SHU IS DEFINITELY ON THE RIGHT FOOT

Community Telegraph
September 06
By Mark Sterling

Waiting a long time to go to a highly recommended restaurant for the first time, then being disappointed with the meal is not an enjoyable experience.

Thankfully, my visit to the much-acclaimed Shu on Belfast’s Lisburn Road on Saturday night most definitely did not fall into that category.

Indeed, both my dining partner and I agreed the fayre we enjoyed there was the best we have had in recent memory. High billing, I know, but that is how it was.

After agreeing to the offer of bread and dipping oils, Philippa and I quickly turned our attention to who was going to have what from the appetising and varied menu.

For starter, I chose the confit duck with carrot and ginger puree, and five spice sauce.
And my meal could not have got off to a more tasty beginning.

The duck was tender and succulent in the extreme, without a pick of fat in sight, while the sauce and puree proved a perfect accompaniment.

Salt and chilli squid, with Shu dressings, was the choice across the table.

It was met with equal measures of satisfaction, the beautiful light batter coating and delicious dips earning particular praise.

Main course saw me having to use my powers of persuasion as the dry aged sirloin with horseradish mash; onion fondant with red wine sauce was attracting interest from both parties.

With a little help from myself Philippa agreed to have the rump of lamb with Jerusalem artichoke puree, rosemary, garlic and balsamic.

In the end the competition for the steak need not have occurred, because both main courses were afforded the ‘as good as I have tasted in a long time’ title.

The steak was cooked to perfection with a beautiful char grilled flavour.

The horseradish gave the mash a beautiful little ‘kick’ while the onion fondant and red wine sauce were far from out of place in such illustrious company.

Philippa had requested that the lamb be cooked a little more than ‘pink’, as the waitress had warned it would be, and she was not disappointed.

All the trimmings were deemed excellent, particularly the sauce.

There was not much room left for desserts at this stage, but we ploughed on regardless.

The standard did not drop with both the steamed pudding with toffee sauce and vanilla ice-cream, and Valrhona chocolate tart with coffee foam, being big hits.

A review of our highly enjoyable Shu dining experience could not be completed without mention our extremely helpful and pleasant waitress.

Criticisms – and there have to be a few. The only sittings offered when booking a table was 7pm or 9.30pm – we chose the earlier one, but neither is ideal. The tables could also perhaps have been spaced out more.

However, these were minor grumbles and did not detract too much at all from what was a truly outstanding and enjoyable evening meal.

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