6 Plant-Based Dishes to Impress Anyone (Yes, Even Non-Vegans)
Plant based meals are typically assumed to be a heap of steamed broccoli or a food like rubbery tofu drenched in soy sauce. Not in this case.
SHU Restaurant is changing the face of chinese food in Melbourne. Going fully vegan, we have built our identity around "bold experimental sichuan", a philosophy that embodies centuries-old techniques but is executed with precision, creativity, and zero compromise on flavour.
The result? Dishes that don't just satisfy vegans. They convert sceptics.
If you've searched for 'vegan chinese near me' and scrolled past the usual options, SHU is where that search should end. And if you've been exploring vegan restaurants Melbourne has to offer but found most of them lacking in depth and excitement, our restaurant changes that. The six dishes below are proof that plant based dishes can be bold, complex and truly impressive for all tastes at the table, and if you're looking for the best yumcha in Melbourne that has a 100% plant based menu, SHU has one for you as well!
The 6 Must-Try Dishes at SHU Restaurant
1. Roasted Yuxiang Eggplant
➦ Why It Impresses
Yuxiang eggplant is a cornerstone of sichuan cooking, and SHU's version is one of the most talked-about plant based dishes on the menu. The eggplant is roasted until the skin is crispy while the inside turns tender and almost molten. What follows is a flavour profile that combines sweet, sour, spicy, and savoury notes.
➦ The Detail
The taste of this dish is umami, which is normally associated with slow-cooked and reduced sauces. The trick is the Yuxiang sauce, a classic sichuan combination of garlic, ginger, vinegar and chilli bean paste which clings to each piece without overwhelming it. For a reason, it's a crowd favourite. For anyone navigating chinese food in Melbourne with dietary preferences in mind, this dish alone makes it worth a visit.
2. Silken Tofu with Avocado & Black Sesame Cracker
➦ Why It Impresses
This is a classic recipe of contrast. Silky, cool tofu sits beneath smooth, creamy avocado, finished with a black sesame cracker that shatters on contact. All the elements are intentional. The textures complement one another.
➦ The Flavour Profile
The balance here is precise: sweet from the avocado, savoury from the tofu, nutty from the sesame, and a mild tinge of chilli in the mix. It works as a starter or a standalone light meal. As one of the standout plant based dishes atour restaurant, it also demonstrates that vegan cuisine is not about "mock" ingredients to feel elegant and complete. Among vegetarian restaurants Melbourne diners frequent, few deliver this level of refinement in a single course.
3. Grilled Spinach Riceballs
➦ Why It Impresses
These riceballs have earned a devoted following among regulars. Grilled until the exterior develops a lightly charred, aromatic crust, they fill the room with a smell that's immediately comforting. The smell of this dish is always referred to as "heavenly", and the texture is pretty much the same as a traditional protein ball, without a single protein-derived ingredient.
➦ Key Insight
This is where our philosophy becomes most visible. The whole food ingredients in the kitchen, such as spinach, rice, and aromatics, recreate textures and sensations that feel familiar and satisfying. It's not about imitation. It's about proving that plants, prepared with skill, deliver results that stand entirely on their own. Whether you are in the mood for the best vegan food in Melbourne, dishes such as these are why SHU constantly features at the top of that conversation.
Taste every layer of plant-based Sichuan Cuisine — reserve your table now!
Book Now4. Golden Mantau Bread with Shiitake Paste
➦ Why It Impresses
Mantau is a chinese steamed bun, soft and fluffy, with a mild sweetness all on its own. We roast theirs to a golden finish and complement them with a shiitake mushroom paste, making for an altogether different experience. The paste is deep, earthy, and rich in a way that rivals any slow-cooked spread you've had before.
➦ The Detail
One of the natural umami-rich ingredients is the shiitake, and we make the best of it. The paste is very savoury, and layers develop as you eat it. People often say it is "delicious", a simple description for something really complicated. This recipe also serves as an introduction to plant based dishes, since it is familiar in format and immediately satisfying. It's the kind of course that makes vegan restaurants Melbourne sceptics quietly reconsider their assumptions.
5. Wok-Charred Kangkong with Burnt Green Chilli Relish
➦ Why It Impresses
The water spinach, or kangkong, is a leafy vegetable used in the cuisines of East and Southeast Asia. In the wrong hands, it's underwhelming. It's one of the most memorable plant based dishes on the table in our kitchen.
The secret is "wok hei", the "breath of the wok", the slightly smoky char that can only be achieved by cooking in a screaming hot wok using the proper technique. Our kitchen delivers that in full. The burnt green chilli gives an additional layer of heat: the fresh chilli's initial jolt, followed by the numbing sensation of sichuan peppercorn lingering on the tongue.
➦ Appeal
This dish makes a clear argument: simple greens, cooked correctly, can be the most exciting thing on a high-end menu. If you're looking into vegetarian restaurants Melbourne offers and considering if plant based cooking can ever be as spicy as authentic sichuan cooking, then this dish has the answer. It's also one of the strongest reasons why we earn a place among destinations for the best vegan food in Melbourne.
6. Signature Vegan Dumplings (Yum Cha Special)
➦ Why It Impresses
Dumplings are a measure of any Chinese kitchen's skill. The wrapper should be both thin and not brittle. The filling should be neither too runny nor too hard and should have a pleasing flavour. Crunchy, deep, and naturally sweet, our handmade dumplings conquer that bar with pumpkin dumplings, mushroom dumplings, and water chestnut dumplings. These rank among the most refined plant based dishes in the entire yum cha format.
➦ The SHU Twist
These dumplings aren't served as a single dish. They're part of our unlimited weekend yum cha service, a flowing feast format where dishes keep arriving at the table. If you've been searching for the best yumcha in Melbourne with a fully plant-based menu, this is where that search ends. The format is relaxed, generous, and built for groups, making it one of the most social dining experiences in the city. It's also a strong reason why we come up every time someone searches vegan Chinese near me, because the yum cha offering is genuinely unique in Melbourne.
Why SHU Is the Ultimate "Vegan Chinese Near Me" in Collingwood
If you're looking for vegan chinese near me in Melbourne, SHU is bound to come up and for more than just the menu.
➦ 10-Course Degustation
For diners who want the full experience, SHU Restaurant offers a 10-course vegan degustation that moves through the full spectrum of sichuan technique. All courses are designed around carefully planned plant based dishes, each offering a new experience, with a different taste, texture and spice level. It's a thoughtful, leisurely meal that can compete with any tasting menu in the Melbourne culinary scene, whether vegan or not.
Of all the vegan restaurants Melbourne offers to celebrate special occasions, our degustation is always one of the most recommended. It's also a great way to get us firmly in the mix of the best vegan food Melbourne has for those willing to commit to the full experience.
➦ Moody Industrial Vibe
The space reinforces the experience. SHU operates out of a converted warehouse in Collingwood, fitted with neon lighting, curated art pieces, and a layout built for adventurous dining. It's not a health café. It's a destination restaurant that serves exclusively plant based dishes, and the ambience is very clear from the moment you step in.
This combination of bold interiors, skilled cooking, and a boundary-pushing menu has made us one of the most distinctive entries in chinese food in Melbourne, a competitive space where standing out requires genuine quality. It's also why SHU ranks among the leading vegetarian restaurants Melbourne diners return to for both casual weekends and special occasions.
Taste every layer of plant-based Sichuan Cuisine — reserve your table now!
Book NowConclusion
Plant based dishes at SHU aren't defined by what's absent. They are characterised by their contents: heat, complexity, technique and flavour that doesn't apologise for its vegan status.
Every food serving at our restaurant is designed to please and replace the charred wok hei of the kangkong with the umami-dense shiitake paste on golden mantau bread. That's where we differ from the majority of the offers you'll see on vegan chinese near me or in the online vegan restaurants Melbourne listings.
Whether you're after the best yumcha in Melbourne on a relaxed weekend, a full degustation experience, or simply the best vegan food in Melbourne for a group dinner that impresses everyone at the table, we deliver on all of it.
Book your table at our restaurant for dinner or weekend yum cha today.