Review: Red Spice Road

First post of 2016! And this review is from a few months back when I went out for dinner my family and friends who were sweet enough to visit me in Melbourne for my birthday :) If you love Asian or Thai food, Red Spice Road definitely delivers on flavour and quality. Great venue for formal dinners, date nights or just a relaxing after work dinner and drink.

Eggplant Mapo Tofu - $30
w/ szechuan pepper and spring onion.
A creative take on a classic Chinese dish. I loved the sweeter, sticky
sauce and the fact that the pepper wasn't overpowering as it can
numb the other tastes. All vegetables were cooked excellently.
The eggplant didn't have the slightest bitter taste and was really soft.
Probably my favourite dish of the night and one of the best map tofu I've ever had!

Pork Belly, Apple Slaw, Chilli Caramel, Black Vinegar - $37
Absolutely amazing flavour combinations, this dish really packs a punch.
Firstly the sauces were a perfect balance of sweet and sour. It really cut through
the dryness of the sadly overcooked pork. It also just made everyone on the dish pop
with freshness. The apple slaw tasted great, but I don't know how it was meant to
pair with the other ingredients on the plate, a clash of east meets west.

Fried Barramundi Salad - $36
w/ watermelon, mint, shallots and red nam jim.
One of the best watermelon salads I had. I wish the barramundi was more
natural, I just expected pure friend fillets, not crumbed fish. Either way
it was cooked perfectly, really soft and moist. The dressing really complimented
the ingredients.

Braised Ox Cheek Southen Thai Curry - $36
Similar taste to a red curry, but richer on the soy sauce, yet not too salty.
The ox cheek was tender, but not fall of the fork tender.
It had a good flavour and wasn't too pungent as some may find it to be.
I loved the mix of sweet potato and carrots, that looked identical and kept
us guessing. Definitely a dish to go with rice. Next time I would like to try
one of their other curries.

Lychee Season - $38
My sister is a lover of alcohol.
I quite enjoyed this drink. Not the fruitest of cocktails,
rather a stronger, darker taste. You definitely got the hit
of fruits through the dark rum and alcohol.
As with most cocktails, it was served with way too much
ice and not enough alcohol.