SHU

Collingwood’s modern Chinese restaurant, SHU continues to please with its latest Autumn menu. Seven years on, the restaurant has continued to evolve with iterations and concepts that both excite and please the palate. Owner Shu Liu never tires – he’s a people pleaser. Produce is carefully sourced and organic where possible and this latest offering is no exception.

Step into SHU and you are transported to another world. Quirky, fun and daring is the name of the game here. Cups with printed on red lipstick stains, splashes of colour, chains and disco lighting set the scene for what is to come – truly progressive Sichuan cuisine.

As we got cosy, the aroma of Sichuan chilli and pepper from the kitchen waft through the air. Passionate owner and chef, Shu, aims to challenge taste buds by infusing his cooking with ingredients from two different worlds. And this, he most certainly does.

To start, we were delighted by a quattro of tastes: daikon roll, passionfruit tofu, heirloom cucumber and soy-poached mushrooms. We loved these array of vegan delights - Each full of flavour and would easily tempt any carnivore.

Crispy chicken lollipops topped with luxurious hot peanut butter soy sauce graced our presence next. Each meaty fried chicken morsel was crusted with a flavoursome spice mix and then perfectly fried to achieve a moreish crunchy exterior. Just yum. The crispy potato pancake with mince was similarly delicious. Comfort food at its best, we loved how the potato pancake had a beautiful crisp exterior and a melt your mouth interior.

The beetroot, young ginger and Chinese celery salad was yet another highlight - A stunning amalgamation of flavours and textures all brought together by a heady and flavoursome dressing.

Our final savoury course was yet again, delicious. Plump Queensland tiger prawn was served alongside black sticky rice. A clever take on the traditional, this dish was all about the freshness of the prawn combined with the earthiness of the rice.

The evening concluded on a sweet note with a moreish avocado cheese cake served with paradise pear and Sichuan pepper infused mango mousse. We loved the nuttiness of the avocado which added a beautiful complexity to the dessert.

SHU's latest menu is an inspiring combination of fiery Sichuan flavours and glorious Australian produce, set amidst the colourful silhouette of Collingwood. Expect to be incredibly gratified by exciting flavours alongside comfort food that will leave you satisfied.

Location: 147 Johnston Street, Collingwood

Phone: 03 9090 7878

Link: http://shurestaurant.com/