While in Melbourne with my cousin Cath, visiting from Calgary, I suddenly exclaimed, “We have to go to Spice Temple!”. It has been almost ten years since my last visit, and I was genuinely excited to return to this unforgettable dining experience. A quick search reveals that on Fridays they offer a Yum Cha menu, with surprisingly reasonable prices! Without hesitation, I booked us a table late that Thursday evening for the following day.

This post may contain affiliate links, to read more click here.

Before we enjoyed lunch at Spice Temple, we made a quick stop at Bar Marmont a few doors down in the Crown Casino Complex, not far from Spice Temple, read on for a taste of exceptional cocktails and our mouthwatering spectacular lunch!

We arrived a little early, so we ducked into a bar – Marmont at the Crown Casino Complex for a pre-lunch cocktail… While on the pricier side, the service and drinks were exceptional. Cath opted for the Back to Cali, a vibrant mix of butter vodka, gin, macadamia, passionfruit, orgeat, and lemon. It wasdelightful blend—fruity, yet perfectly balancing sweet and sour notes. I chose the intriguingly named Sink or Swim, drawn in by its use of cucumber. Made with Reposado tequila, chilli poblano, cucumber, and lime, it was refreshing, with a subtle kick, and the fresh cucumber flavour really shined. Who would have thought it could work so well in a cocktail?

Next, we headed to Spice Temple. While management has changed and it is no longer part of the Neil Perry / Rockpool group, the essence remained. The décor is largely the same, with a subtle refresh, and the food and service are still nothing short of exquisite, maintaining the high standards it has long been known for.

We began with the mushroom and truffle dumplings (left) and the crystal vegetable dumplings (right), both were absolutely delicious. Cath was intrigued by the gold flecks atop the mushroom and truffle dumplings, which perfectly echoed the richness of their earthy flavour. The vegetable dumplings were just as satisfying, thanks to their delicate, perfectly steamed skins.

The prawn wontons in aged black vinegar is the only dish I remember from my last visit. When they arrived, the vibrant red oil suggested they’ll be intensely spicy but that’ wasn’t the case. Instead, they’re perfectly balanced, full of flavour, and quickly became our favourite. The real star is the rich, oily, aged black vinegar, layered with crunchy shallots, green onion, and the tingling heat of numbing Sichuan peppercorns. They were bold, complex, and utterly addictive.

Cath was a little hesitant about ordering the crispy eggplant, likely imagining the kind of overcooked, grey, mushy version that lacks flavour, which surprised me, given her love of vegetarian food. I hadn’t tried them at Spice Temple before, but as soon as I spotted them on the menu, I knew we had to. I’d enjoyed a similar version many times at Nourish by Avata in Kathmandu while studying there, and this dish lived up to my expectations. Perfectly crispy and crunchy, with just the faintest hint of fish dressing on the exterior, it gave the prawn wontons a serious run for their money.

This is a wordy dish. The Corner Inlet calamari with typhoon shelter style dressing, calamari, hails from, you guessed it, Corner Inlet which is located from the Southeastern side of Port Phillip Bay around 200 kilometres from Melbourne. Theses calamari rings were delicious and the typhoon shelter style dressing, originating from the Hong Kong typhoon shelters where fishermen once lived and cooked on their boats, had a punchy, garlicky flavour. We both approved!

Even though we were starting to feel full, we decided to try one last dish, the prawn and scallop spring rolls. They were generously filled and nicely cooked, Cath loved them, but for me, they didn’t quite reach the heights of our earlier dishes.

The service was warm, attentive, and full of friendly banter. We both thoroughly enjoyed our Yum Cha experience at Spice Temple, and I’ll definitely be back next time I’m in Melbourne—hopefully it won’t take another ten years!

Bar Marmont

Spice Temple

Visiting Melbourne? Click HERE!