Spice Temple

Regional Chinese cuisine cornerstone of modern Yum Cha

You won't find a single trolley or cart insight at Neil Perry's Spice Temple. Yum cha, served daily and directly from the kitchen, delivers a new take on Asian dining.

If it's flavour you're after, there's plenty of it here. From chili to dried spice, the senses are sure to revel in delight. Fresh produce influence the creation of unique dishes, designed to share, and deliver a variety of tastes and textures.

Perry's one hatted (The AGE Good Food Guide 2012) establishment truly showcases some exciting Chinese cuisine in town.

Eat: Out came the crispy Guangxi pork sliders, WOW, mini burgers which combined the virtues and lightness of southern Chinese cuisine. The King prawn wontons followed, along with their intense chili flavour. Deceiving little buggers, I could only down one of three. Note that the hottest dishes are printed in red on the menu. The hot and numbing dry Wagyu beef was neither, especially after the wontons, however would have made for a great slider. The crab, flathead and spinach dumplings was typical of yum cha fare.     

Steamed crab, flathead and spinach dumplings



L-R: crispy Guangxi pork sliders, King prawn wontons with aged black vinegar dressing,
Chinese broccoli with house made oyster sauce and hot and numbing dry Wagyu beef

 

Drink: Jasmine Pearl and Blackcurrant and Hibiscus tea.

Chin Chin

A fusion of up town happy happy joy joy

If you want to eat at Chin Chin, its first come first served at this stylish city diner. Relaxed dining, means that you won't need to book, however be prepared to wait curb side or pop in to Go Go bar downstairs as I did. A notable bar menu, prepared in the kitchen upstairs, serves up a selection of bite size treats befitting of any basement juke.     

Eat: Chefs Andrew Gimber and Ben Cooper have created a menu that is a combination of Asian influences, most notably Thai, with a bit of Chinese, Indian and a few other varietals to boot.

Propped at the bar, first timers (like me) are navigated through the selection of dishes, think soups, green stuff, curries, barbeque and a little bit more, with recommendations marked up on the paper place mat menu in front you.

At Chin Chin, it's all about having fun. An extension of this is the exotic and varied dishes, including the kingfish sashimi, each sliver was a burst of freshness; and wild barramundi which payed homage to the true flavours of Thailand.

Kingfish sashimi with lime, chilli, coconut and thai basil 

Wild barramundi wrapped in wrapped in banana leaf with coconut red curry, lime and thai basil

Steamed gai laan and sesame in oystersauce and ginger

Crunchy school prawns with nahm prik pla gapi, lemon basil and crudites 

Drink: A vast selection of 'Adults Only 18+' drinks are available. I opted for one of the seasonal cocktails, spring's Provence.