Cumulus Inc

Location: 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Phone: (03) 9650 1445
Link: www.cumulusinc.com.au
Cuisine: Bar, Coffee, Shared

As part of my July trip back to Melbourne, V suggested we head to Cumulus for lunch and I couldn't say no. Not only had I wanted to try out one of Andrew McConnell's restaurants for a while (Cutler & Co is still on my list), the place itself had some significant meaning for me. 

Cumulus Inc

Whilst this was my first dining experience at Cumulus, I had been taken there for coffee by my supervisor during a clerkship experience a few years back. Ironically, or perhaps suitably, the building in the background of the photo above, is where my career really began.

Enough reminiscing and onto the review.

Cumulus Inc is a hidden gem. Tucked away in a laneway off Flinders Lane, it's pretty hard to find unless you either know what you're looking for, or look up in time to see the sign and turn the corner.

Once inside, the atmosphere is relaxed and casual. By 12pm, the coffee drinking crowd have had their caffeine hit, and the place transforms from coffee shop to a foodie's heaven.

We were seated at the bar overlooking the kitchen, which gave us a clear view of the open kitchen and the chefs at work.

open kitchen

Our waitress was pleasant, polite and very helpful. She guided us through the menu choices and gave us an indication of the number and sizes of dishes that would suit us.

complimentary bread and butter

As with all good restaurants, we were served complimentary bread and butter as we waited for our dishes to arrive. The bread was pretty standard for me (but then again, I'm no bread expert) - V, on the other hand, really enjoyed the bread.

Slow cooked octopus with aioli, dehydrated olive

First up, the octopus. The octopus was tender and juicy, slow cooking had definitely allowed it to soak up the flavours and break down. The aioli was creamy and flavourful. Perhaps I misunderstood the dish, but I found the pool of olive oil a little overbearing.

Wagyu bresaola with pickled onions and horseradish cream

Hands down one of the best bresaola I have ever tasted. The meat was nicely cured, and the pickled onions provided a nice sweet, caramelised contrast to the salted meat. Whilst not the biggest fan of horseradish cream, the small dollops of cream worked brilliantly when combined with the bresaola and the onions.

Prosciutto di Parma

Another serve of nicely cured meat. Very thinly sliced and full of flavour, this was a hit, although it would have been nice to have had it served with something to cut the saltiness.

Mustard crumbled pig's tail, celeriac remoulade & caperberries

The menu description of this item caught our interest, and I love eating with V because she's willing to be adventurous too. I can think of many people who would turn their noses up at the sound of pig's tail.

The tail was well cooked, the fat inside had been rendered, and the crumble around the meat was delicate in texture but full of flavour. I wasn't completely certain about the combination of elements on the dish, but the tail definitely needed something to cut the richness, and the remoulade and caperberries did the job.

Roast new potatoes & celeriac, confit garlic and rosemary

As a side, we ordered the roast potatoes. An example of simple ingredients given a 'wow factor'. The confit garlic was delicious paired with the rosemary potatoes.

Finally, dessert time. V insisted that we could not leave Cumulus without trying their infamous madeleines.

Madeleine, filled with lemon curd

And was she correct? It was well worth the wait.  The madeleines were served warm, straight from the oven, and had a similar crumbly texture to shortbread, but softer. The filling inside was sweet and sticky, with the tart acidity of the lemon, that cut through the pastry and the icing sugar sprinkled on top.

The service was great, and they even asked what time we needed to leave so that they could time the dishes to suit our schedule (good for business lunches). A very enjoyable lunch, and I'll be back one day to try the rest of the dishes on the menu!

Overall Impression: 9.5/10 

Spice Temple

Location: Crown Complex, Southbank, Melbourne
Phone: (03) 8679 1888
Link: www.spicetemplemelbourne.com
Cuisine: Asian, Sichuan

It's become a bit of a rule that each time I make it back to Melbourne for a weekend, I have to go out to some 'fancy' restaurant. Possibly because of the lack thereof in Canberra.

I have a harddrive full of photos, but with dinner time fast approaching and craving some good old Sichuan food, I thought I might start with Neil Perry's Spice Temple at Crown, from my August trip.

Located in the Crown Complex, Spice Temple is the newest addition to Neil Perry's growing collection of restaurants. The restaurant was dimly lit and spacious, with dark polished wooden furniture and hints of oriental design.

First up, a nice refreshing mocktail.

Green Apple & Jasmine House Made Soda

This was no apple juice, the freshness and sweetness of the apple was balanced with clean flavours from the jasmine tea, and topped off with some crunchy slivers of pickled cucumber.

Just as well we had the drinks, because shortly after, things started spicing up. We selected two dishes from the small plates and one from the large, along with some rice.

Fried squid with whole five spice and dark chilli paste

The first of our small dishes, the fried squid was crispy and packed full of five-spice goodness. And if that wasn't enough, the chilli paste on the side added an even hotter, but slightly acidic kick. A brilliant dish.

Fried salt and pepper silken tofu with spicy coriander salad

This was the highlight of the meal for me. The golden fried silken tofu was crispy and well seasoned on the outside, soft and smooth on the inside. They managed to keep their shape throughout the cooking process, and was served on a bed of coriander salad, which was doused in a numbing chilli sauce. A big plate of this and a large bowl of rice, and I'd be a very happy person.

Cabbage and radish pickles

As a palate cleanser, we opted for some cabbage and radish pickles, which provided a nice break from the fiery heat of the other dishes. The pickles themselves were slightly spicy too, but not quite the numbing sensation that were the other dishes.

Hot, sweet, sour and numbing pork chilli, sugar, black vinegar and Sichuan peppercorn

Our 'large dish' selection turned out not to be as large relative to the small dishes that arrived earlier. But the flavours were just as big. The pork itself was crunchy (think KFC popcorn chicken when done properly) and the chilli, sugar, vinegar and peppercorn created an explosion of spicy, sweet and sour flavours that numbed the mouth. Heaven on a plate.

Caramel chocolate and peanut parfait

And who could pass up dessert to cool the palate and finish on a sweet note? Not us. Despite looking somewhat boring, the caramel chocolate and peanut parfait was sweet, sticky, goody and crunchy on the outside. A perfect end to a perfect meal.

Service was pleasant, food arrived in a fairly timely manner, and the menu is just bursting with flavours. If you enjoy spicy food, give this place a shot. You won't regret it.

Overall Impression: 9.5/10

Abell's Kopi Tiam

Location: 7 Furneaux Street,Manuka, 2603
Phone: (02) 6239 4199
Cuisine: Malaysian

It's been a while since I last posted, and it's not because I haven't been eating out. At some point in the (hopefully) near future, I'll go back and dig out the photos and post something up.

Abell's Kopi Tiam is located in the 'restaurant precinct' of Manuka (although I must say, there isn't much else in Manuka) and doesn't look very fancy. The decor and set up is simple, albeit a little on the cramped side. But we can't really fault them for wanting to accommodate more customers.

It was a Friday night after a long week at work, so M and I decided to go all out and order three courses.

chicken satays

First up were the chicken satays. Expecting just a pile of skewers smothered in sauce, we were rather surprised and pleased to find that the plate itself could almost have been a complete dish. Four fairly generous skewers of tender barbecued chicken was served alongside a mini serve of fragrant coconut rice, a fresh pineapple and cucumber salad and a dish of a sweet and tangy satay sauce.

Our entree was followed very closely by our mains, something I found peculiar and slightly annoying. But the food more than made up for it.

Bali chicken in a creamy coconut and tamarind curry

The Bali chicken was amazing and unlike any curry I have ever tasted. The chicken was tender (and there was plenty of it), the eggplant and beans carried the flavours well and the sauce was creamy and packed full of flavour.

spring onion roti

There was only one kind of roti on the menu, which was a bit of a disappointment after Mamak. However, this roti lived up to its rival. Light and fluffy but not overly flaky, the roti tasted great on its own, and went fantastically when paired with the Bali chicken.

aubergine and tofu in sambal sauce

The irony was the location of this dish under the vegetarian section of the menu, given that sambal is made from dried shrimp. The tofu and eggplant had both been deep fried, then smothered in a slightly sweet sticky sauce and coated in sambal. A beautiful combination of flavours.

Who can pass up a Malaysian dessert? Not us! Despite being extremely full, we opted to share a sago pudding.

sago pudding with coconut milk and palm sugar

The soft jelly like sago balls drizzled with palm sugar syrup then drowned in coconut milk was the perfect way to end the meal.

All up, the food was great, albeit a little on the pricey side. Service was pleasant and there was no rushing customers out the door. Next up, to try the new Mamak Roti House that has recently opened up in Civic.

Overall Impression: 8.5/10

Becasse Bakery

Location: Level 5, Westfield, Pitt Street, Sydney 2000
Phone: (02) 9283 3440
Link: www.becasse.com.au
Cuisine: Bakery, Dessert

An offshoot of Justin North's famous Becasse restaurant, Becasse Bakery caught out eye after we'd had our light lunch at Din Tai Fung and we couldn't help but stop for a sample.

the array of cakes

Opera cake

I ordered the opera cake, mostly due to recalling an episode of MasterChef which had featured this delicately  layered chocolate cake. I wasn't disappointed, the cake was light and airy, with each layer very distinct. The slice was decorated with a piece of white chocolate painted with a bar of music to add to the theme.

Mille feuille

H ordered this to compare with one she had had in Europe, and she was similarly not disappointed. In fact, she thought this was just as good as the one she ate in Paris!

Highlight of the trip was seeing Justin North at work through the temporary open kitchen door! Next time, we'll try the actual restaurant.

Overall Impression: 9.5/10

Din Tai Fung Dumpling Bar

Location: Level 5, Westfield, Pitt Street, Sydney 2000
Link: www.dintaifungaustralia.com.au
Cuisine: Chinese, Dumplings

After a couple of hours of shopping, H and I stopped for a light lunch at Din Tai Fung Dumpling Bar, a food court version of the famous Taiwanese dumpling chain.

shrimp and pork wonton noodles

A beautifully flavoursome but light dish. The wontons were juicy with soft wrappers and filled with nice chunks of shrimp and well-seasoned minced pork. The noodles were cooked al dente, and the broth was subtle and packed with flavour.

xiao long bao

Good old xiao long bao, the one dish to judge any good dumpling place by. These were perfect. The wrapper was thin and delicate, filled with juicy minced pork. A Shanghainese friend once told me that the trick to eating these is to take a small bite and to suck the soup out first. And soup there was a plenty. I would rate these on par with Hu Tong, which are the best I've had in Melbourne.

Din Tai Fung definitely delivers above and beyond the quality typically expected of food court dishes. If the quality here is anything to go by, I just cannot wait to try the dumplings at the head restaurant!

Overall Impression: 9.5/10

Adriano Zumbo Patissier

Location: 296 Darling Street, Balmain, NSW 2040
Phone: (02) 9810 7318
Link: www.adrianozumbo.com
Cuisine: Desserts, Cakes

After all the hype on MasterChef, a trip to Sydney would not be the same without a visit to Adriano Zumbo's famous Patissier. 

Located in Balmain in amongst a strip of cafes, bakeries and little boutiques, Adriano Zumbo fits right in.

Adriano Zumbo Patissier - shopfront

We arrived rather early, and were pretty lucky that there wasn't much of a line. So we stepped inside to be greeted by a magnificent array of cakes, pastries and desserts.

delicious looking cakes and chocolates

cute little cakes

more cakes

sugar overload much?

After spending a considerable amount of time choosing what to purchase, I ended up going for the passionfruit tart.

tarte aux fruits de la passion - passionfruit curd and pâte sucrée

The tart base was sweet, delicate and crumbly. The filling was smooth and creamy and was topped with a fruity tangy passionfruit flavoured jelly.

And finally, the infamous macarons!

macarons

(left to right) strawberries & cream, caramelised palm sugar,
pandan, toasted white chocolate, kaffir lime & ginger, chocolate

I got a nice take home pack with a selection of six flavours. They also had satay, chestnut & mint and a couple of others. At $2.30 each, Adriano Zumbo's macarons are cheaper and far superior to the delice at Lindt Cafe ($3 each) and those sold at various other bakeries I have been to.


Overall Impression: 10/10

Pelagic Bar & Dining: $49 Seafood Meal for 2 Plus Wine Deal

Location: Shop 2, 131 London Circuit, Canberra
Phone: (02) 6162 0752
Link: www.pelagicdining.com.au
Cuisine: Seafood, Modern Australian

I had never heard of Pelagic until the restaurant cropped up one day as a LivingSocial deal. For $49, the restaurant offered two entrees, two mains and a bottle of wine up to the value of $45. Being a bit of a seafood fanatic, and having been fairly disappointed with the lack of decent seafood in Canberra to date, the deal was too good to pass up so I bought it.

J and I finally went to try out the restaurant the other night and it was well worth it. The entrees on the menu were priced at around $20 each, the mains were around $32 each. We ordered a bottle of Wily Trout sparkling to start.

Wily Trout sparkling

I'm no expert when it comes to alcohol, but J certainly is. And thought the sparkling wasn't bad. Especially for the price we were paying.

Balmain bug pasta

Pelagic haven't updated their online menu for a while so this entry is going to be somewhat lacking in descriptions. J was sufficiently pleased with her entree of Balmain bug pasta. There seemed to be a generous enough serve of bug, which was cooked just right, and plenty of pasta.

seared scallops with crispy pig ears and shaved fennel

This may look small, but it was absolutely deliciously. The scallops were cooked perfectly, with nice slightly charred edges and soft tender centres.  The pig ears were so crispy that they tasted more like crackling than like ears, and the shaved fennel added some freshness to the dish. I certainly wouldn't have  minded more, but for the price paid, it was totally worth it.

Yellowfin tuna with roasted tomatoes

From what I tried, the tuna was very well-cooked - and nothing like canned tuna! I have a tendency not to order tuna when eating out for fear it will end up tasting like the canned stuff, but J went for this one, and I think I may have been convinced that a tuna steak is actually quite decent.

haramashi kingfish with mushroom ragout and garlic crisps

Again, if the online menu isn't going to be updated regularly, then don't have one. I had decided on the seared kingfish as advertised on the website's menu, but turned up to find they didn't have the dish. The mushroom ragout caught my eye so I gave this kingfish dish a go. The fish was soft and again cooked perfectly, with a nice crispy skin that bordered a bit on being oversalted. The mushroom ragout was hearty and imparted a beautiful flavour to the fish. 

classic creme brulee

Despite the deal only covering two courses, I could not pass up dessert when I saw creme brulee on the menu. And it was a good decision. The toffee was perfect, making a nice crunch as I broke through the top layer to get to the creamy filling, and had just the right amount of burntness to give it a bittersweet flavour.

The deal was certainly well worth what we paid for it. I'm not entirely sure I would pay full price for the dishes, but I've been told that Pelagic does a decent $15 lunch deal during the week. Might give that a shot one day.

Overall Impression: 9/10