LOCATIONA five minute walk down from North Sydney Station on Blues Point Road.
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA Nu’s restaurant glows in soft purple light on Blues Point Road. Both the décor and the cuisine carry Thai style with Australian and European accents. This inspiration comes from chef Nu’s years working as an international chef cooking Italian, French and Thai cuisine. It is not often that Thai restaurants are fitted with chandeliers, but Nu’s is not like every Thai restaurant. The walls are painted muted purple or the sandstone bricks are left bare showing the building’s history. Black and white photographs from Nu’s yearly trips to Thailand are scattered around the dining room.
Sitting at the dark wooden tables, the sandalwood incense, soft colours, and the patterned light create a calming ambience. A popular main is the crispy barramundi which is cut into thin slices, accented with with Nu’s signature chilli and kaffir lime sambal, and presented on wok-fried water spinach. The massaman lamb shanks have been braised in spices and re-cooked in curry sauce to absorb the delicate flavours and create a tender texture. Served on a bed of Asian mashed sweet potato, the meat gently falls off the bone, and spiced and sweet characters of the dish emphasise each other. Nu gives traditional French desserts a Thai twist. His interpretation of the classic crème brûlée uses fresh coconut and serves the dessert with house-made ice cream. The vanilla and coconut flavours compliment each other perfectly. Nu’s combines international culinary skills with his Thai heritage to create a harmonious fusion of flavour in his cuisine.
Edwina Storie, August 2010