14.5/20Critics' Pick

October 26, 2026

14.5/20Critics' Pick

Lua by Luke Nguyen

Vietnamese$$

A star chef fires up the grill for a seafood restaurant to remember.

There are many threads to pull at Luke Nguyen’s ambitious opening at the new fish market: his Vietnamese heritage; his connection to Thailand and TV work in South-East Asia; Australia and all its influences. But Nguyen’s success is in weaving them all together, while capitalising on the obvious: the wide array of seafood at his doorstep.

It’s how he ends up with a plate of oysters “flambadou”, that sees the bivalves finished with a stream of blazing wagyu beef tallow, the fat carrying chilli-crunch flavour, or a claypot of crisp ST25 rice (the world’s best) capped with king prawns and sauced with bun rieu bisque. If you didn’t bring a squad to tackle a whole crab, consider the market fish (today, mahi mahi) grilled in banana leaves. Flying solo? The chicken salad is bright and full of crunch.

Cocktails on the mezzanine, including a blistering margarita infused with pandan, Phu Quoc pepper and Nguyen’s house chilli sauce, are just one more way to enjoy the sunset.

Must order: The tiramisu, which brilliantly subs in salted coconut cream for zabaglione and Vietnamese coffee for espresso.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.

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Last visited: June 2026

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Source: The Age

At a glance

Topic
World
Country
🇦🇺 AU
Publisher language
EN
Added to Allnira