Travelling all the way to Preston on a weeknight is not really my idea of a fun evening, however I had been hankering for a good steak for some time and if I had to go all the way to Preston to get it than so be it. Worth the risk I thought. Not only that, but it had been some time since my dad and I had indulged in an FD day (Father-daughter) and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to spend an evening together, seeing as I’ve been so busy over the last few months.
The minute the clock ticked 5, I was off straight onto the motorway and within the hour I was back amongst the familiar landscapes of Lancashire, ready to tackle an evening at Mumu steakhouse.
We walked in, earlier than our booking, but luckily the restaurant was empty so we were shown straight to our table. Table of choice as it happens, as there was no one else to compete with. It’s always a bit unnerving to enter a restaurant and be the only ones there, but I knew it wasn’t quite dinner time yet and it wasn’t long before the crowds started piling in.
The first thing you’ll notice is although there is good looking bar to the right as you enter, not a drop of booze is visible. Everything here is non alcoholic, juices, milkshakes and a selection of mocktails for those wanting something a tad more interesting. All the meat here is halal and it’s good to know that it’s also locally sourced too.
The menu has a great selection – but not too much. A lot of similar restaurants tend to go OTT with their menu and it really dilutes the quality of the dishes. The menu clearly explained the different steak cuts, a big help for anyone unsure (my dad still felt the need to explain it to me anyway).
After giving our drinks order, I asked our waiter, Mani, for his recommendations. The burger, rib-eye steak and chicken wings were his top tips. Funnily enough, that was pretty much what I had in mind anyway, I tweaked my order ever so slightly to correspond with the sauces he recommended.
Our starter, chicken wings in buffalo sauce landed, I immediately gasped at the portion size. Wow there were six wings on our tray, all a pretty decent size. Best plan of action was going to be to taste a few and take the rest home. We had both ordered a big main to get through so we had to be sensible.
Turns out, it just wasn’t possible. The moment I sunk my teeth into that first piece of chicken, I was hooked. That buffalo slightly spicy sauce was delicious. Both of us just didn’t stop. My dad’s not one for a large appetite and he’s not usually a big fan of chicken either, but this starter really went down a treat. It was only a starter, but I would certainly return just for this, bring the rest of the family too.
Needless to say, we finished the lot. As much as I love Mo, there was no way any of that chicken was making it home that night. Mani popped up almost on cue with a warm bowl of lemon water as we obviously hadn’t even bothered with the niceties of cutlery, we’d decided to go traditional and picked our wings apart by hand. the cleansing bowl meant we could simply remain where we were and await our next dish without having to get up and wash our hands.
Our energy levels lifted a notch, as we excitedly waited for our mains. The starter was impressive and we hoped it bode well for the what was to follow. Pretty soon we were lost in our usual weird and wonderful conversations, my dad educating me on the importance of good quality socks (bizarre I know, but my dad assures me it is an important topic).
Another great thing about this restaurant, the open plan kitchen, visible as soon as you walk in. It was so clean! When you’re dealing with meat, grills, sticky sauces… it was nice to see such a clear kitchen workspace. and there were no issues with intense smells or smoke (very unlike how it would have been had I been cooking in my own kitchen). The standard of the whole restaurant was very impressive. The music wasn’t blaring, allowing us to have this very serious ‘socks’ conversation without having to shout over background noise.
Just as my dad was getting into the nitty gritty details of how he had scoped out the appointed sock-maker for the Queen in his quest for perfect pair of socks, I was saved by the arrival of our hefty mains.
I had chosen the famous homemade 6oz burger with smoked cheese and shoe string fried onions and portion of sweet potato fries. My dad, the 11oz rib-eye with secret Mumu sauce and hand cut fries.
Ultimate test, was it how we requested? Yes it was! Both were medium rare, perfect. You know what, when it comes to halal steak restaurants, getting the meat exactly how you ask is pretty much most of the battle. It was refreshing to finally have somewhere that got it just right first time.
With the burger, a handmade patty is always going to win my heart, this one was beautifully topped with caramelised string onions and the salsa was a fab addition. There was a special offer that month, free milkshake with every burger meal and it made for a great accompaniment.
Alas we were faced once again with the dilemma that finishing our mains would result in us being full to the brim and wouldn’t allow any room for dessert. It was a risk we decided to take. There was no way we were about to waste any of this quality meat. Dessert would simply have to wait for our next visit.
I’ve never been very complimentary to halal steak houses, everything is usually quite samey-samey. Mumu have done a fantastic job, choosing a few dishes and putting their efforts into doing them well. I’ve read further reviews since then which actually compliment the fish dishes as well as the meat ones, which is good to know.
I’ll be honest, there was a chance this experience could have gone terribly wrong as my dad is probably one of the fussiest eaters I know (not an exaggeration, dad you know its true!) but it was such a relief to see we both left behind empty plates. My dads only criticism, he could’ve done with some more mushrooms.
Mumu steakhouse was definitely the perfect venue for an overdue FD day, met all dads criteria: clean, well cooked meat and we had no other distractions.
Definitely worth the 60 mile round trip.
*** Big thanks to Mumu Steakhouse for inviting us down that evening, and to Mani and Matthew for providing us great service that night. Thanks to my dad for joining me after work and for providing me with some thought-provoking conversation 😉 As always all opinions and photographs on here are my own. The only editing once again has been brightness (it was quite dark in the restaurant). My dad and I very much look forward to returning with the rest of the family!! ***
