A surprisingly well priced restaurant in Knightsbridge, MU makes for a good place for a night out on a budget.

The Venue
MU Restaurant is located in the Millennium Hotel Knightsbridge, a four star hotel right around the corner from Harrods on a street that’s flecked with designer names, from Gucci to Fendi to Chanel. There’s a ground floor cafe and bar, called Tangerine, but to get to MU you ascend a white staircase that twists back and forth for a few levels before depositing you on the mezzanine. MU wraps around the outside in a large square, leaving an interesting view of empty space and the continuing staircase. Elsewhere, decor is attractive but not offensive, with a handful of colourful pieces of art and red leather seating.

The Atmosphere
MU seems to have a large amount of hotel guests – they’re the ones who come down the stairs rather than up – with a few tourists lugging Harrods shopping bags as well, as can be expected considering its location. Many of the clientele seem to be regulars, saying goodbye to the staff with a chirpy ‘Lovely as always!’ Perhaps the best part of the atmosphere is that it feels quite laid back despite its location, with diners wearing jeans and flip flops treated as equally as those in suits and cocktail dresses. For more of an intimate evening there are a few corner booths kitted out with plush sofas and pillows.

The Food
Formerly a French restaurant, MU has recently changed their menu to serve Asian tapas, the idea being that you order two to three dishes each, plus dessert. The menu is generically Asian and Oriental – sushi and tempura sit side by side with satay and spring rolls. The surprising side of the menu, however, is the price, with dishes astonishingly low for Knightsbridge. With many dishes priced at £5 or £6, you can get a full meal for about £20 – practically unheard of in this neighbourhood.

Salted edamame (£3) is a generous portion with plump and fresh beans. Their assorted sushi platter is a very well priced dish at £6 and you can’t fault the size or the freshness, but it seems like either a very avant-garde or a very confused way of serving sushi. The rice itself is rolled, maki-style, in a wrapping of seaweed, but a square of the fish (tuna, salmon, scallop or the veggie-friendly avocado) is placed on top, nigiri-style. This unfortunately makes the rice a bit stodgy in comparison to the light flavours of the fish.

Salt and pepper squid (£5.50), however, is the perfect consistency, thick but not too tough, with a light flaky batter and a side dish of sweet chilli sauce, which is surprisingly thin and sugary. Chicken foie gras dumplings (£7.50) are dense and rib-sticking, filled with a minced chicken and topped with truffle vinaigrette. Although there’s no discernable foie gras flavour, the truffle oil is powerfully earthy and a good match to the filling. Vegetable spring rolls (£5) are large and crisp, with none of the oiliness you usually get with the dish. A side of sweet chilli sauce – the same that comes with the squid – is nice and light at first, but gets a bit too sugary when you’re at the last spring roll.

Prawn satay (at £9, the most expensive of the tapas-style options) has the welcome inclusion of tiny fresh oysters on each of the large prawns – they’re massive enough that you need at least three bites to finish one off. Teriyaki beef salad (£8) is a highlight, with properly cooked medium-rare beef glazed in a tangy teriyaki sauce and accompanied by crisp, fresh lettuce leaves. Overall, portions are large and definitely value for money. Each dish is topped with a sliver of red chilli and spring of parsley, which, whilst nice and colourful, seems a bit overkill when it appears on every single plate.

Desserts at MU Restaurant are a real highlight, more creative than the traditional Asian options on the main menu. Crushed strawberries (£4.50) are served in a martini glass, layered with a wobbly, creamy, coconut panna cotta, whilst the poached cinnamon and cardamom peaches (£4.50) are simple but well done, with a nice depth of flavour. Chocolate fondant cake (£5), served on a long, thin plate with wisps of melted chocolate, has a rich, gooey centre. The accompanying raspberry and chilli ice cream is a two-pronged attack of flavours, with the sweetness of the raspberry followed by the sharp heat of the chilli.

The Drink
Cocktails are priced between £7 and £8.50 and include a list of traditional, classic choices. One interesting option is that you can build your own martini, choosing from a list of bases and then adding different types of vodka or gin – something that should be commonplace but is usually taken for granted when there’s a cocktail list on the table. Wines start from £3.65 per glass, £6.70 per 250ml and £18.15 a bottle, with the most expensive coming in at about £30. Most choices are available by the glass as well, including the San Rafael Sauvignon Blanc (£4.65, £8.50, £23), which is a light, clear wine that matches well to the seafood options.

The Last Word
Whilst MU Restaurant isn’t exactly revolutionising Asian cuisine – avant-garde sushi aside – it’s still a good way to experience Knightsbridge without paying extortionate prices for food and drink.

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