Forget Winehouse, pan-Asian restaurant Miusan is Camden’s greatest wild child. According to, erm, Miusan itself. Billing itself as a ‘temple’ modelled on the ‘opulent 1940s opium dens of New York and Paris’, this joint’s got big ambitions. So it’s a bit of a shock when you walk in and see a disco ball. Like a full-on, primary-school-disco disco ball. Set across three floors, up top things are slightly better (think low-slung chairs and a Buddha statue), but overall, the look’s a bit more pleather than transatlantic pleasure palace.
The food, too, is disappointing. Juicy scallops in soy ginger and honey offered the only delicate flavour – every other dish I sampled was glutinous and over-fried. Worst of all was a horribly sweet salmon sambal. It might take a hit of opium to wipe that from my memory.
The staff were charming, though, and Miusan might do the job if you’re looking for a sit-down equivalent to a quick and dirty takeaway. But you can – and should – do better in this area.