Spice Temple
Mood-lit basement that awakens the senses.
16/20
Chinese$$$
After 15 years in the business of Sichuan, Hunan and Yunnan deliciousness, Rockpool Bar & Grill’s fiery sibling is undergoing renovations as we go to print.
Chef Andy Evans tells us the new-look restaurant will feature a hot-pot counter in the middle of the dining room, a slick revamped fit-out and significant menu changes. What will remain is an accommodating floor team at the top of its game, a cracking wine list that doesn’t hold back on the riesling and regional Chinese cooking that doesn’t skimp on the heat.
Here’s hoping a few long-time favourite dishes remain too, such as fish (maybe coral trout, maybe bass grouper) drowned in heaven facing chilli-infused oil so it’s clean-tasting and hot, gold-standard kung pao chicken, and “sweet, sour and numbing pork” that does exactly what it says on the tin thanks to liberal doses of black vinegar and roasted Sichuan pepper. Spice Temple forever.
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Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/nsw-good-food-guide/spice-temple-20231227-p5etws.html