Start with some quirky multi-colored light installations, add Kartell Ghost chairs, throw in the key ingredients to Szechuan cuisine, insert deep dark sound waves, set into an old-converted pizzeria then have a fashionista-turned-chef erect all of that up and what do you get? Shu.
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| industrial meets playful colorful = warm atmosphere to wine and dine in! |
Upon approaching Shu, my eyes gaze upon a jigsaw tower of perspex chairs in the window display, colored lights shining through. Typical Melbourne style, the entrance is not through the front but we are diverted down the side of a dark alley. Pushing against a door that i am unsure of that is a kitchen back door or store room, we indeed step into the restaurant that is Shu. Inside, contemporary heaven. My eyes diverted from left to right, up and down, back corner, kitchen, front window. The mix of contemporary furniture through to light installations with unique decor pieces such as old vices, vespas and vintage Gucci tables set in a very industrial 'stripped-bare' room creates an eclectic feel to this fusion Szechuan restaurant.
Beyond the amazing out-fittings of this restaurant (with particular note to the coat-hanger light feature and the spoons light feature of which Shu made himself - true art!), the food is divine.
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| The back room which serves as an art gallery for up and coming artists needing a space to exhibit as well as Shu's own wall creations, made out of coat hangers (yes! now i know what to do with those annoying metal hangers that come from the drycleaners!!) :) |
Shu offers a set menu of $45 pp where he will choose for you two starts, two appetizers/entrees and 2 mains. With my posse of diners, we decided to go with the daikon rolls, the egg dumplings for starters (beautiful presented particularly the daikon rolls - i felt like i was eating a mini pot-plant).
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| Egg dumplings and Daikon Rolls. |
We then moved to our entrees of the broad beans in szechuan chillis and duck breast. Beautifully presented, the simplicity of the broad beans dish was still full of punch and flavour. The duck is marinated in a beautiful sticky sauce garnished with ginger.
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| scrumptious broad beans..cooked to perfection. |
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| duck breast dish |
Of course as we're eating, we've got a projector screened onto the white-washed walls of images and docos/movies which Shu has finely selected to accompany with the deep-dark music in the background, complimenting the atmosphere of the industrial room.
Our mains included the pork belly, the eye fillet and organic chicken (Shu's take on Kung Pao Chicken). All three dishes in my eyes are flavoursome but our posse all agreed on the fact that the organic chicken was by far the best dish of the night.
To finish off, we tried Shu's dessert of poached pears in white wine and red wine sauce garnished with flowers... This will be available on Shu's new menu which he is going to change in the next month.
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| dessert - perfectly in half! white wine and red wine (the white wine is more potent ;) ) |
A left-field choice of wines are ready for selection to accompany the meal (ranging from wines of Spain, Australia, NZ, France, and Italy). We chose the Barossa Valley's Mother's Milk Shiraz for our night (purely on the basis of the crazy name and then the comical bottle label) - a fine red may i say though.
Dishes average between $25-$35 and mains are made to share.
Shu is open every day except Tuesdays. Address: 147 Johnston St, Collingwood.
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| the most fabulous outfittings - chic- modern meets industrial |
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| Absolutely LOVE Shu's creativity - simply done by having a paper mache balloon and sticking all the plastic spoons together, then popping the balloon! GENIUS! |
I loved eating at Shu. The simplicity of the food set in a contemporary industrial artistic setting with emphasis on lighting, finer details and unique decor makes the eating experience not only memorable but leaves you craving to come back again. It's like eating in a moving art gallery. Now, if only you opened one like this in Sydney Shu :)
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| with the lovely Shu himself :) Love your work Shu!!! |
