You can be excused, you little perv, if you took more than a momentary glance at the massive cartoon drawings of three Asian beauties up on the back wall of Red Spice Road, a funky hip Asian themed restaurant slash bar. It is out there. And if you were thinking this place was anything but Oriental, I’m sure the massive red lantern hanging over the two crescents communal tables and antique looking Chinese benches will change your mind.
Unfortunately the shock value ends with those three racks at the back as the menu inspired by more or less the South-East region doesn’t quite hit the mark. A sharing banquet starts with a betel leaf of chopped chicken, lemongrass, chilli & kaffir lime which looks pretty but stacking it against the likes of Longrain and Coda would be unfair. A mock larb gai rehashed as bang bang chicken is basically a clump of steamed mince and vermicelli but lacks the expected chilli lime hit. Same could be said about the Mapo Tofu, which is tastes more like a dying kindling than Sichuan fire.
Much better is the nicely spiced red beef brisket curry that’s just creamy enough. Let me be your Confucius and say, if you could request all dishes to be the very crispy five spiced pork belly, you would. The meat is caramelised on all sides, smothered by a very naughty sticky gravy of caramel hinted with chilli, apple slaw perfect for the protein you’d come back for.
It’s not all food pr0n at the Red Spice Road, but it’ll be better than a Hooters experience at least.
2.5 / 5 yums!
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Where? 27 McKillop Street, Melbourne, VIC
What? Lunch banquet $25 + rice $1.50
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