I love birthdays, and not just my own. Why? Because it means we get to go and try out new and different restaurants we have been saving for a special occasion. Oh, also because drinks are always required ;-) On this joyous occasion we decided to explore the fanciest taste of Asia in the western form of Neil Perry's Spice Temple. Please note these photos were taken from my iPhone (forgot to charge camera battery!)
Located right next to Rockpool Bar and Grill, we searched high and low before we even found the door. It looked like it was part of the wall. It wasn't until someone existed from what we thought was a hole in the wall. The door is actually a giant LCD screen that has curtains "flying" revealing the restaurant's name. There are no handles or signs, making it seem like a prestigious high society club *insert "Am I Not Turtl-y enough for the Turtle Club" meme*
Dark and Stormy (unsure of price)
Cocktails are a girl's must pre-dinner. Spice Temple has a dedicated team of bar tending specialists who have delivered concoctions coinciding with the Chinese Zodiac. I was eager for some ginger beer that day though so decided to go with a classic favourite - Dark and Stormy. The ginger beer was... too ginger-y for my liking i.e prob fancy real ginger as compared to my accustomed Bundaberg ginger beer.
Silken Tofu and Preserved Egg w Soy Chilli Dressing $18
I sincerely hope I've expressed my love for Silken Tofu by now, if not that let me shout it to the world on how much I LOVE SILKEN TOFU. Tofu is just one of those Asian meal staples that could be done a million ways, and is inexpensive. When done right, it can accompany even just plain rice. The square cubes were slightly fried on the outside, dusted with salt and pepper. Bite into the inside (careful they're hot) and you have to stop it from sliding down your throat. The chilli dressing gave it a bit of a kick, but isn't spicy.
Northern Style Lamb and Fennel Dumplings - 8 for $18
The dumpling wrap/skin was not too thick, which happens a lot in pan-fried dumplings. The base was pan fried to a golden crisp that had a solid crunch, as compared to the unfried softness. The lamb mince was tender and juicy, though the fennel part was barely noticable. Dish was served with a light soy dressing.
Lucky Duck Noodles with Pickled Vegetables $24
In the bottom corner of the bowl, do you see a little patch of orange? Yup, that's chilli oil. This dish was covered with chilli flakes and a great kick to it! The salty duck pieces were balanced out by the tanginess of the pickled veggies. The noodles were those clear glass ones that are fun to slurp up. We quickly devoured this dish and it's hearty goodness.
Hot, Sweet and Sour Numbing Pork $38
Hearing about the infamous numbing pork I have always wondered what the heck is this numbing taste. Obviously, I'm not as bright as I'd like to think because the numbingness was obviously referring to the sensation you feel when you eat it. Your lips feel like you've just had botox! (Not that I know how that feels like...) I really enjoyed the flavours of this dish. It was the perfect combination of sweet and sour and tasted how it should be, unlike those "sweet and sour pork" dishes you get at Asian take away stores for $5 lunch deal. There wasn't much pork to the batter though so it did felt like a jip, but I still enjoyed it in the form of flavoursome batter.
Stir Fried Wagyu Brisket w Baby Eggplant and Chilli $45
This was probably my favourite dish. The wagyu strips were soft, tender and full of flavour. Take a bite and the fattiness would just melt in your mouth (literally!) I think the eggplant was slighted char-grilled as I remember it having a distinct smoky flavour which complimented the savoury dish well. MUST EAT WITH FRESH CHILLIS, it's just not the same without.
For this special occasion we ordered an Adriano Zumbo cake, so I didn't get to try the desserts. Despite everyone's infatuation, I'm not a advocate fan of Zumbo's creations. They're sweets are way too sweet even for my liking, but I have a lot of respect for what he makes and the different combinations of flavours he creates. The V8 cake is a good exchange or his skills (as featured in MasterChef). The normal V8 was out of stock so we decided to try the Raspberry V8, and then all was right with the world for that second.
Raspberry V8 Cake (approx $45)
Dubbed V8 for it's 8 layers of goodness. From what I could taste layers included black sesame, raspberry, liquorice, lychee (the reason why we got this cake), and rosewater everywhere (mousse and sponge soaked). There was also this crunchy layer which I wasn't too sure what of it, but wonderful textured layers of gel, crunch, cream sponge and mousse was a little slice of heaven.
The staff at Spice Temple were very welcoming and came back to check now and then to see if everything was okay with out meals. Our waters were constantly topped (wish it was wine T_T) and they helped us bring out the cake, provided the sparklers, and cut the cake as well. I know some restaurants place a surchange on cake cutting, which I think is a HUGE turn off. It's a birthday, way to ruin it. Will definitely revisit in the future.
Food: 4.5/5
Service: 5/5Atmosphere: 4.5/5
Interior: 3.5/5
Revisit: 4/5
Labels: food