Originally from Thailand, siblings and business partners Obi and Kat Chaem opened their first business, Muse, in San Clemente on Oct 14, 2015.

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“We live in Lake Forest and four months ago we came down here and we liked the city, small community, the Spanish Colonial Revival architecture,” Kat said. “It’s a cozy city, and the people are so nice.”

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The restaurant was formerly Rice Temptations, a sushi and Thai establishment owned by a friend of the Chaem family. The interior décor has been completely redone. The Chaem family has owned restaurants in north Orange County for decades, but the brother and sister team wanted to venture out on their own. Kat said they’ve had about 20 years of experience altogether with their family’s business.

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“One of the definitions of ‘muse’ is about art and inspiration, so we picked that because our food is inspired by original Japanese sushi with an American twist and a little bit of spicy Thai fusion,” Kat said. Obi said he goes to the fish markets in Los Angeles just about every morning in order the best product. The restaurant’s specials change frequently. Obi said he really enjoys working with bluefin tuna.

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“We like to make the customers feel warm when they first come in,” Obi said. “We get good quality from the fish market and every dish we make is slow-cooked.”

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San Clemente Times