Muze- ic
Give in to the Muze, the newly opened live music room in souk al Bahar
don’t know a single soul who doesn’t appreciate a good beat. And while quite a few UAE eateries offer a live music experience, establishments that base their entire operation on snazzy entertainment are still pretty rare. Enter Muze, the live music lounge, which opened at Souk al Bahar last December; one step in and you know your evening is going to be made.
My dinner date and I walked in on a busy Friday night — recently made their Jazz Night due to popular demand — to find the place rather packed ( reservations are a must here). That isn’t the only thing we noticed. Everything about Muze screams a love for music, from the tasteful collage of musicians’ portraits on the wall to the quotes on music than run underneath them. The place is dimly lit, but polished. Classy, without being exuberant. And if that’s not enough, the layout is designed so every seat gets a decent glimpse of the stage, which has the words ‘ live music lounge’ stamped across it, and which glow in vintage lightbulb text. Very jazzy.
At 9.30pm sharp, Dubai- based jazz singer Rouba took the stage along with her band, and the place was transformed as she belted out her soulful notes. Don’t be surprised to find people standing up to sing along or even dance. It’s all part of the Muze experience.
That’s when we faced a bit of a conundrum. The music was
went from Lauryn Hill to Tina Turner, and Rouba’s enthusiasm is just infectious. Younger crowds don’t need to fret, either — there are more modern beats thrown into the mix, as the night wears on. We got to listen to jazz renditions of Beyonce’s Crazy in Love and Clean Bandit’s Rather Be as we pondered our mains.
With only two options on the menu — the Grilled Salmon and the Australian Angus Beef Tenderloin — we didn’t have to ponder too long. While I loved the chunky mashed potato and grilled zucchini that came with my salmon, the fish itself was more chewy than flaky. Not quite my cup of tea. My companion had his steak well done, and while he appreciated the charred, smoky flavour, the meat was a tad chewy there too. There was only one option for dessert — a slice of Tres Leches cake — and, since we were feeling rather full at this point, we eschewed it. Instead, we decided to kick back and get into the groove.
Muze is still playing around with its schedule. For now, they have Blues night with Dejavoodoo every Sunday, Levant Night every Wednesday, Cassette Night on Thursdays and, of course, Jazz Night on Friday. They’ll be adding more events in the days to come, I’m told. But, for now, music connoisseurs in the UAE have a fine place to relax and soak in some tunes. It’s just plain good for the soul.
janice@ khaleejtimes. com
Method
Whisk almond flour, almond butter, banana, egg, vanilla, cinnamon, and baking powder together in a bowl until batter is smooth.
Cook batter in large spoonfuls on a non- stick pan at medium high. Cook until bubbles form ( 3- 4 minutes), then flip and cook until browned on the other side.
Serve with melted dark chocolate and chopped almonds.