Recently we had cause to celebrate and we chose to
do it at the new Red Spice Road at QV Melbourne. I’d heard great things about
this South East Asian-style restaurant, and even though they could not get us
in until 8.30pm we were still excited to visit them (and were more than happy to down a few cocktails while we waited).
 |
| View of the Mezzanine, courtesy of redspiceroad.com |
Upon arrival, we were ushered to a table on the
mezzanine, where we had a stunning view of this gorgeous restaurant. With
acclaimed chef John McLeay leading the team, I was looking forward to the
shared dish format, although naturally, as always nervous about what I’d be
able to eat.
We happened to be one of those high maintenance tables
that every waitress dreads. I couldn’t have any gluten, my companion was
pregnant (so no raw/shell fish), and my fiancé despises seafood so we were
unsure if Red Spice Road would be able to accommodate us if we ordered the
banquet.
We need not have worried!
After some initial confusion
we were able to order a version of the banquet with no seafood, and they were
more than happy to accommodate me. At one stage the waitress came with a question
from the chef, wanting to know if I was coeliac, or if a splash of soy sauce
was going to be okay. It made me feel so comfortable that the chef clearly knew
enough about my disease to know that a splash of soy was not okay.
We chose the $65 Banquet and let me tell you – turn up
with an empty stomach! What an amazing selection of dishes. There was more than
we could have possible eaten in one sitting, and where a dish couldn’t be
adapted for me, they made an entire extra dish for me to eat safely on my own.
I was blown away with the service and the food – absolutely amazing. Quite often as a sufferer of Coeliacs disease you're made to feel embarrassed and ashamed about your strict dietary requirements, but the staff at Red Spice Road couldn't do enough to make me comfortable.
We started out with a selection of various dishes, the
highlights of which I’ll cover off here:
- Betel Leaf with Chicken, Crab, Coconut Chilli and Kaffir Lime (we had no crab in ours). What an incredible dish. It was fresh and light, the perfect starter to get the taste-buds going. I could have eaten this for the entire meal without complaint.
- Twice Cooked Lamb Ribs with a Tamarind and Coconut Relish – absolutely delicious.
- Chicken, Lemongrass, Chilli, Tomato, Shallot and Lime Juice Salad – I wanted to go out the back and ask the chef for the recipe but I didn’t think I’d be welcomed.
 |
| The Pork Belly with Apple Slaw, Chilli Caramel and Black Vinegar |
- Pork Belly with Apple Slaw, Chilli Caramel and Black Vinegar – I didn’t get to eat the Pork Belly as they weren’t able to adapt it (and I’ll admit I’d really been looking forward to it), but my companions absolutely raved about it - to the point they started fighting over who would get the last of it. This is one of the champion dishes at Red Spice Road, and when it was suggested at work recently that we go there, that dish was mentioned as a key reason for booking!
- Beef Cheeks with Mushrooms, Crunchy Bean Shoot Salad and Spicy Broth – I was too full to finish this but I battled through it because some things in life need to be enjoyed to completion!
For the first time in as long as I could remember, I walked away from a meal completely and utterly satisfied (and a little wobbly given we had two bottles of wine from their amazing cellar). So if you’re suffering with Coeliacs Disease, want a beautiful
meal and want to make the trip into the city, give Red Spice Road a go - you
will not be disappointed and they have two locations to choose from!
Thank you to John and the team at Red Spice Road, we will be back!
 |
| Red Spice Road - courtesy of Redspiceroad.com |
No comments:
Post a Comment