Tucked away in a breezy McKillop Street, the old Red Spice Road quickly became synonymous with South East Asian cuisine in Melbourne. Its broad menu caressed you on a journey through the region with specialty dishes and refined technique. After opting to move from that location, the team had chosen what they believed to be the ideal spot on Queen Street.
The team put a considerable amount of investment, $2 million, into renovating the venue and making it fit to hold the Red Spice Road brand. I loved the high ceilings and grand windows. These flooded the venue with light and illuminated all of the little touches that the team has worked hard to incorporate.
If you ever had the pleasure to dine at the old venue, there’s undoubtedly one menu item that fragrantly lingers in your memory. Red Spice Road’s slow cooked pork belly. Despite the venue change this was one chilli caramel, black vinegar and mint slaw morsel of decadency that was always going to stay. Let me say, just as scrumptious as my dreams recall. At one stage, they were consuming so much as a restaurant they almost setup their own pig farm!
The menu is designed to whisk you through Asia. Any foodie will love its range from Malaysia to Thailand to Singapore to Vietnam. I loved the interactivity and shared nature of the dishes. It bring you closer to the cuisine and provides for good table talk. Thai chicken curry and beetle leaf as well as the green chilli pork and cos lettuce were two of the highlights for me on this note.
The Friday lunchtime that I went the venue was bustling. 330 covers for lunch type bustling! Ultimately people vote with their feet and it was clear that Melburnians have given the new venue an overwhelming thumbs up.
Rukmal
Co-founder of The Plus Ones, Rukmal lives and breathes events
Disclosure: The Plus Ones were invited guests of Apples & Pears Group
Photo credits: Red Spice Road
Red Spice Road
141 Queen Street
Melbourne, VIC 3000