[CLOSED as of February 28, 2007; Review kept here for nostalgic reasons; there is another branch at Nishi-Ogikubo, but I have not yet tried that location.]
When the "Achar" (pickled vegetables) we ordered as appetizer tasted very much like how Singaporean/Malayisan/Indonesian achar (or "acar") should be, I knew that either the owner and/or the cook must have come from that region. And with that, I found a new eatery that served delicious and authentic Singapore and Malaysian food. On this first visit,
my partner and I tried three main entrées and one dessert: the Hainanese Chicken Rice (steamed chicken), the Nasi Goreng (fried rice), Roti Prata with Malay Chicken Curry dip, and the Pulot Hitam.
Out of all those, only the Nasi Goreng did not taste as great as it could be. The Hainanese Chicken was perfectly steamed and lain on ginger scented rice with three accompanying spices: soy sauce, sambal (chilli sauce), and finely minced ginger. The Roti Prata had a generous serving of two medium sized flat bread and two accompanying ramekins: one filled with the Malay Chicken Curry, and the other, with more Achar (the Nasi Goreng was also accompanied by Achar, so avoid ordering Achar as your appetizer if you are going to order the Nasi Goreng and/or the Malay Chicken Curry Roti Prata).
The dessert, Pulot Hitam, was also something that was available in Indonesia, but the restaurant's version was bland (it was supposed to be very sweet; or at least that is the Indonesian version). In other Singaporean/Malaysian eateries I had been (outside of Japan), the Pulot Hitam had always been sweeter than this.
Service was swift and efficient, and the wait staff were all very friendly and helpful. We learned from one of them that the cook was Malaysian. That explained why the food was authentic.
And if you are looking for a non-smoking restaurant, this one is for you. On the front door hanged the universal sign of no-smoking. There was outdoor seating: I saw two tables outside, but I was not sure if smoking was permitted outside. You may inquire within.
[Updated Review: April 16, 2006]
Tonight would be the third time that we ate here, and we are still very satisfied. The restaurant has finally come up with a full-fledged English menu. I talked to the owner, a Japanese lady by the name Shiozaki Yoshino, and met the cook who came from Malaysia, Lim. The latter offered to cook entrées not listed in the menu, as long as I would inform him ahead of the time; he mentioned dishes like the Beef Rendang, Asam Ikan, and Penang Laksa. I immediately thought of Mie Siam, Asam Udang and Sambal Ladyfinger! How very generous of him to offer.
[Updated Review: November 2, 2006]
Only a week ago I still chatted with Lim, but tonight Bloompy found out that Lim no longer worked there. The current chef is Japanese. I only hope that Lim was not booted out after he had shared all his knowledge and skills with the current chef and cook. I also hope that the taste remains faithful to the traditional Singaporean/Malaysian flavor; otherwise, I will chalk this up to the death of another great Singaporean/Malaysian restaurant. I will update this review as soon as I eat there again.
Bloompy remains anonymous and does not do a quid-pro-quo review. Bloompy maintains an independent and anonymous review.
[Updated Review: April 5, 2007]
Well, now I can really chalk this up to the death of a great Singaporean/Malaysian restaurant. As of February 28, 2007, Mu Hung had closed! Aaaargh!
Mu Hung
5-2-39 Minami Azabu, 1st Floor
Tokyo 106-0047
Japan
Tel: +81-3-5789-0177
Fax: +81-3-5789-0178
Lunch: 11:00-15:00
Dinner: 17:00 - 23:00 (Last Order: 22:30)
Closed Tuesdays
