Six-Eyed Scorpion Is the Crispy Chilli Oil Shaking Up Australia’s Pantry Game

Whether homemade or store-bought, a spoonful of crispy chilli oil – nutty, savoury and full of slow-building warmth – can completely shift a meal to the next level.

Melbourne-based brand Six-Eyed Scorpion is turning heads with its take on the condiment. Classically trained chef Sandra Seah and Jordana Adams, a sharp-eyed creative and strategist, are partners in business and life – and the duo behind every jar.

“I’ve been making crispy chilli oil for years in restaurant kitchens, but what really pushed us was seeing a gap for premium quality [chilli oil] in the market,” says Seah. “When top chefs started raving about ours, I knew we had something real.”

They began small, selling at local markets with simple labels and humble branding. But word of mouth did a lot of heavy lifting, and Six-Eyed Scorpion soon built a cult following.

“Our chilli oil is rooted in the flavour profiles I grew up with in Singapore – super aromatic, umami-rich and bold,” says Seah. “But we wanted it to be versatile too, not just for noodles or dumplings. It’s gotta work on eggs, pizza, pasta. That’s part of the fun: reimagining tradition through a fresh lens.”

That fusion of heritage and play is central to the brand’s identity. It doesn’t shy away from strong flavours or from proudly positioning the product outside the constraints of conventionalism – something that has resonated deeply with a vocal community of fans.

“One of my favourite moments was at a market, when a woman tried Six-Eyed Scorpion and involuntarily moaned,” says Adams. “Her friend had just bought a different brand of chilli oil and said, ‘You didn’t react like that to mine!’ We live for those kinds of moments. It’s wild to see people genuinely shocked by the flavour.”

While other brands use pre-fried ingredients, Six-Eyed Scorpion makes everything from scratch. Every shallot (sourced from a Tasmanian farm), and every clove of garlic is prepped and fried fresh, with no mass-produced shortcuts – which also means no stale aftertaste. This two-day cooking process gives the oil its intense depth and crunch.

With an attention to detail that borders on perfectionism, the pair have built their own commercial kitchen, designed to optimise production without sacrificing the chilli oil’s integrity.

“When we built our own kitchen, we mapped the whole layout to scale on a computer to make sure every move made sense,” Seah says. “It’s about staying lean, efficient, and keeping the flavour consistent, even as we grow. It’s still a total labour of love.”

Adams and Seah’s ambitions don’t stop at chilli oil. With demand for Six-Eyed Scorpion growing, they’re working on new product lines and, collaborations, and a bigger platform – without losing the small-batch soul. Their dream brand link-up? “Six-Eyed Scorpion x Vegemite. I keep putting it out into the universe because I really think it would slap,” Adams says.

Find Six-Eyed Scorpion at select stockists Australia wide, weekend market or online. Join the community by following @sixeyedscorpion.