With more than half a decade of experience under his belt, chef Saito Chau has steadily made his way around the kitchens of several of the city’s Chinese hotspots, including Dim Sum Library, Hutong, and Chinesology. The veteran chef now fronts Mue Mue, a contemporary Thai restaurant at Mira Place where he introduces his own brand of Chinese oomph to authentic dishes from the Land of Smiles.
Mue Mue’s one-page à-la-carte menu gets right to the point, eschewing the often bible-like menus on offer at other Thai eateries around town. It’s divided into sections including appetisers, salads, skewers, and curries, with a handful of dishes listed under each.
However, we recommend choosing one of the various group set menus on offer, which are seriously good bang for the buck; we tried the set menu for four (HKD1,688), a gut-busting spread of 10 dishes (we were so full towards the end of the meal that we cancelled the pineapple fried rice, which was one carb past our limit).
Chef Saito does a commendable job fusing subtle Chinese elements into the dishes on the menu, none more so than the spired roasted crispy chicken, which marries hand-shredded Chinese-style crispy chicken, golden-skinned and juicy, with the hot and sour flavours of tom yum: lemongrass, galangal, and lime leaf. Instead of rice, the chicken sits atop a bed of slippery rice noodles, soaking up the delectable flavours.
With the beetroot-infused deep-fried tofu, this familiar Chinese tofu recipe is given a creative twist with its striking red coating of powdered beetroot, lending a sweet earthiness. This dish is always a firm favourite for its complementary soft and silky interior and deep-fried exterior.
Then there’s our gold-star dish, an optional set menu add-on – Thai curry lobster (+HKD600), a luscious blend of bouncy and succulent lobster meat with a coconutty yellow curry sauce elevated with egg. Again, the traditional Thai side of rice is nixed, and instead, chef Saito chooses to incorporate addictively chewy Shanghai rice cakes into the mix, setting the dish apart (unfortunately, our rice cakes were missing, so we asked for them on the side). It’s also served with Chinese steamed buns, which are the perfect sauce mopper-uppers.
Next on our list of highlights is the lemongrass and lime leaf grilled fish. The white flesh of the Cambodian marble goby is well permeated with these classic Thai aromatics, contrasting with the savoury, crispy skin. Our only complaint is that we wish the chilli factor had been dialled up in the sauce, which is suitably piquant but lacking pep.
The royal Thai tom yum kung is another fusion front-runner. Both lighter and tangier than the versions of this popular Thai soup to which we’ve become accustomed, chef Saito packs his sweet tomato- and prawn-based broth with plenty of quality seafood: plump prawns, clams, mussels, and squid. A bit more coconut and chilli would have sealed the deal.
When dessert time rolled around, we thought we’d reached our limit, but we ended up licking our bowls clean. The coconut ice cream is a textural delight, loaded with a caramel-like brown sugar sauce, longan, peach gum, and toasted coconut, sweetening and refreshing the palate.
Our verdict of Mue Mue
Though we weren’t enamoured with all of Mue Mue’s fusion dishes (notably a perplexing octopus and watermelon salad), overall chef Saito’s Thai-Chinese ingredient and technique combinations left us impressed. If you go with a group and order one of the set menus, you’ll be treated to a boatload of tasty and tangy dishes at an extremely economical price point.
We’ll be back to try sprawling Mue Bar with its cool al-fresco vibes and views to match. The bar’s East-meets-West cocktails include the likes of the Spiced Lemongrass Fizz (HKD98), which sees Thai chilli-infused gin mixed with Italian vermouth, agave syrup, and lemongrass oil.
Mue Mue, Shop 302, 3/F, Mira Place, 132 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 9833 0788, book here
| Order this: one of the set menus to experience a generous assortment of the restaurant’s signature dishes, including beetroot-infused deep-fried tofu, royal Thai tom yum kung, and spired roasted crispy chicken Menu: Mue Mue menu Price for four: HKD1,688 | Atmosphere: the coconut-white exposed brick walls, lush greenery, and statement art pieces achieve a serene, modern ambience in this spacious and chilled eatery Perfect for: fans of Thai food seeking something more creative than the norm of green curry and pad thai |
This review is intended to offer an individual perspective on the dining experience and should not be considered as a definitive judgement of the restaurant’s overall quality or reputation. The views expressed in this review are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions of Foodie.
