Blue Rose at Henley Beach is an exception to the rule. This new two-level restaurant from the people behind CBD hotspot Gondola Gondola is very much on-trend with its design and branding. But downstairs, right beside the front window, is a tall, round table with a Lazy Susan in matching dark timber. It’s not the only reason Blue Rose stands out.

Rather than duplicate the Vietnamese/Thai/street food themes of Gondola, the owners have incorporated Chinese influences. Fish sauce and lime are joined by a variety of soys and vinegars. Fresh chilli is either replaced or amplified by dried chilli and peppers.

Salt and pepper eggplant is stacked high on the plate, the golden coating almost sizzling and the molten pulp inside at dangerous temperatures. Five paper-thin ribbons of wagyu carpaccio for once justify using the term “melt in the mouth”. The spice-rub on a slowly braised lamb shank combines with a drizzle of chilli oil to stoke a fire that burns gently in the background. 

Chilli also plays a role in a dessert of coconut and lychee panna cotta topped with a lemon granita. 

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