Luho has opened in Crows Nest on Sydney’s North Shore.
Founded by chef Dennis Tan (Mama’s Buoi) and wife Serene, the venue is serving up Southeast Asian hawker-style dishes and cocktails in a fun setting.
Tan has paired his Malaysian heritage with Vietnamese flavours to create quirky mod-Asian dishes.
Designed to share, the menu comprises small bites and inventive large plates as well as traditional curries. Hero dishes include prawn and wonton tacos topped with mango and chilli; roti wraps filled with fragrant beef curry; open-faced crepe with layers of char siu pork, prawn and coconut cream; and tiger prawn sambal with eggplant and tomato.
Vegetarian options also abound with a dedicated plant-based menu, featuring meat-free eats such XO pumpkin and cauliflower with burnt butter and eggplant jam.
“My goal is to offer locals a fun, modern dining experience that they can afford to enjoy regularly,” says Tan. “We want to offer the crowds delicious, fresh Southeastern cuisine paired with top-quality cocktails at an accessible price point to keep them coming back.”
The bar serves cocktails by Peter Seabrook (PS40). On the drinks list are the Thai Basil Smash, with basil-infused gin, lime and PS bush tonic; the Quandong Spritz, comprising of dry vermouth, quandong, wattle seed, cardamom and citrus; and the Little Luho Maid, mixed with pisco, green papaya, batrydis, lime and mint.
Local designer Julie Lien (Jin Studio) has transformed the space — housed in the former Mama’s Buoi site — with a modern interpretation of Asian dining featuring pops of teal and red neon bound togethr with timber finishes and concrete flooring.
“Our main goal was to bring light, life and comfort to the exhausted corner of Willoughby Road,” says Lien. “The fusion of soft and bold elements references the distinct flavours that make up modern Southeast Asian cuisine.”
Luho is open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week.