Must Reviews | Dim Sum Bar & Chinese Restaurant

must reviews

Take a look at the reviews that we have received, we have received many reviews from various publications and visitors to Must over the years.

"Voted by toptable diners and one of the top ten restaurants under £25 in Birmingham"

"Reviewed and recommended by Square meal 2009 and the Gourmet Society"

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• MUST BAR

  We loved the new modern Oriental cuisine at the Must Bar. This extremely exclusive and luxurious bar and restaurant is a hidden gem in the heart of Birmingham.

  PRIDE Magazine - Restaurant and Food News (September 2008)

• OODLES OF NOODLES ARE CERTAINLY A MUST...

  THERE’S a wonderful air of serenity as soon as you walk into this Oriental bar and restaurant.

  The bar section is made up of clean, contemporary lines, cubed leather seats, cosy booths and open spaces, whereas the restaurant area is opulent with luxurious fabric-panelled walls. I chose to sit in the restaurant area whilst I waited for my mum to join me, but I wondered if she’d find me as it was so tucked away. The waitress told me not to worry and said she would keep an eye open for her and soon whisked her in.

  We settled ourselves in with a pot of silver-tipped white tea (£3.25), which was calming and refreshing. We loved the ceremony of the little cups and the fact the waitress kept coming and replenishing both our cups and the pot. The restaurant has launched a new menu boasting delights such as Japanese dumpling, butterfly squid and king prawn birds nests. I chose a signature dish – Must Ramen (£8.50) – having loved the ramen noodle dishes I tasted when I was lucky enough to visit Tokyo. It was served as a big bowl of steaming noodles, piled high with chicken, beef, pork, king prawns and vegetables. Mum had the Sizzling Szechuan Chicken (£8.95) which literally was sizzling when it arrived at the table. She had wok-fried noodles and beansprouts to accompany it (£3). The dish was packed with flavour without being too spicy – a thoroughly moreish dish and one I’ll probably order myself next time we go.

  I left feeling very healthy, having drank cups and cups of antioxident-loaded tea and oodles of noodles and veggies. The total bill came to just over £25 including a tip which we were happy to pay as the staff were so friendly and helpful.

  SUNDAY MERCURY - Food Review, By Zoe Chamberlain (September 7th 2008)

• FOOD AND DRINK WITH PHILIP HOLYMAN...

  Must has launched a revitalised menu brimming with informal dim sum and more elaborate options. The dim sum menu boasts 22 dishes, including the intriguing tofu fries (three dishes for £9, five for £12, eight for £16), and the comprehensive menu boasts unusual treats such as butterfly squid with a king prawn stuffing (£9.50) and fillet of beef wrapped around onoki mushrooms (£10.50).

  METROLIFE - Appetisers, By Phillip Holyman (July 9th 2008)

• AN ESQUISITE GEM IN THE HEART OF THE CITY...

  White marble flooring and comfortable booths mark out the interior of one of Birmingham's newest and most opulent bar and restaurants that's just a hop skip and a jump away from New Street and The mailbox. Must is a unique venue with the bar providing a range of drinks including fine wines, a range of champagnes and cocktails. Aside from the bar there are two very contrasting rooms: the Lounge has a light and relaxing atmosphere where drinks and bar snacks from the dim sum menu can be enjoyed, it is also available for private hire. The restaurant area is a luxurious soft panelled room based on an oriental theme with small Oriental details. In the restaurant a whole range of delights can be enjoyed that challenge the notion of traditional oriental food.

  SIXTY NINE Magazine - Bar & Restaurant News (Summer 2008)

• MUST

  Sleek, chic and cool, MUST is a fabulous new restaurant serving modern dim sum and Chinese cuisine with a contemporary twist. Having been fortunate enough to have eaten in some of the finest Chinese and fusion restaurants in Hong Kong and Shanghai, we were curious to see what this oddly-named place had to offer. The restaurant is split into two halves: one a great place to hang out with drinks enjoying the comfy leather sofas and low lighting, and the other a more traditional-style layout with brighter lighting. And the food? I have to say it really is exceptionally good. We began with a starter from the specials menu: razor clams in black bean sauce, which was fantastic, especially as I've never seen these on the menu in Birmingham before, and they're one of my favorites. My dining partner opted for seabass roll with minced prawns and fresh asparagus, which was delicious, and way too generous a portion for a skater. Our main courses were beautifully presented: succulent scallop and king prawn birds nest with noodles and beansprouts, and a truly amazing lamb shank with oriental spices that was melt-in-the-mouth perfect. We watched, drooling, as the next table to us munched their way through the MUST signature dish of king prawns, and vowed to return to have those: I've never seen prawns that big in this country! Our jealousy intensified when our neighbours' then moved onto the lobster with roasted garlic and chillies, which looked incredible, and well worth saving up for.

  Chinese cuisine restaurants don't always offer an extensive dessert menu, but the puddings we chose continental fruit flan and bread and butter pudding - were delicious, the latter being the best we've ever had. We paid £75 for two with a bottle of wine and it was worth every penny. With dim sum available in the bar, and a modem cool vibe, MUST is a must-visit. If only they could re-think that name...NP

  MIDLAND HOMES & INTERIORS - Table Talk (issue 33 - 2008)

• A Must Food Review!...

  December saw the opening of 'Must' Dim Sum Bar and Restaurant in the business district of Birmingham, the place was buzzing with the 'who's who' of the area. 'Must' kindly invited my partner, two guests and I back the next day to sample the food...

  'Must' Dim Sum Bar and Restaurant offers all the influences of Western style and design mixed with the classic taste of the Orient. The restaurant is well placed for the corporate entertainer and city dweller, providing a place to gather during and after their working day. An extensive choice of wines, cocktails, beers and champagnes accompany the food menu. The first thing you notice about Must is the décor, the aubergine walls and leather seats give a real sumtuous feel, it certainly 'removed' us from the workplace in every sense.

  For starters both couples ordered th Dim Sum Platter for two, generous and tasty it did wet our appetite for the main course of Peking Chicken, Lamb Curry, Lemon Bass and Sweet and Sour Pork. We 'mixed' and 'matched', as the Peking Chiken and Sweet and Sour Pork were definite favourites. Full of flavour, excellent portions and an enviroment that leads you to try everthing on the table meant we did just that. Whilst very tasty, I felt my dish of Lamb Curry was rather heavy for during the day, but all four agreed that we could never have enough of the Peking Chicken or Pork dish, I should point out there are lighter options on the menu.

  The business community now have a choice of where to dine in their well earned breaks... whether they will want, or be in any mood to work afterwards is another story?

  Review by Katie McPhilimey, Live 24 seven (Jan/Feb 2007)

• SUM KIND OF WONDERFUL

  Jon Perks visits a new addition to Birmingham's plethoria of eateries.

  What you name your restaurant can be so important to its success; they can easily backfire, especially in the hands of a vicious restaurant critic (The Place 2 B and Caffe Uno two examples that spring to mind - respectively renamed The Place Not 2 B and Caffe Oh No in reviews).

  So when you hear of a place called Must, alarm bells go off. The owners clearly hope it'll spawn comments like, 'you MUST go there' and it's a real -MUST' etc etc... but a bad review and its name could take on a whole new meaning.

  Happily this new Dim Sum bar and restaurant IS a must. Those of us who've been in the city for a few years will remember Must's home previously as the nightclub Tressine's (we're talking late 80s here), whilst most recently it was The Litton Tree, pub.

  You'd hardly recognise, the place now; the front bar area is a light, creamy atmosphere, with bar stools pulled up to the long counter and plenty of other seating said . The rear of the restaurant splits off into two stylish rooms; to the right a contemporary dining area, red leather, taupe walls and all, to The left, a moodier, wooden panelled sanctuary much more suited to romantic tete a tetes.

  We were in the former, the girls sat on the banquette, we boys sat in the low backed but comfy scooped armchairs. The menu is extensive almost to the point of overkill confusion; seven soups, 11 starters, a dozen meat and a dozen seafood mains, poultry and vegetarian options and then there's the dim sum menu and side dishes.

  We would still be there now trying to decide over the king prawn hotpot or the jin phung (grilled Dover sale), the Peking pork chop or Onoki beef.

  Far easier on the grey matter - and because we were all ravenous - was the set menu option. Whilst stated for six or more people, we managed to order the £25 set menu for the four of us. - And what a result.

  Westlake beef broth (a watery soup of minced beef, mushroom and coriander) was followed by the perennial favourite of crispy aromatic duck (pancakes, duck, plum sauce, shredded celery and onion). The broth was unusual but refreshing and light; the duck the great feast it always is - it's hard to go wrong with this dish but Must got the duck just right, non-fatty, flavoursome and plentiful enough pancakes for two or Three each.

  The girls sensibly stopped at two; the main course looked sizeable even before they'd brought the last two dishes stir fried chicken with cashew nuts, stir fried king prawn in satay sauce, beef in black bean sauce, sweet and sent pork (a little dry, not enough sauce) and, best of all, steamed sea bass with ginger and spring onions and Chinese green (aka broccoli) with crab meat sauce. The latter looked like a head of the vegetable drizzled in cheese, but the unusual blend of tlae green (just the right side of crisp) and the shredded seafood was a surprise delight. The fish was tender as could be, but light enough to get finished off no mean feat given the vast Quantities, coupled with sides of fried rice and noodles.

  The white flags were ready to come out, but ushered into the subdued lit room next door, we enjoyed a coffee. and the most ornate fruit board you could imagine a true work of art, the wonderfully fresh and zingy pineapple, orange etc the perfect full stop to the meal.

  A pity the restaurant wasn't busier for Saturday, but if those lucky enough to have already visited Must spread the word, that should soon change for the better.

  Jon Perks - City Living, Birmingham Post (March 2007)