Spice Temple rings in Year of the Ox with a feast of auspicious dishes.
Spice Temple is ushering in the Chinese New Year with an elaborate banquet of nine delicious, auspicious dishes, which signify good luck for the year ahead.
Executive Chef of Spice Temple in Sydney and Melbourne Andy Evans, and Melbourne Head Chef Joshua Kerr have curated share-style menus to celebrate the Year of the Ox, which are available from Wednesday, 10 February to Saturday, 20 February for lunch and dinner sittings at both restaurants.
Chef Andy explains that the symbolism of traditional Chinese New Year foods is embraced and lucky food consumed during the annual celebrations as individuals seek good fortune for the coming year.
“We have drawn on our most special dishes that we save for celebratory occasions and designed menus that promote prosperity, happiness, peace, love and other aspects of good fortune,” he says.
“We have chosen red ingredients like roma cherry tomatoes and beetroot, as red is the colour of prosperity and happiness; purse-shaped pippies that represent fortune; as well as classic dishes eaten during Chinese New Year celebrations, such as Nian Gao – or Chinese New Year cakes, and Lo Han Jai, or Buddha’s Delight, which is an extremely popular vegetarian dish that is believed to bring good luck.”
The menus cost $129 per person, with an optional wine matching for $85 per person. Dishes may vary depending on the availability of produce.
Spice Temple Sydney
Cocktail on arrival
~ Wealth ~
Pickled roma cherry tomatoes with dark soy
Sichuan-style pickled cucumbers and shiitake
~ Prosperity ~
Raw tuna ‘Yu Sheng’ with spicy orange oil and iceberg
~ Happiness ~
Hunan-style soy beef and beetroot salad
~ Fortune ~
‘The most delicious dish under heaven’ – pippies with pork and Shaoxing wine
~ Longevity ~
Stir-fried spanner crab with leeks and mung bean noodles
~ Money ~
Stir-fried Wagyu brisket with lucky money dumplings and baby eggplant
~ Peace ~
Roast pork belly with hot, sweet and sour sauce
~ Rejuvenation ~
Stir-fried baby vegetables with ginger
~ Love ~
Raspberry sorbet with praline
Spice Temple Melbourne’s Josh Kerr is preparing for his first Chinese New Year as the restaurant’s Head Chef.
“Chinese New Year is the time to honour many things, including family, heavenly deities and ancestors. At Spice Temple we also like to honour our guests, suppliers and producers by creating a very special menu that showcases beautiful ingredients and culturally significant dishes,” says Josh.
“I’ve played with ingredients to give classic dishes a contemporary Spice Temple spin and have incorporated food symbolism that is significant at this time of year, for example my interpretation of a traditional Yu Sheng is predominantly green in colour, which is the lucky colour of the Ox zodiac.”
Spice Temple Melbourne
Cocktail on arrival
~ Wealth ~
Pickled roma cherry tomatoes with dark soy
Sichuan-style pickled cucumber and shiitake
~ Prosperity ~
Raw Hiramasa Kingfish ‘Yu Sheng’ with preserved olive,
pickled celery and shallot oil
~ Happiness ~
Hunan-style Cape Grim fillet tartare with salted chilli and yacai
and served with sesame bread
~ Fortune ~
Stir-fried pippies with lap cheong and mushroom soy
~ Longevity ~
Stir-fried spanner crab, leeks and mung bean noodles
~ Money ~
Braised duck with dried mushroom and Nian Gao (Chinese New Year cake)
~ Peace ~
Charcoal-roasted char siu, honey and Shaoxing glaze
with burnt garlic chive sauce
~ Rejuvenation ~
Buddha’s Delight – braised baby vegetables and tofu
~ Love ~
Caramel ice cream with praline