Celebrating Lunar New Year at Spice Temple-Sydney
Written by Axel Ritenis ,Publishing Editor of the Sydney Times & Connoisseur Magazine London
“Aromatic and fragrant, the culinary focus at Spice Temple is regional China, looking at the different provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Guangxi and Xinjiang. With the dusty aromas of dried spice and the intensity of chillies (dried, fresh, salted, pickled, brined and fermented), our menu is designed to excite, with balance and harmony at its core.”
Spice Temple’s a la carte menu is designed to be shared and enjoyed banquet style.
With a culinary focus on China’s far-flung regions – including Yunnan, chilli-loving Jiangxi, Hunan and Sichuan, with its citrus-hued warmth, Guangxi and Xingjiang – Spice Temple’s a la carte menu is designed to be shared and enjoyed banquet style.
Wine
As I discovered Spice Temple has a concise wine list of exactly 100 wines, has been designed to complement the regional Chinese flavours they celebrate in their menu. Alongside this they have a cocktail list featuring superbly crafted drinks based around the Chinese zodiac.
The Lunar New year Menu
The regional Chinese banquet menus costs $159 per person, including a Rabbit cocktail on arrival. An optional wine pairing is available for $75 per person.
Spice Temple Sydney – Chinese New Year Banquet Menu
运气 Luck
Pickled cucumbers with mint and garlic
Baby tomatoes with strange flavour dressing
Roasted cashews with basil
繁荣 Prosperity
Raw tuna ‘Yu Sheng’
Tea eggs with superior soy
財富 Wealth
Pork, prawn, and garlic chive spring rolls
幸运 Fortune
Pipis with pork and Shaoxing wine
长寿 Longevity
Steamed Coral Trout with King Brown mushrooms, rice noodles and curry leaves
和谐 Peace
Wu Xi new year pork ribs
幸福 Happiness
Tea-smoked chicken with aged black vinegar
丰产 Fertility
Stir-fried baby greens with ham
爱 Love
Raspberry royale
My experience – Fabulous Wine & Food pairings
On my visit on Friday the 20th january, We were offered some truly memorable wines ,..the first being a Rheingau German Riesling Balthazar Ress Kabinett Riesling,..served with the Pork, prawn, and garlic chive spring rolls( amazingly enough I visited this winery in Germany during the European summer only 3 months ago),..amazing coincidence,..then we had a very good,..slight oily white Yalumba Viognier ,.which went really well with the Seafood,..especially the delicate Raw tuna ‘Yu Sheng’ and later on the Steamed Coral Trout . With the Tea-smoked chicken with aged black vinegar and the and the Wu Xi new year pork ribs we were served a truly interesting and well matched Mondeuse red wine from Mount Majura in the Canberra district.It is very unusual to find a Mondeuse varietal wine and the only other winery I know of that produces this wine is Brown Bros in the King Valley,Victoria.To finish We enjoyed a fairly dry Simfonia Petite Manseng which went exquisitely with the delicious Raspberry Royale!
Now, I should mention this experience is nicely curated and structured, and guided by a knowledgeable sommelier (In this case a charming and knowledgeable Somm called Alex) who presents each course and explains a little about the wine,.. and I must say the selected wines really did add an extra dimension ,…and makes it a more memorable experience. It also saves you agonizing over the Wine List and selection a,..and gives you more time to engage and socialize with your dinner companions . I would highly recommend this option for the Chinese New Year!
Limited-edition banquet menus available.
$159 per person
Optional matching wines $75 per person
Spice Temple Sydney
Available from Tuesday, 17 January to
Saturday, 28 January.
View Menu & Make A Booking
Spice Temple Melbourne
Available from Tuesday, 17 January to
Sunday, 29 January.
View Menu & Make A Booking
Address: 10 Bligh St, Sydney NSW 2000
