect Instagram shot, a must-try is the Signature Dessert Platter, which consists of different elements and textures such as fresh raspberry granita, chocolate and banana mud pie, peanut butter popsicle, and caramelised bananas. The best part is that the platter is customisable — you can order according to your preferences, and for special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries.
Hold your drink
Those who appreciate wine will find a friend in co-owner Suzanna. A Master of Wine student, she is constantly sourcing for wines that offer interesting experiences for her guests. The Chevalier de Lascombes, for example, is more affordable than its first growths such as the famous Chateau Margaux, but offers similar terroir characteristics and quality.
House of MU’s bar boasts a well procured and growing collection of gin from around the world, including the Bathtub Gin (UK), Gunroom Gin (Sweden), Drumshanbo Irish Gunpowder Gin and Sacred Gin (UK). These can be enjoyed with a FeverTree tonic, or as a cocktail prepared by the bartender, who previously worked at the Joël Robuchon Restaurant and was a finalist in many leading cocktail competitions.
House of MU’s bar boasts a well procured and growing collection of gin from around the world, including the Bathtub Gin (UK), Gunroom Gin (Sweden), Drumshanbo Irish Gunpowder Gin and Sacred Gin (UK). These can be enjoyed with a FeverTree tonic, or as a cocktail prepared by the bartender, who previously worked at the Joël Robuchon Restaurant and was a finalist in many leading cocktail competitions.
