Restaurant specialising in traditional and contemporary Sichuan cuisine using sustainable and seasonal produce from local suppliers, organic where possible. 10-course vegan degustation available, with or without complementary wine and cocktails. Fully licensed. Transitioned to fully vegan January 2022. Open Tue-Thu 6:00pm-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 6:00pm-10:30pm, Sat-Sun 12:00pm-3:00pm.
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147 Johnston St (at Wellington St), Collingwood, Victoria, Australia, 3066
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Last update on 22 Jan 2025 by villain
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Added by vegan mikal on 29 Nov 2013
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41 Reviews
First Review by nomnomveg
hamstersRus
Points +45
Good! - Edit
It was very creative and I wanted to try it because where else can you get vegan sichuan food. But it was a bit pricey and flavors weren’t unique enough, but maybe just my opinion.
Read moreGuest
Selonyx
Points +1288
One of the best dining experiences I’ve had. - Edit
Got treated to the 10 course degustation menu for my birthday and it was amazing.
Read moreThe effort put into the design and plating of the food was top tier.
And the food itself was so delicious and unique.
Pros: Food, Presentation , The Server was amazing
Guest
chatreuse
Points +4726
Impressive dishes, yet so bargain priced - Edit
I'm kind of amazed how cheap this all you can eat yum cha was ($55 per person) considering the quality of the dishes and how DELICIOUS it was.
Read moreThe decor is very cool and quirky, good ambience, and the service was quick and friendly.
I was getting pretty full after the first round of all the dishes, but I loved getting to try a bit of everything.
I was a little hesitant to go here as I wasn't sure I would like the dishes from reading the menu (and a from reading a couple of previous bad reviews) but I was very very wrong, and can't wait to go back.
- silken tofu, avo, black sesame cracker: AMAZING, perfect balance of flavours (sweet, salty, chilli), didn't expect this to be my favourite dish
- grilled spinach riceballs: SO GOOD! smelt heavenly, great flavour and meatball texture
- golden mantau bread, shiitake paste: amazing paste (very tasty), and great toasted fluffy soft bread
- spicy potato mash, grilled corn: delicious! like potato curry
- roasted yuxiang eggplant: very good! sweet and sour type sauce, great crispy texture
- mince san choi bao: very good but tad salty for me, my partner LOVED it
- crispy chickpea +cabbage dumplings: perfectly crispy, nice flavour to the chilli sauce
- chilled noodles, pb soy dressing: good
- prawn+black rice pocket: subtle taste, surprisingly not my fave
Pros: Yum cha
Guest
RudiDarran
Points +538
Degustation Special dinner option - Edit
Yum Cha does a $95 5 course degustation on select nights; not bad for those special dinner occasions or an opportunity to dine differently. Autumn 25 version was Mushroom focused.
Read moreInterior of the restaurant is pretty wild and unforgettable.
Pros: The concept, Most of the dishes were flavourful, Good consideration of flavours and textures
Cons: The risotto dish was okay, but a bit of a miss.
Guest
JimSgp
Points +446
Delicious Vegan Degustation Menu - Edit
A Melbourne original which is inspired by Asian cuisine presents a delicious 10 course vegan degustation menu.
Read morePros: Soybeans: Silken tofu, fermented soy beans, Seawee, Chilled baby pumpkin, sweet miso mayo, pomelo, Wok charred kangkong, burnt green chilli relish, f
JimSgp
Delicious. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Read moreGuest
KatherineLat
Points +693
Nice creative food - Edit
I love how different the food at Shu is to many other places in Melbourne. Recently attended their mushroom party, I was less convinced on the dessert but love their creativity! 10 course degustation is a must.
Read moreGuest
styvbdz
Points +42
Highly original vegan yum cha fine dining experience - Edit
Neon decor and translucent chairs create an incredible vibe, too.
Read moreGuest
rosinaprestia
Points +22
Ms P - Edit
That was the best service and food I've ever had. What a lovely Melbourne gem. I went there many years ago and back today and am still thinking about how delicious the food was.
Read morePros: Texture and flavours, Every material thing in the place, The team. What legends.
Guest
Yona
Points +437
Delicious degustation - Edit
We had the 10 course degustation. It as delectable washed down with a bottle of wine and some cocktails.
Read moreSo delicious. And lovely atmosphere good place for a fancy night out
Pros: Okra potato with crispy tofu wrap, Pickled kohlrabi with ginger pearls, Charred Chinese broccoli
Cons: Grilled Asian mushrooms were delicious but spicy, Spicy courses and no way to cool the mouth down
Guest
PotatoesTho
Points +13652
5 stars for the excellent staff - Edit
November 2024
Read moreAfter some years between visits, I finally used a voucher I had been gifted a while ago towards the 2024 version of the vegan degustation.
The positives: From the moment we arrived, the staff were super attentive and personable, and remained consistenly so throughout the 2 or so hours we were there. Each course was brought out at exactly the right time and we didn't feel at all rushed, despite it being a very busy night.
The negatives: Out of the 10 courses, I could honestly say I enjoyed half, with the remainder underwhelming, odd, or unpleasant in texture, with a few too many courses in a row quite heavily seasoned with chilli/pepper and nothing to cool the fire with. The finale, a dessert course, felt like an afterthought...a base of solidified coconut cream (no added flavouring) topped with a sweetened/jammy woodear fungus (or similar). At $95 per head, I expect more...but yay for vouchers 😅
August 2015
The Vegan Degustation would have to be one of the best value special occasion or "treat yourself" feasts around. It is well thought out, beautifully presented and delicious.
The decor is quirky industrial and the atmosphere friendly and relaxed. The service is excellent.
Would happily make a return visit.
Updated from previous review on 2024-11-17
Pros: Great staff, Ambiance, Creative presentation
Cons: Hit and miss degustation
Guest
KathyVee
Points +188
Just wonderful! - Edit
Fantastic food, beautifully presented, lovely staff. A wonderful experience.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-10-06
Pros: Delicious food, Great attention to presentation , Great ambience
Guest
jessicalovescows
Points +622
Yummy vegustation - Edit
Had the ten course vegustation and it was super yum and creative! Will definitely return.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-08-03
Guest
soyboy100
Points +171
Quite alright - Edit
We had the unlimited yum cha the other day and it was alright. Only liked a couple of the things such as the deep fried mushroom ball thing (this was very good) and the silken tofu on the cracker thing. Oh and the pumpkin cheese ball thing. The other things were just alright to me.
Read moreThe presentation was very good and the environment was so cozy and nice and green.
Guest
CabernetS
Points +443
Best yum cha I’ve tasted!! - Edit
Lifts yum cha and ‘all you can eat’ into fine dining. A peaceful, elegant atmosphere. Food is delicious and elegantly presented. Service is fast and attentive.
Read morePros: Great food , Atmosphere , Service
Guest
Lotuseater18
Points +28
Yummy lunch! - Edit
The food, funky atmosphere, good service.
Read morePros: Lunch time yum cha, Presentation, Cool vibe
Cons: No
Guest
sivvyb
Points +1202
Creative fine vegan dining - Edit
This place is really creative & really shows off vegan Szechuan cuisine. We went for the 10 course set menu and while I liked some of the dishes, there were others that were a little too ‘weird’ for my liking. Definitely worth a shot though! My non vegan friends really enjoyed it!
Read moreGuest
Raspberries
Points +628
Divine! - Edit
Delicious, interesting, and well considered. Would absolutely recommend!
Read moreGuest
rymc
Points +608
Inventive yet faithful - Edit
Met friends here for the Sichuan tasting experience. Some of them aren’t vegan, but have high standards for the cuisine - they walked away raving about it.
Read moreThe only comment I’d probably leave is that the pacing on our night felt a bit off, but I gather that’s also Melbourne post New Years for a few days? Wasn’t the end of the world, good drinks to fill the space anyway.
From talking to the staff, the dishes get tweaked and modified sometimes for experimentation purposes. Don’t know to what extent but they all felt inventive yet still staying true to the cuisine. Really cool to see.
Pros: Inventive
Guest
Siconze
Points +124
Goo-d Enough - Edit
Fans of edible goo should flock to this fine purveyor of luxury Asian inspired goos. Of the 10 courses at least 8 were some form of interesting and uncommon goo, each one spicier than the last, till finally the unidentifiable dessert goo comes to round out your night.
Read morePros: Goo, Goo, Goo
Cons: Also goo
Guest
LeahShort
Points +120
Perfect for a date night - Edit
Amazing food and amazing drink pairings. I cannot fault this place. From the eclectic decoration to the incredibly friendly staff this is one of my fav places in Mel.
Read morePros: Friendly service , Tasty drink pairings , Incredible food
Cons: Some food pretty spicy (I’m a sook)
Guest
Lyndle
Points +556
Delicious! - Edit
Lovely 10 course degustation. Deliciously and well presented food!
Read morePros: Great value for money , Pretty dishes , Lovely flavours
Guest
ProfBob
Points +1598
Chinese influenced tasting experience - Edit
Wow!!! I mean really wow ….. absolutely amazing eating experience. We had the 10 course vegan tasting menu and it blew our taste buds away. Excellent wines and fabulous service too. If you’re in Melbourne then go 😊
Read morePros: Quiet laid back atmosphere , 10 course tasting menu , A modern version of Chinese food
Guest
Gluttonous-Gourmand
Points +368
Fabulous yum cha - Edit
Delicious all you can eat yum cha - very reasonably priced. Luckily I don't live too close or I'd be back far to often to ge good for my waist line 😂
Read moreGuest
pinkjjj
Points +114
Wonderful, awesome, delicious! - Edit
We came here to celebrate our birthdays, the four of us had a fantastic feast of 10 courses for unlimited yum cha. We were full after the courses but snuck in a few of our favourite courses because they were so good. So glad we went here. It was a perfect lunch. They do vegan well here. Played great music, cool decor and good selection of drinks. Will be back for for sure, maybe for dinner. And it was very reasonable- much cheaper than a fancier vegan place with creative tasty options. There was a Sunday surcharge, but the meals were so cheap that it didn’t matter.
Read morePros: Creative food, Great atmosphere , Tasty, well-balanced food
Cons: Sunday surcharge
Guest
fredphillips
Points +49
Impressive degustation - Edit
Had the 10-course degustation last night and it was very good. Probably a couple of courses weren’t so hot but 8 good ones. Just the right amount of food. Very interesting what they’re doing here. Would go again.
Read morePros: Interesting food, Value, Nice vibe
Guest
Ruwi
Points +773
Superb vegan Degustation menu - Edit
We loved the cool ambience, attentive staff, and delicious food. Our group, which included a few non vegans, thoroughly enjoyed the 10 course degustation. The very innovative dishes were presented exquisitely. We are looking forward to returning back again to try their lunch yum cha and Shu Lanka degustation.
Read moreKittybiscuit
They create amazing flavours
Read moreGuest
Kittybiscuit
Points +9492
Another excellent meal - Edit
I came here today with a vegan group for vegan yum cha on a Sunday. There were 10 courses. I loved most of them. We sat towards the back of the restaurant. The stand out for me was the lentil and pumpkin soup with a Chinese donut. But all of the flavours were good and worked well. I loved the mapo tofu too.
Read more2021 I came here for the 10 course vegan degustation. We decided not to look at the menu and be surprised as each item came out. I really enjoyed every dish with my favourite being the plant prawn with the chilli sauce. But I actually liked everything. I thought the time between dishes was great, just right. I didn’t leave hungry but I also didn’t feel that I overate.
The decor of the restaurant was different as you moved through. We sat in a booth. The service was friendly and I would definitely go back.
I forgot to ask but I’ve noticed when I searched for their address it came up as a vegan restaurant so I will check if it is fully vegan now
Updated from previous review on 2021-11-06
Guest
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