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Red Spice Road Named the People's Favourite Victorian Restaurant

Red Spice Road Named the People's Favourite Victorian Restaurant

by Mireille Kilgour : September 16th, 2015

Everybody loves a good pork belly dish and as far as pork belly goes, it doesn't get much better than Red Spice Road's signature pork belly with apple slaw, chilli caramel and black vinegar. Red Spice Road's Vanessa Green says, "People just really love it. They love to talk about it and tell their friends about it."

It's no surprise then that Red Spice Road has been voted Victoria's favourite restaurant when recently crowned The Age Good Food Guide's People's Choice winner for 2016.

The award

The Age Good Food Guide introduced the People's Choice Award this year as part of a national campaign, inviting diners to name their favourite metro or regional restaurant, cafe, bar or cheap eat restaurant. An impressive 16,886 people jumped at the chance to vote.

The restaurants topping the list proved what a culturally diverse region Victoria is and highlighted the state's biggest drawing card – food variety. Topping the People's Choice polls were five Asian-style restaurants, two Italian restaurants, a contemporary steakhouse, a long-running regional fine-diner and a vegan venture.

The beauty of Red Spice Road's win is that the staff never set out to win any awards. They simply try to set an environment where the staff are friendly and everyone is welcome. It's a formula that has made it one of Melbourne's best-loved restaurants since its opening in 2007.

About Red Spice Road

Red Spice Road is a unique Southeast Asian-style dining experience in the heart of Melbourne. Located on McKillop Street, a short, quiet and narrow open laneway that lies between the famous foodie streets of Bourke and Little Collins, it's flanked by cute boutique shops, heritage-style lampposts and beautiful architecture.

Red Spice Road's communal dining style embodies the spirit of the family unit in Asia, and it is this sense of community that they strive to replicate. The focus is on share plates that pack a flavoursome punch and the large premises affords a rare spaciousness. The modern fitout houses plenty of Asian iconography and the funky bar, relaxed courtyard and long communal tables gear Red Spice Road for informal, social buzz.

The layout of Red Spice Road means there's something for everyone. The McKillop Street Bar has always been the iconic image of Red Spice Road, and the long, granite-topped bar sits between an elevated laneway view of McKillop Street and the courtyard. The courtyard itself lends a chilled-out vibe that's perfect for alfresco dining and the Lantern Room with its high ceilings, contemporary artwork and its sophisticated decor makes for the ideal setting when celebrating something special. If you have a small intimate group, the Lotus Rooms are a great choice.

The chefs

The kitchen at Red Spice Road is led by acclaimed Executive Chef John McLeay, who previously made his name at Livebait in Melbourne's Docklands. His journey in food began with a trip to Thailand, where he daringly ate fried grasshoppers from a street stall. He surprisingly loved the taste, and his fascination and passion for Asian flavours grew and grew. Today he declares he has finally found the perfect balance between hot, sour, sweet and salty.

Also in the kitchen is Head Chef Noah Crowcroft, who's worked alongside cooking legends such as Matt Moran, Tetsuya, Pete Evans and Curtis Stone. His favourite dish to cook is his slow-cooked lamb shoulder with Burmese curry, which he says offers a unique intensity with its smoky-tomato base and lime pickles.

The food

The Red Spice Road aim is to provide food that's flavoursome and that's exactly what you'll get from your dining experience. The Pork Belly is their signature dish and is what keeps people coming back time and time again. McLeay once tried to take the pork belly off the menu for a week, but got that many complaints it had to go back on!

The menu is a mix of small and large plates with small bites including sticky chicken rib with cumin, fennel and coriander and delicious sweet corn fritters. Large plates are ideal for sharing and include the famous pork belly as well as pickled tea leaf salad; local fried sea bream; and braised ox cheek with a Southern Thai curry of sweet potato and carrot. The menu also offers a range of banquet and tasting meals starting at $36, with mains including a braised lamb shoulder Penang curry, and desserts such as coconut water tapioca with passionfruit cream, peanut praline, caramel popcorn and pandan ice cream.

Red Spice Road is also a favourite amongst those who love a good cocktail. Fairly priced at $19.50, cocktails include a yummy Rhubarb Sour, a decadent Fig Old Fashioned and classics such as the Silken Apple Martini. During winter, their Rum 'n' Raisin hot cocktail, which consists of Sailor Jerry's, Pedro Ximenez and hot chocolate is an absolute winner.

Want to taste the unique flavours that awarded Red Spice Road with Victoria's People's Choice Award for 2016? Purchase a Good Food Gift Card today and judge for yourself. You'll soon discover it's a deserving winner.

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Mireille Kilgour

Mireille Kilgour has been an entrepreneur for 35 years in the hospitality sector. French born, she has been an accomplished business owner and operator for a number of Sydney venues. Leading the industry with high profile institutions such as Lamrock Café Bondi, she has endless passion for the industry, and now has the pleasure of supporting restaurants to fill their tables with the new Good Food Gift Card program.