Spice Temple

7.3 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  6      Service  7      Value  8     

I always like walking through the Queensbridge entrance of Crown Casino. It is like living vicariously through the latest advertisement for the place there as the doorman tips his hat after you walk past a virtual showroom of motorcars after seeing Eddie McGuire (or any of the current popular AFL footy players) being whisked away in the lastest model Holden.

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Feb 17, 2013 

8 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  7     

We have eaten lots of good Asian food both here and overseas. This was good. From the moment you are greeted the scene is set. Great furnishings inside although the dark feel was a little odd.

The food was good although the price is very steep. The schichuan chicken was the hottest one we have had. Can normally have no issues with the tingle feeling, but these were intense! The caramle parfait was brilliant for dessert!

We had a nice relaxed dinner. But for about 1/4 of the price you could go to china town and get the same dinner, just minus the fancy decor.

Feb 04, 2013 

9 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  9     

I. Loved. This. Place.

Spice Temple was brilliant. Got the early booking on a Saturday night and everything went super well; from a warm greeting, menu explained, prompt service, nice wine list and unbelievably good food. On the pricey end but no problem at all paying for a dining experience such as this!

We shared lots of stuff...Fried squid (nice), king prawn wontons (epically good), chinese broccoli (well done), spicy/fragrant prawns (delicious) and the prawns with duck egg (crazy good sauce). Wish the wife was not a vego so we could have hoed in to the chicken or beef dishes but I was super happy with what we got. Presentation was excellent, flavours clean and the heat was okay, even for the non-chilli loving Mrs.

Few different glasses of wine from the list, the pinot gris from France was the winner to cut through the residual heat and not overtake the seafood flavours. The service was exemplary; always attentive, polite and knowledgeable - these guys were seriously on the money and didn't miss a trick.

Give Spice Temple a go if in Melb, it is a very swish looking place and every inch worthy of an excellent score. One of my faves for sure.

Aug 21, 2012 

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  8     

Decided to try this place as it was recommended. Ordered the banquets and a few bottles of wine. Food was plentiful, tasty and well worth the per head. Delightful eggplant dish and amazing pickles! Ambience was subdued and comfortable with the service being top notch. Great restaurant, would recommend to others and will be back myself.

May 25, 2012 

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  9     

Dong’an Chicken arrives next, a famous Hunan dish dating back to the 8th Century, a result of three ladies in a spot of trouble on a busy night in their restaurant, with barely anything left they had to rustle of a new dish with the chicken they had and the spices and aromatics they had in the pantry! It’s a great dish, plenty of sichuan spice and teamed with plain boiled rice, there is a little sichuan tingly and numbness creeping in!.

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Dec 17, 2011 

7.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  6     

Went for a dinner and movie night. Ambience is lovely, music was trendy (although a tad loud), our waiter was lovely. Quirky touch to have cocktails inspired by signs of the Chinese Zodiac (I had a refreshing 'rabbit'). Food was beautiful - tea smoked duck, tingling prawns (just enough spice - yum), lamb pancake and the pork belly main. The highlight was the chocolate parfait dessert! Great wine list, all in all a satisfying Palladium experience.

Oct 23, 2011 

6.3 Average

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  6      Value  5     

We had a reservation for 9pm on a Saturday night, arrived at 8.55pm, to be told our table was not ready and that there was no room in the bar. Told to come back in 15 mins. Came back at 9.25pm, table still not ready, but at least they had room in their bar for us. After ordering one of the cheapest wines on the list ($65) the table was finally ready at 9.45pm, after asking our waitress to check on it 3 times - they don't know how close I was to walking out!

Being a couple with one carnivore and one vegetarian, makes ordering banquets hard, but our waitress checked, and the chef agreed to alter a few dishes from the banquet for vegetarian, and away we went with the $69 pp banquet. We received approx 9 dishes, but included in this 9 are the pickles and steamed veg, so you really only get about 5.

The Bang Bang Chicken is just that - bang bang! and cold! a bit weird eating really cold chicken that sets your mouth on fire, but nice. Only 4 smallish pieces of chicken. Then came a vegetarian version of the eggplant - To die for! It's rich and sweet - like a san choi bow without the lettuce. I'd go back just for that one dish! The rest of the banquet was steamed rice, steamed broccoli with sauce, a waygu beef dish with asparugus that my husband said was divine, and another chicken dish that I could take or leave again.

We felt it was good value for $69 pp to try so many dishes, and would probably try it again, but not at this place. The lighting in the place was quite dim, but it makes for the mood. We had quite a rowdy table next to us, but they can't control that. Background music is good! They have a list of 100 wines - exactly. There's some deep and meaningful para from Neil Perry about how he has personally chosen the wines etc, but they are really expensive, and kinda kill the hip pocket right from the start. Apart from that, we enjoyed the food, but most likely won't return.

Oct 04, 2011 

7.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  9      Service  7      Value  7     

This restaurant has a great intimate atmosphere for a small group or great for a couple. Warm low lighting, cosy atmosphere. The food is great, waiters stern but polite. A fine experience with not too many faults. Could do with a bit more personable service and staff.

Aug 22, 2011 

5.5 Average

Food  4      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  4     

I took interstate guests to Spice Temple last night (it was the first time I'd been there myself). Overall, it was Ok but I doubt I'll be going back. The food was somewhat hit and miss. We ordered a few entrees to share and then did the same with mains. The lowlight of the meal was the Bang Bang white cut chicken. The chicken itself was fatty to begin with but then it was sitting in spices and Oil! There was no mention on the menu that the dish was a cold dish, straight out of the fridge, but it was and this only added to the unpleasantness.

The highlights of the meal were the Hunan Style Pork Belly which we all agreed was absolutely outstanding, and the Stir fried grass fed beef fillet which just melted in your mouth.

I ordered Baked Ginger Custard for dessert, only to be presented with a cheesecake. Apparently the dessert menu had changed, however, my copy hadn't!
There are much better places around town.

Jul 20, 2011 

7.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  7     

Made a reservation at 6 which is early for dinner so the service was attentive. About an hour later people started trickling in and before we knew it, it was a fully packed out restaurant by 7 pm.

We were explained the menu where the items in red were spicy/numbing experience and that should order no more than 5 dishes. We started with the Fried squid with whole five spice and dark chilli paste to share. It was hot! We then proceeded to the Hunan style crisp pork belly and that was spicy as well. I can take the spice but my partners head had small sweat beads forming. Make sure you compliment all these dishes with rice as eating it alone would be too salty and hot.

We skipped dessert but they gave us this really yummy Buttermilk Yoghurt with Fresh Pomegranate and Pistachio drink to cool our mouths down. Nice touch to the whole experience. Will try the Sydney one to see how it compares but I loved this restaurant. Just a small addition the restaurant has great taste in music!

May 01, 2011