Chef's Playground: Restaurants Known for Constant Innovation
When it comes to pushing culinary boundaries, there’s a special breed of restaurant where creativity reigns and every dish tells a new story. These aren’t your standard dining spots - they’re playgrounds for Chefs who dare to experiment, blend unexpected flavours and reinvent tradition.
From Sichuan reimagined through a vegan lens to fire-kissed Japanese omakase, these venues deliver dining experiences that are bold, immersive and always evolving. Here’s a curated list of Australia’s most forward-thinking restaurants that embody innovation at its finest:
Shu Restaurant – Collingwood, Vic
A collision of art, food and contemporary culture, Shu Restaurant on Johnson Street is a kaleidoscope of plant-based Sichuan flavours housed in one of Collingwood’s most intriguing spaces. Designed by namesake Chef Shu Liu, the venue feels more like an avant-garde gallery than a traditional eatery, with neon lights, translucent furnishings and industrial-chic sculptures creating a visually charged atmosphere. This is a place where the boundaries of cuisine are tested and constantly redefined, where vegan degustations and bottomless Sunday yum cha attract both the curious and the devoted.
The 10-course vegan degustation is a deep dive into the texture and umami-laden complexity of Sichuan cuisine - minus the meat but never lacking in punch. Highlights include silken tofu luxuriously paired with chilli jam, fermented soybeans and seaweed caviar, while spinach dumplings bathed in a chilli soy sauce evoke the vibrancy of Sichuan street eats. When dessert hits your table in the form of oolong panna cotta with black sugar syrup, it’s clear Shu Liu isn’t just reinterpreting tradition - he’s rewriting it.
Book your immersive dining experience at Shu - let the Chef surprise you.
Pincho Disco – Collingwood, Vic
At Pincho Disco on Cambridge Street, the rhythm of Latin America beats loud and proud against a backdrop of Collingwood cool. This is not a restaurant for wallflowers - it’s an energetic celebration of modern Latin cuisine layered with Miami swagger, fiery drinks and live entertainment that shifts the dining experience into party territory. With its electric pink lighting and retro-chic interiors, Pincho Disco channels a nostalgic vibrancy while delivering a menu that is anything but dated.
The food is as showstopping as the venue itself. Start with scallops drenched in red chimichurri butter and charred corn, or lean into fresh, sharp citrus with kingfish belly ceviche dressed in green aguachile, cucumber and apple. For the main event, the Josper-grilled Scotch fillet delivers smoky intensity with a luxurious side of Provencal potatoes, wood-fired pumpkin and chilli butter-kissed corn. Latin flair and fire, served hot.
Secure your table at Pincho Disco - where every night is a fiesta.
Hidden in The Rocks, Izy.Aki blurs the lines between back-alley Osaka izakaya and cutting-edge culinary theatre. This moody and intimate spot leans into kappo-style cooking and omakase dining, where each course unfolds like a plot twist in a noir film. Chef-driven and ever-evolving, Izy.Aki’s menu leans into local produce, Japanese techniques and a flair for the unexpected - think yakitori-meets-charcoal-barbeque served with cocktails crafted from native botanicals.
This is an experience where no two nights are alike. One day you might be served a lush egg dish topped with smoked eel, foie gras and glistening trout roe; the next, it’s hamachi sashimi with dehydrated caviar or cured Wagyu layered with tomato kimchi. The theatrics continue with WA marron grilled over charcoal and dressed in housemade kimchi butter. Finish strong with cheesecake soufflé and chocolate miso ice cream.
Reserve your seat at Izy.Aki - let the flames and finesse transport you.
Pokkoi Kitchen – Coolangatta, Qld
At Pokkoi Kitchen on Marine Parade, boldness meets heart in a menu that fuses Southeast Asian street eats with an inventive twist. Nestled by the sea in Coolangatta, this laid-back gem strips away pretension in favour of rustic creativity and genuine warmth. Think mismatched tables, an easygoing soundtrack and dishes that make your taste buds sit up and pay attention.
From the first bite, it’s clear this is no ordinary fusion. The hiramasa kingfish sashimi hits with nam jim heat softened by turmeric coconut cream and citrus lift. A beef rendang donut? Somehow it works - coconut-rich, peanut-studded and deeply savoury. Mains are equally daring, with a twice-cooked pork belly glazed in ginger caramel and contrasted with sour mango and smoked chilli; or opt for the crispy duck, where spiced vinegar and Vietnamese mint cut through richness with zing and flair.
Book your coastal feast at Pokkoi - where flavour rules and nothing’s off limits.
In this Chef-driven landscape of culinary evolution, these venues are more than just restaurants - they’re labs for innovation, passion and fearless reinvention. Whether you’re after fire-grilled decadence, vegan experimentation or East-meets-West fusion, this is your roadmap to the future of dining - bold, beautiful and constantly in motion.
