ARU | Modern Australian x Asian Restaurant | Melbourne
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  • Food
  • Signature Set
  • Group Set's
  • Wine

menu

Bites and Snacks
Forbidden Rice Sourdough, Palm Sugar, Spiced Cultured Butter
9
Oyster, Vietnamese Mint, Shallot, Dill Oil
8
Yellowfin Tuna, Fried Rice Noodle, Watermelon Radish, Shiso
17
Spanner Crab Toast, Black Cabbage, Pickled Fennel, Wasabi
19
Lamb Spring Roll, Onion Relish, Purple Cos, Sambal Emulsion
17
Wagyu Tongue, Marrow, Vietnamese Sate, Pepperberry, Betel Leaf
25
Small Plates
Cured Amberjack, Cucumber, Black Sesame, Thai Basil
31
Eggplant, Whipped Ricotta, Chickpea, Crispy Chilli
25
Raw Beef, Lemongrass Sriracha, Curry Leaf, Puffed Black Rice
31
Kingfish Collar, Dry Native Curry, Orange Kosho, Lime
24/48
Large Plates
Sweet Grey Pumpkin, Red Curry, Kaffir Lime, Tomato Sambal
38
Grilled Hapuka, Turmeric, Dill
49
Roast Chicken, Pickled Squash, Vietnamese Mint, Tamarind
48
Shorthorn Short Rib, Rendang Paste, Bone Marrow Jus
79
14-Day Dry Aged Duck, Red Cabbage, Cocktail Onion, Muntries
76
Vegetables and Sides
Green Papaya, Jalapeno Nahm Jim, Desert Lime, Blistered Tomatoes
18
Snake Beans, Braised Shiitake, Dried Mushroom
20
Savoy Cabbage, Enoki Mushroom, Umami Butter, Pepperberry
24
Rice and Noodles
King Green Prawn Rice Noodles, Pork Crackling, Coconut, Garlic Chives
35
Clay Pot Broken Rice, Braised Pork Cheek, King Brown Mushroom, Egg Yolk
40
Moreton Bay Bug Fried Rice, Fresh Peas, Spiced Crayfish, Bottarga
45
Desserts
Caramelised Cheesecake Mille Feuille, Jasmine Milk Tea, Yuzu
27
Scorched Pavlova, Mango, Strawberry Gum, Yellow Peach
24
Dark Chocolate, Coconut, Mixed Berry, Salted Cashew
24
Banana, Wattleseed, Peanut Butter, Vietnamese Coffee
24
Signature Set Menu - $125 (for up to 5 guests)
Forbidden Rice Sourdough, Palm Sugar, Spiced Cultured Butter
Yellowfin Tuna, Fried Rice Noodle, Watermelon Radish, Shiso
Eggplant, Whipped Ricotta, Chickpea, Crispy Chilli
Lamb Spring Roll, Onion Relish, Purple Cos, Sambal Emulsion
14-Day Dry Aged Duck, Red Cabbage, Grilled Onion, Muntries
Clay Pot Broken Rice, King Brown Mushroom, Braised Pork Cheek, Egg Yolk
Green Papaya, Jalapeno Nahm Jim, Desert Lime, Blistered Tomatoes
Dark Chocolate, Coconut, Mixed Berry, Salted Cashew
Set Menu - $110 (for 6 guests and above)
Forbidden Rice Sourdough, Spiced Cultured Butter 
Yellowfin Tuna, Fried Rice Noodle, Watermelon Radish, Shiso
Eggplant, Whipped Ricotta, Chickpea, Crispy Chilli
Cured Amberjack, Cucumber, Black Sesame, Thai Basil
Ora King Salmon, Fermented Soybean, Pickled Ginger, Oyster Mushroom
Roasted Chicken, Pickled Squash, Vietnamese Mint, Tamarind
Papaya, Jalapeno Nahm Jim, Desert Lime, Blistered Tomatoes
Claypot Broken Rice, Braised Pork Cheek, King Brown Mushroom, Egg Yolk
Scorched Pavlova, Mango, Strawberry Gum, Yellow Peach
OR
Set Menu - $150 (for 6 guests and above)
Forbidden Rice Sourdough, Palm Sugar, Spiced Cultured Butter
Spanner Crab Toast, Black Cabbage, Pickled Fennel, Wasabi
Raw Beef, Lemongrass Sriracha, Curry Leaf, Puffed Black Rice
Kingfish Collar, Dry Native Curry, Orange Kosho, Lime
Ora King Salmon, Fermented Soybean, Pickled Ginger, Oyster Mushroom
14 Day Dry Aged Duck, Red Cabbage, Grilled Onion, Muntries
Papaya, Jalapeno Nahm Jim, Desert Lime, Blistered Tomatoes
Savoy Cabbage, Enoki Mushroom, Umami Butter, Pepperberry
Clay Pot Broken Rice, Braised Pork Cheek, King Brown Mushroom, Egg Yolk
Dark Chocolate, Coconut, Mixed Berry, Salted Cashew
Caramelised Cheesecake Mille Feuille, Jasmine Milk Tea, Yuzu

We are proud to represent a cellar of wines that have been awarded three glasses in Australia’s prestigious Wine List of the Year Awards. Amongst these you’ll find limited allocations, Burgundies that pair wonderfully with Aru’s cuisine, textural varietals, obscure bottles and small-grower producers. Glasses by the Coravin to taste, and broadly, sake, amaro, spirits and liqueurs.

 

You’ll also find cocktails with the components made in-house, created by whatever inspiration may take us, always in sync with the menu.

The List

HAPPENINGS

Mothers Day Lunch

We’ll be open for lunch this Mother’s Day, with the option of our a la carte menu, signature set menu and an add-on of silky Hokkaido scallop & crab roe dumplings in aged Shaoxing with Yarra Valley salmon roe.

 

Our sommeliers also have some elegant rosés on pour – the 2022 Mas Jullien Rosé (a Cinsault, Carignan, Mourvèdre blend from Languedoc, France), and the 2024 Lyons Will Estate Rosé  (Pinot Noir & Gamay). 

 

Join us, for a beautiful Sunday afternoon in the restaurant.

Private Dining

Ensconed away in Aru is our private dining room, Banda, which fully closes up to the rest of the restaurant. The rich, timber-encased space seats 12, with doors that offer seclusion.

 

Banda opens up onto The Terrace – an impressive landing with a view of our cellar. Here, you’ll find a grand long table set-up, a favourite amongst wedding parties, birthdays and celebrations of all sorts. The Terrace is separated from the dining room by a mesh curtain and seats 30. Both spaces can be booked separately or together.

Event Package
Private Dining Enquiries

About

Named after the group of islands which ancient seafarers frequented as part of the Sino-Indonesian-Australian route, Aru draws on the cuisine of the three regions. Asian dishes deftly flecked with native Australian ingredients, grilled or finished over the wood-fired hearth.

 

In this beautiful, moody space of marble, mesh, wood and brick lies some of the city’s most renowned dishes and an impressive cellar list – a destination for a coming together of cuisines and cultures.

 

–

The Age Good Food Guide 2025 – Two Hats

Gift Cards

Gift a dining experience at Aru with our digital gift cards, sent immediately to you or a recipient of your choice.

 

Gift cards are valid for 3 years from the date of purchase.

Purchase