![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Modern, hip and funky on a pretty ordinary part of Johnston St in Collingwood, this semi-industrial joint has surpassed expectations and survived for several years now. It's also something unexpected in that (I believe a mistake) the kitchen is at the front this hiding a large part of the dining area. I've walked past many times and thought the place to be empty and therefore struggling - only to find on our first experience there's quite a large dining room 'round the corner' so to speak and hidden from view.
There were 4 of us and went for the 10 course degustation meal. Welcomed by Shu himself and introduced to the staff, it was a tremendous start and even before we sat, the menu - Sichuan and therefore quite spicy - was being explained.
The food throughout was light and delectable - there was never any chance of overeating as some of the course were little more than bite size. It was about he delicacy of texture, taste and experience.
Scallop sashimi, silken tofu, and an Asian vegetable herb roll (Daikon & shimeji herb garden) first off served on a wooden platter. The beetroot infused tofu was extraordinary as was the herb roll - both very fresh. Admittedly I've never been a great fan of scallops, so these left me cold in terms of response.
Next up was the potato pancake with mushrooms & burnt chilli mayo (possibly the highlight of the meal), swimmer crab & chive pocket with viet-gan fish sauce (very odd and not liked by many people at the table - strange unidentifiable flavour likely to be the fish sauce) and crispy fried chicken drumsticks.
Gorgeous pork wantons then followed by pork neck with sticky black rice & ginger mash. Salad was served to accompany the two mains (contained an extraordinary spinach jelly).
Final course - vegan passionfruit cheesecake actually served in one half of a passion fruit. Yum.
All in all an extraordinary experience - although I have one significant criticism. Whilst aware that Sichuan is a spicy experience, desperately needed a break from all the chilli flavours. It just built and built to the point where it became quite difficult to differentiate. Ironically the salad, served I assumed as a palate cleanser, was the hottest of them all! Individually, all the dishes were quite extraordinary but I personally would have enjoyed the whole meal so much more if there had been one palate cleanser in there in the middle.
But will be back to try out the rest of the menu.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
I was so lucky to have the opportunity to experience Shu’s famous 10 course degustation the other night, and it left me so impressed!
Upon arrival, Shu himself came to greet us and led us to our table. The venue was incredible - it’s modern, hip and funky, with an industrial vibe.
We started off with 3 bite-sized courses - scallops, silken tofu, and an Asian herb roll. The scallop sashimi was sweet and refreshing. The tofu, coloured pink by beetroot, was so unique! I’ve never seen tofu dyed a different colour before, and the texture was so silky and smooth. The herb roll reminded me almost of a sushi - again very fresh and flavourful.
We then had the sticky rice bun and potato pancake. The bun reminded me of something I’d eat as a child, and I really loved the chewy texture of the bun itself. The potato pancake was one of my favourite dishes (and it’s vegan too!) - the pancake was crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy inside, and I loved the spicy sauce drizzled on top.
The green slaw was such a unique dish! It was very refreshing and light, and the spinach jelly was actually very yummy.
The vegetable wrap was delightful. I loved the variety of ingredients in it - the cashews added a nice crunch and the banana added a lovely sweetness and creamy texture. The wrapper was thin and soft.
The pork dumplings were another one of my favourites. I loved the tahini dressing which was sweet, spicy, tangy and just delicious!
The savouries ended with the tiger prawn & black noodles dish. The prawn was nice and charred, and had a nice sweetness to it.
Finally, for dessert, we had the vegan passionfruit cheesecake, which was served in half a passionfruit. I loved the fresh passionfruit pulp and seeds which added a nice tartness, and crunch from the seeds. I just wish there was more of it!
Overall, I had an incredible experience at Shu Restaurant. The owner, Shu, is incredibly creative in designing both the menu and the venue, as well as a super friendly person.
I would highly recommend checking out this restaurant!
It was overall a rather interesting take on Modern Asian Fusion. Within our 10-course degustation, the quality of produce was clearly of utmost importance, all creatively executed to creative unconventional combinations and memorable flavours.
Our only gripes? The small serving sizes, which was to be expected, and the rather tardy service.
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