![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.
Melanie (ForeverBrunching)
+5
I enjoyed an amazing dinner at Shu over the weekend.
The atmosphere was very retro/funky and different in a great way. It was a massive colour explosion all over the restaurant.
The food was amazing. I really enjoyed the Sichuan fusion, especially the spice that came through in a lot of the dishes. My favourite dish was the dumplings, as well as the passionfruit dessert.
The staff were really friendly. The food came out slowly but it gave the opportunity to really enjoy each course & not feel rushed.
Highly recommend their Vegan Experimental Tuesdays! You get 5 courses for $25 - what a steal to have a party in your mouth!
My friends and I came here for my birthday and all of us raved about the food and none of us were vegan, except for 1. Definitely a great spot to bring a date to.
Service was very fast, prompt, and friendly. Had no problem splitting our bill (thank you!).
Atmosphere was fun with all the funky bdsm disco decorations ha!
Would definitely come around again for this and also to try their regular menu 😊
Also to note: Originally I thought their Tuesday was booked out for this day when I tried reserving online but it seems like they have much more flexibility if you call to reserve over the phone.
Liv (nourishinglively)
+5
Cannot rave about this place enough. Not only is the space incredible (such a great vibe) but the staff are amazing and the food is next level ! It’s honestly like nothing you will have experienced. All the food is amazingly thought out, presented and compliment the work of the chef Shu. We visited a few weeks back to try the Vegan Degustation which was truly incredible. Each course was something absolutely breathtaking & truly inspiring! The combinations were ones I wouldn’t see myself pairing but after trying the dishes work so well together. My absolute favourites were the spicy dumplings, the turmeric sticky rice buns, and the passionfruit “cheese”cakes. I highly recommend if you want to try something new and exciting. It’s the perfect place to let your tastebuds run wild and try all kinds of new things. Cannot wait to visit again, maybe for there $25 Tuesday experimental vegan night !
Visited Shu for the first time on the weekend with my partner and we both loved it!! We decided to go with the two different degustation menus, vegan option for my partner and meat option myself and they were both delicious. Staff were also super friendly and love the was the drinks were served in science beakers. Only slight drawback I found was the last few course took quite some time to come out, we were waiting 15-20 minutes for each of the last 3-4 courses. Not sure if that’s just how it usually is or as a result of them being very busy at that time. Overall loved the experience would recommend.
Came here for the vegan options and was simply blown away. Not normally a vegan eater, but was invited to try their degustation. Top quality food with great drinks to match. I'll certainly be back.
Really amazing vegan and meat options here. The decor inside is amazing and all made by the owner, Shu, which I think is so great. Experimental dishes and great drinks to match. A great experience!
Checked out their 10 course vegan degustation the other weekend, which costs $55 per person.
I loved the variety of flavour combinations with each course. Everything tasted so good! I could definitely go vegan if I could have dishes like this.
They get super busy for dinner on weekends, so definitely make a booking if you’re a bigger group!
Just wow! Easily the best vegan/vego restaurant I been in Melbourne. The variety, taste and atmosphere is amazing. Not fine dining or casual - in between.
Prices reflect the quality and portion sizes.
Amazing food! I was totally blown away with all the dishes as they were all fantastic! I think I have found my new favourite restaurant in Melbourne. Probably a bit expensive to visit every week but perfect for an special night and totally worth every cent. Staff are super friendly as well.
![5]( "Recensione")
I am a dedicated Carnivore! But this place has makes eating Vegan enjoyable.
The staff are fantastic - they care about the experience the food and most importantly about their customers.
The food is amazing. I have been a few times now and enjoyed the experimental 5 course menu. They are testing and trying things with this menu so some courses are much better than others, but they were all impressive presentations of great tasting dishes. They do time the courses to be in line with their main 10 course degustation, this means you need a few hours for the meal (We were there 2.5 hours). It did seem a little long between courses for my liking.
The drink selection is very good and they do a beverage pairing which is highly recommended. The ginger beer is especially good and don't be afraid of the price it is a large bottle that you can get three medium glasses out of.
The environment is an eclectic mix of "stuff" that means your constantly spotting something new.. many of which are great conversation starters.
Ill be back to try the main 10 course degustation!
Amazing vegan restaurant. The degustation is fantastic, so creative and tasty and well balanced. Great industrial-chic space with a surprise out the back. Highly recommended.
Flavorsome creative vegetarian sichuan cuisine. We left feeling satisfied - it was just the right balance of flavor and quantity. It was definitely not too heavy, I would recommend this to anyone wanting a small kick of spice that is constructed thoughtfully.
The food was absolutely delicious but a bit pricey for the portion size and the waitresses were very nice and friendly. I'd recommend to try.😊
Interesting vegan concept, overall delicious meal but some of the sauces were either too salty or too raw (literally raw vegetables packed together)
This vegan degustation was beautiful, interesting and challenged my taste buds. It was definitely worth the experience but personally this wasn't as satisfying as it could be.
Make a reservation
Order online
Find the best restaurant in Collingwood
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes