There’s no getting around the fact that dining at Mujo, the Castellucci Hospitality Group’s temple of sushi, is very expensive.
The 15-course omakase dinner (chef’s choice) costs $225 per person, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. On our first visit, a meal for two that included three supplemental dishes and two cocktails apiece cost just over $800 after tax and tip.
What you get is a dining experience where the food and service wrap you in a bubble of luxury, and it feels like the pleasure of your small dinner party is the only thing that matters.
Credit: Andrew Thomas Lee
Credit: Andrew Thomas Lee
Chef-partner J. Trent Harris and sushi chef Gusan Jang produce dishes that are spectacular, in large part, because of their extremely brief lifespan. The poached onsen egg with tempura kabocha squash and dashi broth, for example, would devolve into a mess if not eaten immediately. In seconds, the crunchy tempura would soften, the silken egg yolk would solidify, and you would miss out on several perfect bites of blissful, warming wintry flavors.
The same goes for another warm course, grouper with charred cabbage, called hata shioyaki. The grouper falls into large, tender flakes at the lightest touch of your chopsticks, with a flavor as clean and sweet as scallops.
Meals typically start with three warm courses, followed by 12 bites of sushi. As the service staff explained, each bite of nigiri should be eaten immediately, with your hands, at the moment Jang places it in front of you.
The quality of the ingredients shines in the simple fish preparations, as the pieces progress from lighter to heavier flavors. Otoro, or fatty bluefin tuna, melts on the tongue. Kamasu, or Japanese barracuda, is lightly charred, for a smoky richness. Unctuous uni, or sea urchin, is as deeply flavored and complex as foie gras.
Real, highly perishable wasabi is employed when a dish calls for a bit of heat, and even the cubes of pickled ginger are delicious.
The menu changes daily, based on what ingredients are available and fresh.
While the food alone would make for a delightful meal, it’s the rest of the experience that separates Mujo. The restaurant opened a year ago, and reservations have been booked solidly. When we visited in January, the service staff, led by manager Katy Reese, exuded an air of calm confidence and good cheer, an especially good combination for providing great hospitality.
Credit: Andrew Thomas Lee
Credit: Andrew Thomas Lee
The servers present themselves as experts, who guide the diner on a journey, rather than staffers taking orders. Each dish and drink pairing has a distinct provenance that is explained efficiently — a necessary step, because nearly every component of the meal is special in some way.
The beverage pairings are available in two levels, for an extra $95 or $165. The less expensive drinks (all things being relative) include a mix of interesting wines and sakes, usually hard-to-find bottles from small producers. Our pairing also included a mid-meal mini cocktail — an adonis, a low-alcohol classic from the 19th century. The more expensive pairing features better-known bottles and brands.
Mujo’s windowless dining room has black walls and is hidden from the front door by a dark, heavy curtain, with lights focusing all attention on the blond-wood dining counter and open kitchen space. Diners are seated at counter height, just about at eye level with the restaurant’s chefs and service staff.
The music at Mujo lends itself to a more casual vibe. The playlist often features uncensored rap by artists from Atlanta, reminding diners what city they’re in.
A huge amount of unseen work is required to keep Mujo operating at the level it does. For ingredients, Harris said he is in constant contact with his fish purveyors in Japan, as they scour the markets for the seafood he requests. Though the restaurant is open just four nights a week, the full staff works five days, spending an entire day preparing for a new week of service.
Credit: Andrew Thomas Lee
Credit: Andrew Thomas Lee
Potential diners must decide for themselves whether Mujo is worth the cost, but, when you think about the chef staying in constant contact with his seafood merchants in Japan, or a sommelier sanding down the table until a wine stain disappears, it’s hard to say they don’t earn the money they command.
Still, this is a special restaurant for rare occasions, not the type of place for regular dinners. And, when you leave the bubble and step back into the real world, still buzzing from the spectacle that is dinner at Mujo, the meal’s cost will be the last thing on your mind.
MUJO
4 of 4 stars (extraordinary)
Food: sushi omakase
Service: excellent
Recommended dishes: menu changes daily, but plan to add some of the supplemental dishes offered
Vegetarian dishes: the restaurant does not accommodate vegetarian diets
Alcohol: full bar
Price range: $$$$$
Hours: 5:30-9:30 p.m., Wednesdays-Saturdays
Parking: valet available in parking deck
MARTA station: none
Reservations: required
Outdoor dining: none
Takeout: none
Address, phone: 691 14th St., Atlanta. 404-400-6832
Website: mujoatl.com
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