LET’S start with the name. Soju girls are the beautiful stars who appear in Korea’s soju commercials, but that’s a coincidence.

One of Civic’s newest dining destinations – Soju Girl, in the historic Melbourne Building – is really named after the signature cocktails they make with soju (Korean vodka) and Shochu (a Japanese equivalent).

This is a place that dares to be different – the menu, the décor, the concept.

The massive lounge features leather furniture, including reclining chairs. Vases with hot-pink bamboo stalks add a funky element.

So does the fluorescent, lime-green graffiti art by Dai Cameron – recently back from freelancing in Beijing, including for Mercedes and Adidas.

In the bistro you’re surrounded by stunning dendrobium orchids and this area will soon become an art gallery.

The dining room can be divided into two sections and features intriguing black and white stencil art by Canberra’s Dale Newberry. It’s worth a visit just to soak it all in.

And then there’s the food. Executive chef Derek Brown has worked in classy operations and has lived in Thailand working with locals. Sous chef Yarek Masier is also on deck.

The menu stars modern South-East Asian and Japanese dishes and we decided to order small plates to share, a wonderful way to explore the food.

The smoked trout with coconut chilli dressing, presented on betel leaf ($6.50 each), was our first small plate and it was outstanding.

The char-grilled prawns, with deconstructed crispy bits of wonton and a melon-coloured spicy foam, was a perfect combination of tastes and textures ($18 for four) and the crispy pork hock, red date puree and black vinegar caramel tender as and rich as ($15).

We gave top marks to the Eden mussels, on the specials’ list, and then shared a main, which was to die for.

The beef cheek was melt-in-your-mouth and cooked in a Penang cashew curry ($35).

Other mains, ranging from $30 to $36, include kaffir scented pumpkin in a coconut broth and whole baby snapper with chilli jam and Thai herbs.

Desserts are a must. Again we shared and were delighted. The show-stopper was lemon-grass brulee, with pineapple salsa and ginger syrup ($13) is creamy, earthy and intriguing.

The chocolate fondant, with salted caramel and peanut-butter ice cream, was decadent, but worth every bite ($16).

At Soju Girl you can pop in for a quick beer and some chilli-salt cashews, order an expensive bottle of champagne with oysters, enjoy a casual meal in the bistro or linger over lunch or dinner in the dining area.

You won’t be disappointed. We weren’t.

Soju Girl, 41-43 Northbourne Avenue, 6257 5328. Open weekdays (except Tuesday) 11.30am to 11pm; Saturday and Sunday 2pm to midnight.