Yum Cha at Spice Temple Melbourne @ Crown Casino, Southbank

By On February 16, 2012 · 38 Comments · In Asian Cuisine, By Cuisine, By Location, Chinese Cuisine, Food Reviews, Inner Southern Suburbs, Southbank

What do you do when you are desperately in need of food, you’re running out of time and all the restaurants only open up for dining at 12pm?

That’s the situation we found ourselves in last Sunday. The Boy and I had purchased our 12.40pm tickets to watch Star Wars (because we hadn’t yet watched it in 3D) and had an hour and a half to kill.

After being turned away quite rudely by a restaurant staff in Crown, we decided to take a walk to the other side of the casino to see if the rumoured yum cha session at Spice Temple had begun.

We turned up 30 minutes to 12pm and were greeted by a smiling staff, who said, “We are having Yum Cha today!”

After checking with her, if we could be in and out in 40 minutes to get to our movie on time, to which she replied, “Of course, we’ll look after you!”, I couldn’t help but compare at the differences in the level of service between the two establishments.

A Neil Perry establishment and a non-Neil Perry establishment.

As we were assured that we would definitely be looked after and that they would have us in and out in time ready for our show, we relaxed a bit and strolled along the river, waiting for the clock to tick on by.

Sure enough, at 12.00pm sharp, we were ushered in through the entrance and down to the dining area.

As we were seated, our waiter calmly handed us the menu, checked that he had the right time to get us out and proceeded to explain the menu.

45 items and it was a yum cha.

Simple, quick and efficient.

We were asked to choose between an Australian or an Italian sparkling water, and we decided upon the Apani Sparkling Mineral Water, Snowy Mountains ($9.50).

With 35 minutes to go, we placed an order for us to have teas as well. The Boy chose the Jade Sword Tea ($5.50) which was light and refreshing with a very clean taste. I, on the other hand, had the Yunan Gold Tea ($5.00) which was a strong and full-bodied black tea.

As I placed our order for our dim sum to arrive, our waiter started to panic a bit. At the second last dish I ordered, he pretty much said, “I think that’s enough food for the both of you!”

Ahhh… innocent man.. how little does he know of my yum cha ways!

As I silently chuckled to myself, I glanced across the table to the Boy, who for some reason, had the same mild panicked expression as our waiter.

Maybe I did go slightly overboard?

The first bamboo basket arrived to display, a Cumin Lamb Steamed Bun ($8.00) – 1 piece. This was delicious with the flavours balanced really well.

With Spice Temple’s yum cha offer, one can expect slightly different dim sums to be served, as they would incorporate the cuisine Spice Temple emulates (Sichuan, Yunnan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Guangxi and Xinjiang).

Thus began, what I named SPEED YUM CHA DATING!

Northern Chinese Lamb Dumpling ($7.00) – 1 piece, followed on. This was definitely my favourite dish for the meal.

The tender pieces of lamb, was definitely a heavenly bite.

We tried the Wu Gok – Deep Fried Taro Dumplings ($8.00) – 2 pieces, but found it a little too oily.

Possibly in trying to rush the dishes out to us, the kitchen staff hadn’t enough time to heat the oil up enough, and we ended up with crispy, yet soggy pieces of yam :(

Luckily the Crispy Prawn Wontons with Hot & Numbing Sauce ($7.50) – 3 pieces, saved the day in the non-greasy, crispy deep fried section.

The sauce in itself didn’t quite numb, nor was it that hot. I found it rather vinegary and sweet and couldn’t get enough of it! It had such a nostalgic taste which reminded me of a similar sauce I had in my younger days.

We also had the Steamed Scallop Dumplings ($8.00) – 2 pieces which was good as well.

The steamed dumplings were partnered together with a light chilli dressing that accentuated the flavours. Quite different from dipping them into soy sauce.

Next up was the Har Gow – Steamed Prawn Dumplings ($9.00) – 2 pieces. They were pretty decent as well.

I am a great lover of Eggplant or what I grew up knowing as Brinjal and my English friends like correcting me by saying, “Aubergine, Dah-link! Aubergine!”

To me, as long as it taste as it should, I don’t care what you call it :P Which was the case with the Eggplant Braised with Prawn & Flathead ($8.00) – 3 pieces.

So delicious, that the Boy ate two pieces and generously offered me the last piece on the dish :P

I also wanted to have a sample of the restaurant’s take on Cheong Fun and ordered the Steamed Rice Noodle Roll with Prawn & Summer Bamboo ($11.00) – 3 pieces.

It was definitely different, but a welcomed change from the soy sauce, oil and chilli versions you would find in other yum cha establishments.

I convinced the Boy to share an Egg Tart ($4.00) – 1 piece as I never ever pass up an opportunity for dessert, especially in a Neil Perry establishment.

When it arrived, the creamy egg custard was speckled with vanilla beans, indicating that this would be full flavoured and rich.

As I took my first bite, I literally groaned with happiness. The vanilla definitely gave it an extra dimension.

It was a delicious sweet ending to a satisfying meal.

As we were finishing off our last bite, our waiter returned and tapped on his watch, asking us if we were ready and comfortable with everything.

I found it truly amazing that he was more concerned with watching the time than we were (a good thing really! And I was truly impressed).

After we had paid, and whilst we were walking back up the steps, each and every one of the staff who served us throughout our meal wished us farewell and hope we would enjoy our movie!

They promised and delivered, and I was utterly impressed with them. They got us in and out by 12.45pm (5 minutes was because I threw in the extra order of the egg tart at the end).

*Disclaimer: All food ratings & review are purely based on my own experiences and how I feel about the service, food and quality at the time of visit.

Food/ Cuisine: Chinese (Yum Cha Session)
Dining Style: Fine Dining
Overall Food Rating (Based on the Dining style): 7.5/10
Restaurant ambiance: 7/10 (I still find it too dark!)
Service/ Attitude: 8.5/10
Value for money: 7/10 (Keep in mind that it is yum cha in a fine dining-like establishment. So it will be pricier than normal yum cha establishments, but it’s good quality tasting food and a little different from the rest)

Opening Hours:
Yum Cha Session Only – Monday to Sunday, 12:00pm – 3:00pm
Dinner – Monday to Sunday, from 6:00pm

Address:
Ground Floor
Crown Casino
8 Whiteman Street
Southbank VIC 3006

Tel: (03) 8679 1888

Website: http://www.spicetemplemelbourne.com/

How to get there:

Spice Temple on Urbanspoon

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38 Responses to Yum Cha at Spice Temple Melbourne @ Crown Casino, Southbank

  1. lotsofcravings says:
    February 16, 2012 at 11:10 AM

    im looking at the prices and the portions you get and yeah it does feel very pricey but then again this is after all fine dining yum cha.

    the har gow looks so delicately done, looks like a must try when the wallet is fattened up.
    lotsofcravings recently posted..Auction Rooms @ North Melbourne

    Reply
  2. CheezyK says:
    February 16, 2012 at 2:29 PM

    I always find myself ordering too much when we go out for dumplings … a selection of 3-4 between two of us seems like so little and then I end up feeling like I’m going to burst :) I’ve never really been one for eggplant but that looks delicious!
    CheezyK recently posted..Travelday – Where we walk on a roof

    Reply
  3. Michelle chin says:
    February 16, 2012 at 2:30 PM

    The har gow looks really nice. My heart is being tugged by these pictures: Should I go? Should I NOT go?

    Sigh sigh sigh.
    Michelle chin recently posted..Review: Breakfast @ Antipodean, Menara Tan & Tan, KL

    Reply
  4. Mr Noodles says:
    February 16, 2012 at 6:59 PM

    This all looks rather posh, and it’s good to see a regional twist on the dim sum. But my inner ‘old Chinese guy in a vest’ baulks at the fact that many of the portions only have two per basket.

    PS: Phantom Menace in 3D, really? It’s a good job you have better tastes in food than films!
    Mr Noodles recently posted..Brioche French Toast Marmalade Sandwich

    Reply
    • Ms I-Hua says:
      February 16, 2012 at 10:33 PM

      OII!!! Lol… I am a self-confessed sci-fi/fantasy fangirl… so I did like it.. however was disappointed with the lack of 3-D-ness… :(

      Reply
  5. Hannah says:
    February 16, 2012 at 8:46 PM

    I grew up hating eggplant, aubergine, AND brinjal ;) I’d try anything for you though, Angle Babe!

    Reply
  6. MoMo & Coco says:
    February 16, 2012 at 8:56 PM

    Hmmm…seems almost double the price for similar yum cha items that you would get anywhere else in Melbourne…and from my memory, even HK. Very tempted but still…
    MoMo & Coco recently posted..Hare & Grace

    Reply
    • Ms I-Hua says:
      February 16, 2012 at 10:37 PM

      It is double the price, but you need to match that with the good service and quality of the ingredients. It’s still worth a try if you are keen :)

      Reply
  7. Libby says:
    February 16, 2012 at 9:45 PM

    I’ve been wanting to have yum cha here, especially since I love the dinner menu at Spice Temple. Yum Cha looks amazing, especially in such a dark, sexy setting – a stark contrast from your typical bright, sunny suburban yum cha joint! Only thing here is that the prices are probably a bit more expensive – would you say the quality meets price?
    Libby recently posted..Heirloom Tomato Fields Forever

    Reply
    • Ms I-Hua says:
      February 16, 2012 at 10:39 PM

      I would say it’s worth it for the experience. It’s definitely a good place to head to for a sexy date (with Marty)… and you most probably wouldn’t go every week (or with your Asian parents :P )

      Reply
  8. Heidi - Apples Under My Bed says:
    February 16, 2012 at 9:50 PM

    yum yum yum! I’m yet to try Spice Temple. Major yum cha cravings now. You cute geeks seeing Star Wars in 3D :)
    Heidi xo
    Heidi – Apples Under My Bed recently posted..Valentines Day

    Reply
  9. Chopinand @ ChopinandMysaucepan says:
    February 16, 2012 at 11:50 PM

    Dear I-Hua

    That egg custard looks really good especially with that twist. I think this menu is something that chinese chefs should consider in making yum cha a little more exciting.
    Chopinand @ ChopinandMysaucepan recently posted..The Bridge Room, Sydney

    Reply
  10. Daisy@Nevertoosweet says:
    February 17, 2012 at 3:54 AM

    Hahaha i love how you’ve named it ‘Speed Yum Cha Dating’ :) i never knew Spice Temple offers Yum Cha ~ it sure looks good, but annoying how the Wu Goks were soggy. I really hate soggy fried items >_<

    A little pricey but like what you said it's 'fine dine yum cha' :D

    Hmmm think i'm gonna go check it out when I go back to Melb ~ my mouth is watering for that egg tart!
    Daisy@Nevertoosweet recently posted..First Tasting – Cafe Punta del Cielo

    Reply
  11. Jenny @ Ichigo Shortcake says:
    February 17, 2012 at 11:01 PM

    Yumcha in 45 minutes is a never before for me! That’s truly amazing. :D I guess it helps that you ordered the dishes rather than waiting for them to go by on carts…still, the egg tart looks and sounds so amazing. :D

    Reply
  12. Keisha12 says:
    February 18, 2012 at 5:03 AM

    Awesome! A perfect place with delicious dish, Ii I can visit that place, I will really try the “Apani Sparkling Mineral Water, Snowy Mountains” sonds interesting…
    Keisha12 recently posted..Chinese Talk

    Reply
  13. Miss Kimbers @ Fruit Salad and Mixed Veg says:
    February 18, 2012 at 5:57 AM

    Speed yum cha! The dishes here are beautiful. I like how the teas are served in transparent tea pots and you can SEE the pretty tea leaves inside. Much nicer than those white ceramic tea pots.

    What great service too! :)
    Miss Kimbers @ Fruit Salad and Mixed Veg recently posted..Lemon delicious

    Reply
  14. Peach Water says:
    February 18, 2012 at 4:11 PM

    Are you using a new camera?! because your photos look great :D
    Peach Water recently posted..The Hardware Société – Mini Marche

    Reply
  15. Fatbooo says:
    February 20, 2012 at 11:24 AM

    Lol… speed yum cha dating! I hear its a nice date night kinda place, I wonder whether that also applies to a weekend yum cha session…
    Fatbooo recently posted..Gold Leaf (Docklands)

    Reply
  16. Allan says:
    February 26, 2012 at 9:09 PM

    sooooo expensive … =(. sigh
    Allan recently posted..Breakfast roundup #1 – De Clieu

    Reply
  17. Thanh says:
    March 6, 2012 at 4:43 PM

    If I was desperate for food, I’d pray for the food fairy to give me some.

    Go Spice Temple. Good food and good service.
    Thanh recently posted..Mornington Peninsula Food Tour – So Many Great Places

    Reply
  18. Samuel says:
    March 23, 2012 at 12:59 PM

    Amazing Photos. Desperate to go and try.

    Reply
    • Ms I-Hua says:
      March 25, 2012 at 9:16 AM

      Hahahah… I hope you like it.. Remember! It is a place to enjoy and take things in, not somewhere where you would bring your “asian” parents to…

      Reply

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