Leigh Power and Ben Tua want you to have a good time.
And they make a good team. Over the last eight years, the duo have worked together at Sweetwater Rooftop Bar and The Old Synagogue with Power also doing stints at Melbourne’s Gingerboy while Tua worked at just about every cocktail bar in Perth. The two industry stalwarts have reached a point in their careers where they are able to be selective about the projects they undertake, and after years of working for other people in large, multi-venue projects, they’re going out on their own. Well, on their own together.
Enter Shui. Their new venue is at a location that will be familiar to locals – the former Funtastico site on Rockeby Road. But it’s received a luxe revamp thanks to architect and interior designer Rachel Feldhusen. You’re welcomed into the space by a gold cocktail bar with jade subway tile highlights; cream hessian runners are draped across the ceiling in a manner reminiscent of the folds of fortune cookies.
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SUBSCRIBE NOWPower and Tua’s culinary vision for Shui is one of balance; a delicate dance between salt, sweet, sour and spice. And beyond the balance you’ll taste in the menu, the true equilibrium is in the relationship between Power and Tua. With this new venture, Power is allowed the opportunity to hone the modern Asian menu into something precise and powerful, while Tua’s cocktail menu is bold, fun and surprising.
But the good times go beyond just the diners on the restaurant floor. As you’d expect – or hope from long-time hospitality workers – Tua and Power have a clear philosophy at Shui: treat your staff well, train them well, and pay them well.
The respect they have for their staff, and the positive work environment they foster, has served them well, with many Shui staff having worked for Power and Tua since their Sweetwater days. Shannon Holdsworth, Power’s sous-chef, has been with him for seven years – longevity that’s almost unheard of amid the current churn and burn of hospitality staff. The duo have rewarded this loyalty by giving a 35 per cent stake in the venue to key long-term employees. “We want our team to be able to live – to have long-term goals, buy houses, have families if they want to,” Power tells Broadsheet. “And to do that, we need to pay them what they’re worth. The venue doesn’t succeed without them.”
So what brings on the good times, menu-wise? Served cold, the cured kingfish spring rolls are served in a crispy wrapper with avocado cream bookends, like a ceviche cannoli. The prawn crumpets are a crowd-pleasing take on prawn toast, served with a black garlic aioli and a salty hit of roe. On the drinks menu, Tua’s favourite cocktail is the cheekily named Only Fams Martini, and our favourite drink is the unmissable Jasmine Negroni, a delicate floral twist on the herbaceous aperitif.
Tua puts it simply: “We want people to leave Shui full and happy. That’s a good day for us.”
Hours:
Mon to Sat 11.30am–midnight
Sun 11.30am–10pm
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