Video: Melbourne chef Shaun Quade prepares his ice cold lychee shrub recipe

Chef Shaun Quade is known for his whimsical and visually-stunning dishes at Lume on Coventry Street in South Melbourne.

The dessert featured in this video - ice cold lychee shrub - is typical of his mind meddling ways. "I made a lychee and elderflower vinegar last summer and that forms the base of the sorbet that is in the candy lychee shell," explains Quade. The dish was partly inspired by bar talk, where a drinking vinegar can be known as "a shrub".

The dessert features as part of Lume's tasting menu, "but we also serve it as a stand alone dish on our bar menu so guests can come into the bar, have a cocktail or three, and a lychee shrub." That's Melbourne for you.

Quade whips up some yuzu meringue, and leaves made from freeze-dried rice paper brushed with raspberry and lime puree for his lychee bush. There's also coconut and buddhas hand mousse that hides a ginger and pineapple marmalade.

"To finish the dish at the table we pour hot water over the rocks at the base of the shrub which has dry ice and a perfume we created of wet rainforest. This wafts over the table as the guests eat the dish."

The Age Good Food Guide 2017 awards night, presented by Citi and Vittoria, is on Monday, September 12. Follow all the action via @goodfoodau and #goodfoodguide on Twitter and Instagram. The Guide will be on sale in newsagents and bookstores from Tuesday, September 13, with all book purchases receiving free access to the new Good Food app.