Spice Temple rings in Year of the Rat with fortuitous feast

Dec 10, 2019

Executive Chef of Spice Temple in Sydney and Melbourne Andy Evans, and Melbourne Head Chef Neisha Woo, have created a beautiful Chinese New Year banquet menu to celebrate the Year of the Rat, which is available from Monday, 20 January to Sunday, 9 February for lunch and dinner sittings.

Chef Andy says the exquisite menu is designed to promote prosperity, happiness, peace, love and other aspects of good fortune for the coming year.

“These are our most special dishes, which we save for a very special time of year,” he says. “The menu features ingredients and dishes that bring good luck and fortune, including our ‘Yu Sheng’ salad which guests are invited to toss with their chopsticks. The higher they toss the salad, the more good fortune will be bestowed upon them.”

The menu costs $99 per person, with matching drinks an additional $55 per person. (The wines below may change.)

財富 Wealth
Pickled roma cherry tomatoes with dark soy
Sichuan pickled cucumbers and shiitake

繁荣 Prosperity
Raw tuna ‘Yu Sheng’ with spicy orange oil and iceberg

幸福 Happiness

Hunan-style soy beef and beetroot salad

2017 Keller ‘Trocken’ Grüner Silvaner, Rheinhessen, Germany

幸运 Fortune

‘The most delicious dish under heaven’ – Pippies with pork and Shaoxing wine

长寿 Longevity
Stir-fried spanner crab with leeks and mung bean noodles
2016 Barringwood Schönburger, Lower Barrington, Tasmania

金钱 Money
Stir-fried wagyu brisket with lucky money dumplings and baby eggplant

和谐 Peace
Roast pork belly with hot, sweet and sour sauce

复兴 Rejuvenation
Stir-fried baby vegetables with ginger
2017 Zweigelt Blend, Arndorfer 'Vorgeschmack' Niederösterreich, Austria

爱 Love
Caramel ice cream with praline
2008 Semillon blend, Les Carmes de Rieussec, Sauternes, France