Mua review: Music, eclectic decor match the food by Nicholas Boer

The sweet and airy kabocha squash tempura with the Rialto cocktail at Mua. photo by John Storey

Diners enjoy the setting at Mua restaurant in Oakland, which has an unusual decor and sometimes booming music. photo by John Storey

Sitting at the end of a bar (there are three) alongside a bronze bust with a female mannequin’s leg coming out of its head, it occurs to me that Mua may have never felt so serene. On this rainy Thursday afternoon, this former nightclub, now a full-service restaurant, is clocking in at 65 decibels. It was cracking into the 90s when I checked my sound meter the previous Friday evening.

We had been encouraged by our dinner waitress – wearing a “Misfits” T-shirt – to come in for the green bean sandwich ($10). She feigned ecstasy recalling its ingredients. We’re digging the well-crusted, but still light fried calamari and hot peppers ($8) as well as a squishy-crunchy po’ boy stuffed with soft-shell crab and coleslaw ($12).

Read more: