Muju Restaurant & Lounge

Info: Muju Restaurant & Lounge is located at the Dragon Hotel & Resort in Amwaj. They serve assorted Asian foods for the most part, as well as some Italian dishes. For more information visit www.mujuamwaj.com

Service:
Our drinks arrived 10 minutes after ordering everything. This is one of the first aspects that Muju needs to concentrate on improving if they want to build a reputable name. Considering the fact that it has only been open for three months, some mistakes were expected. 10 minutes after that, we got some bread with the usual butter and olive paste. 10 minutes after that, we finally got our food. Their timing is hardly impressive, but there's always room for improvement. The facilities available at Muju were, as expected, of a very high standard. The chairs were quite comfortable, the tables weren't crammed together, and the restrooms were well taken care of. The staff were very very considerate, and our waitress was very concerned with our comfort, and made sure to ask about our satisfaction with the meal and whether it was our first time eating there.
3.5/5

Presentation:
Our meals weren't cold by any means, but they were not satisfactorily heated. Even if it means sticking the food in the microwave, it is a rule of thumb to serve food steaming hot. Even though some of the food didn't taste as good as it looked, we're glad to report that it looked quite nice. Someone payed special attention to giving all the dishes a unique aesthetic appeal, and we noticed and appreciated that. The food smelled alright, but since it wasn't very hot, it didn't emit a lot of aroma (yet another reason backing up the importance of heating). As previously mentioned, Muju had only opened up for three months now. All the facilities were sparkling clean, and some very meticulous attention has been given to preserving the cleanliness of the restaurant.
3.5/5

Atmosphere:
Muju serves mostly Asian food, and has a very attractive, stream-lined, modern, simple look that compliments the served cuisine perfectly. Everything from the art work to the tables to the full-glass walls added wonderfully to the atmosphere. As you might have heard from the Muju's advert on Radio Bahrain, the music in the lounge was mixed by reputable lounge DJs. The music was very serene, and again, added greatly to an already amazing atmosphere. The Italian dishes seemed to be rather protruding when compared to the majority of Asian dishes, but diversity is always welcomed. Even though there's nothing especially innovative when it comes to the atmosphere created in Muju, what it already has is near-perfect.
4.5/5

Food:
The menu at Muju supposedly caters for "the most discerning of tastes", but this was not apparent from the choices available in the menu. Even though the dishes available were from a wide range of locales, the actual number of dishes was disappointingly limited. The dishes ordered were: Risotto Porcini (rice with sauce), Pollo Pepirade (chicken), Tika Masala (more chicken), Spaghetti, and Chicken Teriyaki. The only two dishes that stood out were the Risotto and the Teriyaki. The Teriyaki was cooked to perfection. The sauce complemented the chicken masterfully. The proportions of rice:sauce in the Risotto were also well-considered. Other than that, the food was very disappointing. All the food was generally bland and tasteless; the chef shouldn't be afraid to add a little spice to the food. The Spaghetti had a poignant quasi-fishy taste, even though the menu description had no mention of sea-food. The orange juice we ordered was supposedly freshly squeezed, but it doesn't take a critic to realize that that was a blatant lie, and that the juice came straight out of a box. The bread served at the beginning was freshly-baked and tasted lovely with the butter and the other sauces. However, the bread and the Teriyaki are all that can be salvaged from this wreck.
3/5

Pricing:
While the portions we received were of a respectable size, they still do not warrant the hefty price tag of about 8 BD per dish. A meal for three persons cost 50 BD. As mentioned above, the facilities were of a high standard, but still - they do not justify the pricey bill.
3/5

Overall Score: 17.5/25

Reviwer: Yazeed Al-Dugaither

Next Review

We will be conducting our next review tomorrow. It will be at the Kenny Roger's restaurant in Sanad. Due to all the work and exams we have, the post may take a week or two. Sorry for the inconvenience. Please, feel free to suggest places we can try out and review.

- Yousif Al-Said