Shu Restaurant
147 Johnston Street, Collingwood
03 9090 7878
Vegan
$$$$$
Food
- Daikon roll of Asian herbs, shimeji mushrooms
- Silken tofu soaked in beetroot juice, beetroot cashew cheese and home made pickles
- Scallop sashimi in green chilli salsa and passion fruit, finger lime
- Potato pancake with Asian mushrooms, burnt chilli mayonnaise
- Steamed pork wonton with spicy tahini cream
- Turmeric sticky rice bun with preserved mustard greens
- Spinach jelly salad, roasted nuts and Sichuan pepper infused soy sauce
- Protein wrap with nashi pear chilli jam
- Grilled Queensland jumbo tiger prawn on charcoal noodles, black sesame cream
- Passion fruit cheese cake
The Good
It was a stunning start to our 10 course degustation with the Scallop, Silken Tofu and Daikon Roll. The fresh, scallop sashimi was still in its shell, impeccably fresh and just so tender and soft. Nicely paired with the refreshing tangy sensation of finger lime and just a tad of green chilli, one bite and we were hooked!
The Potato Pancake with Asian Mushrooms also impressed. The lightly fried potato pancake exhibited a slight crisp outer. Within, the soft, almost fluffy inner perfectly soaked up the juices of the sauteed Asian mushrooms.
The Pork Dumplings were a must try. The delicately thin skin of the dumplings wrapped a juicy inner of mince pork. Nicely paired with a earthy, creamy tahini sauce and fresh scallion, this unconventional pairing worked remarkably well!
Next was the Protein Wrap. Consisting of various types of proteins including cashews, beans, tofu, banana and corn, the sweet and crunchy mixture was held together by a light and soft wrap. Despite being rather interesting and pleasant, this was definitely a polarising dish to serve between savouries.
A highlight of the evening was the Charcoal Noodle with Black Sesame Cream and Grilled Tiger Prawn. The giant charred tiger prawn was absolutely sensational. The crisp outer was incredibly fragrant, while the prawn was so fresh and crunchy. Underneath sat a generous twirl of charcoal noodles, coated with a delicious black sesame sauce that was nutty and slightly spicy. An Asian take on the squid ink linguini perhaps?
Our evening ended with the Passionfruit Cheesecake. This vegan rendition was rather interesting. Served in a passionfruit shell, the passionfruit flavour was bold and forward, carrying great sweetness. The vegan cheesecake however felt odd, with a coarse, powdery texture that was a bit like mousse.
The Mediocre
Nothing.
The Bad
Nothing.
The Verdict
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.
Would Penguin Eat Again?
Definitely! Can’t wait to be back for the $25 experimental vegan night.
Penguineats would like to thank Shu Restaurant for inviting us.