Ireland’s answer to the HSP? The spice bag and where to find it in Melbourne
Celebrate St Patrick’s Day with the popular Irish late-night takeaway dish. Here are 10 of the best for lovers of loaded chips with a Chinese-ish twist.
Updated ,first published
For those unfamiliar with Irish-Chinese food, a seeming oxymoron, the term spice bag might be met with furrowed brows and blank stares. Is it a type of tea? A literal bag filled with spices?
To the contrary, the popular late-night dish was born out of Chinese takeaway shops in Ireland, trickling down to England and now, Australia, where whispers of spice bags have grown louder and louder in Melbourne – particularly in areas populated by Irish backpackers such as the inner-city beachside suburb of St Kilda.
So what actually is a spice bag? While its composition may vary between venues, the (mostly) deep-fried, beige-coloured dish typically involves hot chips seasoned with spices including chilli, paprika, onion and garlic powders. These are tossed with fried chicken bits, and served with curry sauce for dipping purposes. Most spice bags include capsicum and onion, too, and certain variations come with rice.
The Irish invention may not have taken off to the same degree Down Under yet, but the humble spice bag is commonplace in British and Irish culture, often purchased on a drunken stumble home from the pub or while nursing a hangover the following morning. Think of it as an Irish-Chinese halal snack pack (HSP), if you will.
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Sign upIn the spice bag heartland of St Kilda, Northern Soul – a colourful fish ‘n’ chipper that celebrates British and Irish takeaway culture – buys 850 kilograms of potatoes a week to cater to demand from local Irish residents and Brits. The spuds come from a Gippsland farmer and are then hand-cut, double-fried and laden with salt and a secret house seasoning that’s heavy on five-spice.
On St Kilda’s Acland Street, Irish pub Jimmy O’Neills began serving spice bags during lockdown in 2020 when food was only available to take away. It claims to be the first Irish pub in Melbourne to serve the item, which attracted plenty of hungry (and, in some cases, homesick) Irish, British and Aussie punters.
But spice bags aren’t confined to Melbourne’s south-east. At Dusty’s cafe in Fitzroy, co-owner and head chef Nathan Kinder has plenty of family over in Ireland and travels there regularly. His connection to the country inspired him to add spice bags to Dusty’s menu as an “easy way to get the Irish diaspora through the doors”.
There’s a smattering of other venues across the city where you’re able to find various iterations of this golden, spicy snack. Tip: it goes well with Guinness.
Ten Melbourne spice bags to try this St Patrick's Day
Northern Soul, St Kilda
Spice-coated chips are charred in the wok along with capsicum, onion, sliced chilli and crunchy chicken nuggets. A roux-based curry sauce and prawn crackers are there for dipping. $26, available Thu-Mon and on St Patrick’s Day (March 17), which falls on a Tuesday this year.
6 Inkerman Street, St Kilda, northernsoulchipshop.com
Dusty’s, Fitzroy
The bags here feature all the usual suspects – capsicum, onion, chips, chicken – with the spice coming from five-spice and a wallop of curry sauce. Vegan and vegetarian options include mock chicken tenders or fried halloumi. $20, available Mon-Sat; $15 on Sundays and on St Patricks’s Day.
34 Johnston Street, Fitzroy, instagram.com/dustysfitzroy
Humble Spud, St Kilda
At this Irish chipper, spice bags are a jumble of salted chilli chicken pieces, capsicum, onion, hot chips and a signature spice blend, served with a side of curry sauce. $24, available daily.
There’s also a toasted spice bag wrap ($25), served with hand-cut chips.
5-6 Shakespeare Grove, St Kilda, instagram.com/humblespudstkilda
Jimmy O’Neills, St Kilda
Crispy chicken pieces are tossed with chips, onion, capsicum and a house spice mix and topped with McDonnell’s curry sauce, in another nod to Ireland, $27, available daily. Add rice or sweet and sour sauce for $3 each.
154-156 Acland Street, St Kilda, jimmyoneills.com.au
PJ O’Brien’s, Southbank
At this dimly lit, classic Irish boozer in the CBD, you can grab a pint of Guinness and a spice bag: chips, fried chicken, capsicum, onion, chilli and Irish-style curry sauce, $27, available daily. $22 on St Patrick’s Day.
Southgate Shopping Precinct, 3 Southgate Avenue, Southbank, pjobriens.com.au
Fifth Province, St Kilda
Originally served as a midweek special, the spice bag became a menu mainstay due to popular demand. Served as a main meal, it includes chips, fried chicken strips, capsicum, onion,“Sichuan spices” and curry sauce, but for $4 you can also add rice. $27, available daily.
3/60 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, thefifthprovince.com.au
Nasi Lemak House, Carlton
At this Malaysian hawker-style eatery, find spice bags with a Malaysian twist for just $18.90. The NL spice bag comes with crisp fried chicken, chips, capsicum, onion and a signature seasoning blend with a side of house curry sauce.
115 Grattan Street, Carlton, nasilemakhouse.com.au
Lulie Tavern, Abbotsford
This dive bar is putting on spice bags as a one-off special this St Patrick’s Day. For $18, you’ll get a basket packed with crisp battered chips, grilled onion, capsicum, spring onion and fried chicken breast, all tossed in a spice blend of paprika, onion, red chillies and cayenne. It’s served with a side of McDonnell’s curry sauce. Only available on St Patrick’s Day (Tuesday, March 17) from noon to 9pm.
225 Johnston Street, Abbotsford, lulietavern.com
The Irish Times Pub, CBD
This nostalgic, knick-knack-heavy pub fills with city workers, and on St Patrick’s Day it heaves. Spice bags – breaded chicken tenders, capsicum, onion and chips tossed in a spice blend – are $26 daily ($20 on St Pat’s) and best washed down with a pint of Guinness.
427 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, theirishtimespub.com.au
Auntie Annie’s, Kensington
The pub that was formerly The Quiet Man is now Auntie Annie’s, which opened its doors last year with new owners (the same group behind Jimmy O’Neill’s). Alongside Australia’s first double-barrelled Guinness taps, it’s bringing the St Kilda pub’s crowd-favourite spice bag north of the river for $28, made with a secret spice blend and served with McDonnell’s curry sauce. Find the craic here on St Pat’s Day from 10am with live music, Irish dancers and more.
271 Racecourse Road, Kensington, auntieannieshotel.com.au
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Emily Holgate – Emily is a producer for the Good Food App at The Age. She previously wrote for the likes of Broadsheet and Urban List.Connect via email.