Through October 2025, Spice Temple’s Executive Chef Andy Evans visited China’s awarded restaurants to understand how contemporary chefs honour regional traditions. This video series documents his research into Yunnan food and other regional cuisines, capturing the techniques and philosophies that shape modern Chinese dining.
Cui Fu Restaurant, Kunming
In Kunming, Chef Andy visited Cui Fu, a Black Pearl One Diamond restaurant known for its clear, ingredient-focused approach to Yunnan restaurant dining. The meal offered a straightforward look at the region’s flavours, with dishes built around freshness and careful technique.
Restraint and Ingredient Focus
He tasted prawns in a delicate mushroom broth, grilled fish with spice dips, and a variety of Yunnan’s wild mushrooms prepared simply to showcase their natural character. The experience gave him a grounded understanding of the balance and restraint that define Cui Fu’s cooking and its place in Kunming’s dining scene.
Cui Fu’s ingredient-led approach to fine dining Chinese cuisine demonstrated how simplicity and precision elevate regional Chinese cuisine. Principles that guide Spice Temple’s seasonal menu development in Sydney and Melbourne.
Experience the regional flavours that inspired Andy on his journey through China, brought to life in the Peony Banquet – available from October 27th for a limited time only at Spice Temple Sydney.
