Our journey with Jimmy Shu's culinary skills began in Melbourne way back in the 1990s when he owned Near East in South Melb. We stumbled upon it accidentally one evening and continued to dine there regularly till he moved to Darwin. We have since had the Hanuman experience more than a dozen times. It is located in the Doubletree Hilton Esplanade in central Darwin city.

Your culinary experience begins the moment you step through the front doors. A gorgeous Hanuman statue greets you, followed quickly by a polite staff member. You are led to your table either in the more intimate space near the LED strip lit bar or the slightly brighter area on the other side. You will served big glasses of still or sparkling water that never runs dry. The menu comprises of selection of dishes - Thai, Indian, Sri Lankan, Malaysian, Nyonya - it speaks volumes. Many describe this restaurant as fusion but I believe their dishes are about as authentic as they come. Perhaps fusion refers to the variety available.

Food We've tried just over 60% of their entree and small plates selection and more of their mains. Our favourites are the Hanuman oysters, trumpet mushrooms, punjabi lamb, eggplant Pacchadi, meen moolie, butter chicken, crispy thai whole snapper or steamed thai Barramundi, goat curry, goanese prawns and black pepper or malay curry mudcrabs to name a few. Each dish is different in terms of flavour, texture, tone and visual appearance - a real feast for all the senses. His signature creme brulee with black glutinuous rice is definitely a fusion dish but a stunning one!

The staff are well trained, efficient but not intrusive. Our glasses were never empty but we never saw them refilled. Every dish was served with all its condiments, serving spoons, bone bowls - every detail carefully thought through.

Cost - very reasonable for what you get. There were about 8 prawns per mains dish for just over $40.