Spice Temple

For my sister-in-law's 30th, we dined as a family at Spice Temple. Spice Temple is brought to you by Neil Perry. It offers an underground Chinese Restaurant that brings together sample dishes from all over China.

We sampled the Fried Salt and Pepper Silken Tofu with Spicy Coriander Salad. The dish was a delicate balance of great flavours and the tofu was silky as described. Definitely one of my favourites of the night... though I still prefer the amazing Silky Tofu at Iron Chef in Cabramatta.

Funny enough the battle of the night was caused by a division of whether the Cucumbers with Smashed Garlic and Ginger was a better side dish than the Cabbage and Raddish.

To be honest, both were simple but equally as refreshing and complimenting with the food. Maybe it was still early.. we were probably extra hungry at this point.

Next up was the Hong Kong Typhoon Style Fried Squid. The squid was cooked well and whatever that crumbed combination was left in the plate... it was fantastic. I manage to convince many on the table to just use it as seasoning over the other dishes... unbelievably delicious!

Our first carby main came which was the Yellow Noodles with Braised Wagyu, Chilli and Sichuan Peppercorn. I didn't think I'd enjoy this but I was really taken back by how the wagyu melted in your mouth... and the sauce was full-bodied, delicious and so evenly distributed. The best part was the slight numbing effect of the Sichuan peppercorn. One of my favourite noodles dishes ever.

So I misread the menu and thought we were having Pecking Duck... but instead we were having Tea Smoked Half Duck with Mandarin Pancakes. For me the duck was too dry, the sauce was not enough to go around and it just didn't have that oomph and fattiness of what pecking duck has to offer.

Even a great roast duck would have topped this dish. I don't seem to have a knack for picking up smokiness flavours... so maybe that lack of tasting skills might have left me slightly biased.

We also tried the Crispy Skinned Half Chicken with Ginger and Shallot. Tan Viet... there's no need to worry as this is nowhere in comparison to what you guys can pull off. The skin was dry but not crispy... and unfortunately the chicken itself was on the dry side as well.

We then had the House Style Fried Rice Lap Yuk, Pea and Salted Chilli. Yet again another dry dish... the fried rice tasted like something I'd make at home... there was no love in it. Where's the hot wok with oil to create that fluffy rice taste and buttery sensation? There's some amazing chefs out there in Chinese restaurants that pull of dishes of fried rice that leave you begging for more... and charge half the price...

My most dreaded dish had to be the Snake Beans Stir Fried with Pork and XO Sauce. This is something I eat fortnightly at least and that's exactly how it tasted... simple, home-cooked but charging an arm and a leg.

We also had the Guangxi Style Crisp Roast Pork Belly with Coriander, Peanuts, Red Onion and Sesame Seeds. The Pork Belly was full of great flavours and despite being full... I still manage to power through many pieces. My only gripe was it felt like it was drowned in a sea of coriander..

Our final dish for the night was the Stir Fried Prawns with Salted Duck Egg, with Four Chillies Brined, Dried, Fermented and Pickled. The four chillies definitely delivered and took spicy to an intense level but overall the dish was too super saucy... I couldn't taste anything properly as it was just drowned in sauce.

All the mains seem to have came out around the same time and despite being in a private dining room with a massive table and a lazy susan... we struggled to fit all the plates.

I have to give credit where credit is due and that is their wait staff. They were top notch... extremely polite and professional. My only complaint was at one of the girls at the front counter, displaying some of the typical "I'm too good for this" attitude... which fortunately didn't sour the night too much.

As far as drinks go, Spice Temple seems to pride itself with it's Zodiac named cocktails... it was enough to entice half the group to sample... most of which left mixed expressions on our faces.

I think one of the mysteries for first timers is how the hell do you get in the restaurant. The door is actually subtle and hidden behind a plasma screen that displays an Asian curtain swaying in the wind. You will then proceed down some dark winding steps to an even darker dining area.

Personally this "Chinese Restaurant" is a bit too fusion for me.. plus the pricing just doesn't match the quality you get. Sure there's a few gems amongst all those average dishes... but at the end of the day, unless you just want to impress someone with the Neil Perry branding instead of wanting authenticity... I'd probably give this place a miss.