Today we’d like to introduce you to Ethan Huynh
Hi Ethan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
The name Muse comes from my daughter Ava Huynh who is the inspiration behind this restaurant concept, she is a young model and actress. As a proud father, I want to create a space that celebrates Ava’s beauty, drive, and cultural background. We hope Muse will be an inspiration and welcoming place for all the little girls with big dreams.
I am the sole owner of EAAT Restaurant Group which owns and operates both Muse Fusion+Sushi (Lakehills Plaza) and Happy Rito (Lakeline Plaza), a Vietnamese Cajun Seafood restaurant. My family is originally from Houma, LA, where I founded Zen Japanese Grill & Sushi Bar. However, a large number of my extended family lives in Austin actually, and as the city grows in recent years, Austin became the ideal place to launch EAAT Restaurant Group. So we moved here in July 2019 and have really fallen in love with this vibrant city and its welcoming community.
On April 1, 2008 upon graduating from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a bachelors in business
management, I founded Zen Japanese Grill & Sushi Bar in Houma, LA which I’m still a partner today.
Many of my extended family members are in the restaurant business, so it’s only time that I became a chef too. So I
attended Nicolls University, John Folse Culinary School in Summer of 2014, staged at BENU, a 3 Michelin star
restaurant by Chef Corey Lee in San Francisco the Summer of 2015. Then I co-Founded Me Con Bistro in SW
Austin, TX in February 2016 with my family. In the Summer of 2016, I opened Ava Street Café in Baton Rouge, LA,
and we sold the restaurant in 2019 so we can move to Austin. After two years of preparation, I opened HappyRito
Seafood in November 2021, and then Muse Fusion+Sushi in July 2022.
I included a few links to my projects below:
● https://www.225batonrouge.com/food-drink/salty-sweet-savory-flavors-awaken-senses-ava-street-cafe
● https://communityimpact.com/austin/cedar-park-leander/dining/2023/03/20/happyrito-seafood-offers-a-
vietnamese-cajun-twist-on-shellfish/
● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B08oDRy9LI
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The restaurant started from wanting to have a place for my daughter Ava because her talent and drive inspire me
everyday. We also had the pleasure of working with a local woman-owned branding studio
(@Ten19Studio) to bring the visual design and interior space of Muse to life. Great food alone is not enough
anymore, the brand and the environment are also essential for the success of a restaurant. Another challenge when
we first started was a shortage of workers due to Covid. My wife and I had to work overtime for many many months,
and we had only 4 employees when we first opened in July, 2022. Through a lot of hard work, perseverance, and the
support of our local community, we have grown to a team of more than 20 employees today.
We had to think outside of the box and adjust to the new way of succeeding in the restaurant
industry post covid.There was a shortage of workers, and consumers are reluctant to return to
physical spaces. We had to invest early on branding and interior design which helped us save on
construction cost and elevate the dining experience. With inflation, rent, food cost, labor cost, and
operating cost skyrocketing, the early days of Muse were filled with me and my family working
around the clock. We had to really roll up our sleeves and hope that the community would embrace
us and our unique offerings.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
● What are some must-try/best-seller menu items?
o OMG Roll – very unique modern roll consisting of carne asada baked with shrimp tempura,
cream cheese, and jalapenos
o Happy Roll- A roll consisting of everyone’s favorite . Fresh Salmon, BBQ Eel, cucumbers,
kanikama, thin lemon slices, crunchy, masago, unagi sauce.
o Sunshine Roll- A rare and innovative NO RICE roll consisting of kanikama, cream cheese,
jalapenos that is wrapped using CALAMARI then panko deep fried with spicy mayo.
o Ceviche and Screamin ATX salad- Fresh salads utilizing fuji apples, cucumbers, cherry
tomatoes, yuzu, an Fresh fish
o Our Wok style stir fried noodles. We offer Udon (Fat Style Noods) or Yakisoba (Ramen
style Noodles) wok stir fried using our house Zen Sauce, with mixed vegetables and protein
of choice.
o Our array of BOBA drinks, Fresh Limeades using fresh in house purees, frozen concoctions
like our MANGONADAS
The recipes and menu has been evolving since April 1, 2008. Our sauces and creations were
created all in house through the years with trial and error.
We offer a progressive approach to our concept as a fast casual/counter service hybrid Sushi Bar.
You can place your orders and pay from the front counter or at your table using a QR code.
Our price is UNMATCHED for the quality of food, the variety of menu items, and the service we
provide. We truly believe that Muse is one of the most underrated new Sushi restaurants in south
Austin. Our restaurant is small but mighty. Because of the limited space, our menu items are also
available for take out with online ordering, and delivery with Uber & Doordash.
I had been working in the kitchen since I was 12, and I believe food can be a true artistic
expression of the maker. I love focusing on detail, flavor, pairing, and presentation to create
something unique, and my wish is that our customers will always experience our care and
commitment through our food. We also want to adapt to the needs of our customers during challenging times, so we offer dine in, take out, and delivery options. We designed our system to bring you the highest quality sushi at anaffordable price with the most convenience. We are family owned and operated, and we only source the freshest ingredients and seafoods. We want Muse to be a go-to place for quality sushi that doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg.
● What month/year did the business first open?
o Muse officially opened July 6, 2022
● What is the business physical address?
o 4211 South Lamar BLVD. Suite A3 Austin, TX 78704 (Lakehills Plaza- Next to Target on Ben
White)
What are your plans for the future?
Our Future plans are to open more units in Austin and then head south to San Antonio. I am also working on a concept to incorporate Muse Fusion + Sushi and our other popular seafood concept, Happyrito Seafood into a larger space with full service anywhere between north central Austin to down south Austin.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.musefusionsushiatx.com
- Instagram: @musefusionsushi
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/muse-fusion-sushi-austin
- Other: https://order.toasttab.com/online/muse
Image Credits
Picture Credits: Stacy Kenyon
