CHIC DÉCOR, GREAT FOOD… IT’S A SHU THING

Belfast Telegraph
January, 2006
By Marie Foy

I’ve been to Shu a number of times over the five years of its existence and have always had an enjoyable meal there. Saturday night didn’t disappoint.

We didn’t have the best seat in the restaurant, tucked away next to a pillar and on a main arterial route to the open kitchen, but then I had booked late. I hadn’t expected the restaurant to be quite so busy after Christmas, but frenzied New Year dieting and scary January Visa bills don’t seem to have an adverse impact on this business.

From the start, our reception was warm and attentive. I was with a friend who has a potentially fatal nut allergy, and once we mentioned this the staff were most helpful. They could not give an absolute guarantee of no nuts as they are used in the kitchen and there is always a risk of accidental cross contamination; however they were careful to check the ingredients in various dishes with the chef to be as sure as they possibly could.

Even when the basket of beautiful baked fresh bread arrived, they double checked to ensure we had not been given the one with walnuts. Their attention was reassuring and appreciated and we felt our concerns were being treated seriously.

From a tempting menu, which included some Italian pasta specials, I chose confit of duck which came with carrot and ginger puree and five spice sauce. At first I thought the subtle puree could have benefited from a hint more ginger but on reflection this could have masked the delicious flavour of the duck which fell effortlessly off the bone and in the end I conceded I was wrong.
My friend chose the salt and chilli squid which was succulent and a million miles from the rubbery, overcooked offerings you often get in other eateries. The delicate fishy swirls were encased in an exquisitely light, breadcrumby batter and were paired off with a selection of dips. It was a lovely, unencumbering start for a tummy which had been assaulted by too much rich food in recent weeks – or so its owner said.

My rump of lamb was presented in a fan alongside a decoratively shaped portion of Jerusalem artichoke puree. I went against the chef’s natural inclination to serve the meat pink and opted for medium, which probably had him tutting over his ladles. What can I say? I don’t need to see the blood. There is a limit on how far I’ll go in a quest for sophisticated living. And I was delighted with the result – tender slices enhanced with rosemary, garlic and balsamic.
We couldn’t decide whether this was better than my companion’s local wood pigeon which sported just the right amount of gaminess (I did a brave sliver, even though it was pretty rare on the inside.) There was also twice as much meat compared to the serving she’d received at another Belfast restaurant not long ago.

The roast bird arrived with an architecturally accomplished pile of potato fondant, and was finished admirably with a mix of Savoy, mushrooms and Madeira.

There were also side dishes of chunky chips made with floury potatoes, which surprised us by staying nicely warm all the way through the meal, and bright green, al dente broccoli with hollandaise sauce. Our wine, from a list I’d like to dip into again, was excellent house Italian Masi Rosso.

Turning our attention to desserts, I road tested a creamy coconut panacotta surrounded by small chunks of contrasting pineapple and passion fruit which was A1 and which put me in the notion of a tropical holiday. My friend was just as enthusiastic about her airy baby doughnuts dipped in orange yoghurt.

We thought the food was first class, though you’d hardly expect less from Chef Brian McCann, who formerly headed up the team at Shanks.
While we weren’t in the greatest position in the restaurant, the only other quibble we had about the whole evening and it’s a small one, is that there was a bit of a time delay while we waited for our main course. We might not have noticed but we planned to go to the cinema afterwards and were watching the clock. (While there are many good things in it, I’m not quite as enthralled by Brokeback Mountain as the critics seem to be.)

Shu is a chic contemporary establishment in brown and beige with smart dark African wenge wood and low lighting creating a mellow atmosphere. It attracts an adult clientele across the generations, and some of the younger set stay on to visit the basement bar and indulge in a little after dinner dancing. It has hit on a winning formula of good food, a snazzy bar and music which finds favour with a broad section of the eating out public and is a spot I would whole heartedly recommend.

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