| mu
shu restaurant + bar
By Franz Scheurer
mu
shu restaurant + bar
at Bondi Beach surely must be Sydney's most
'out there' space. Reds and blacks dominate
but are unable to overshadow the incredibly
open kitchen, with its Peking ducks hanging
from the wall, the sparkling, well-stocked
bar or the sinfully comfortable daybeds.
Although
incredibly modern this is a very comfortable
place with everything from noise levels
to temperature controlled just right. The
Asian inspired look is ably complemented
by the Asian food creations of Jo Ward (ex
Cheong Liew's The Grange in Adelaide). Make
sure you check out the water feature in
the men's loos!
Start with an innovative
cocktail on one of the daybeds and indulge
in some bar snacks, like the succulent 'pork
and foie gras siu mai with honey soy dipping
sauce', or the 'giant natural oysters with
rice vinegar, smoked chilli, sesame seeds
and cucumber' and use the time to leisurely
peruse the menu and wine list.
Then
move to one of the tables and let the banquet
begin.
mu shu's restaurant + bar
food is best shared but you do have the
choice of having the food arriving all at
once or staggered. We chose the staggered
method simply because we would have run
out of space on our table. (Yes, we were
a touch greedy!)
As
soon as we sat down a square lacquer-ware
tray arrived with home made 'Iavosh' sticks
and three condiments, XO sauce, sweet potato
dip and prickly ash. What a great 'amuse
gueule"
We ordered the 'our own
roast duck with cucumber, spring onions,
pancakes and dipping sauce', the 'salt &
pepper squid, cucumber, yam bean, herbs
and sesame tamarind dressing', the 'red
braised pork hock with a marbled tea egg',
the 'sung choi bao of tofu, water chestnuts,
cloud-ear mushrooms and cellophane noodles'
and last but not least the 'wood grilled
river king prawns with barbecued pork and
rice noodle rolls, tomatoes, four herbs
and macadamias'. The duck was absolutely
fantastic, as was the Hoi Sin sauce served
with it. The pancakes although home made,
a little on the dry side. The salt and pepper
squid was perfectly cooked, crunchy on the
outside, tender on the inside but the spices
were understated. We ordered another bowl
of prickly ash, using it liberally, and
that did the trick. The 'sung choi bao'
was an absolute taste and texture sensation
but impossible to eat with your hands as
is customary and the king prawns absolutely
fresh, just glassy, a perfect complement
to the texturally fabulous rice noodle rolls.
Table and glassware are
excellent and serving ware exquisite, helping
the excellent presentation of the food.
Service is friendly, knowledgeable and very
professional.
Whoever put the wine list
together must be congratulated. Not only
is it one of the most appropriate wine lists
I've seen, but it also offers some of the
best wines by the glass. Wine prices are
cheap, by Sydney standards, and value for
money for everything else is excellent.
Being
at mu
shu restaurant + bar
is a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I
will recommend it to all my friends and
everyone else who is prepared to listen.
As Jo Ward states on the menu: "Eating
should be fun and a little adventurous.
There are no substitutes for quality, freshness
and real flavours. Take the time to graze,
enjoy the experience!"
I'll drink to that. 'Sik
Fan" indeed!
Score: 8/10
For
more information or bookings:
mu
shu restaurant + bar
108 Campbell Parade
Bondi Beach NSW 2026
Tel.: 02 9130 5400
|
