Thursday, June 23, 2011

RESTAURANT: Cumulus Inc [Melbourne]

If I type "cum" into Google, the second match is for Cumulus Inc, a totally kick-arse restaurant that I visited last time I was in Melbourne, run by one of the hottest chefs going around, Andrew McConnell.

Last time I went was for breakfast and I really enjoyed it. They totally smashed it with an egg cooked at 65c for 65 minutes and with a watermelon salad. While I generally don't eat out for breakfast much, this probably remains the best breakfast I've had "out".

After a return to breakfast was thwarted the day before by, well, people, we decided to come back right on opening to ENSURE that our final meal in Melbourne was lunch at Cumulus Inc.

We kick off with some soft shell crab. And it's really nice. Then we have some foie gras parfait and that's really nice too, with some sweet accompaniment to balance it out.

Tuna tartare with a pea salad is simple but probably the highlight of the meal. Chunks of tuna with a perfectly seasoned pea salad.

One of my favourite items of food arrives in the form of boudin noir (black pudding) with a salad of smoked tomato and parsley. It's so rich that the drink we got for our meal (Eric Bordelet's magnificent pear cider, my favourite cider in the world) struggles to cut through it. It's not perfectly in balance but it's bloody good.

Mustard crumbed pigs tail is next and--you guessed it--it's tasty. Crunchy from the crumb and unctuous from the tail. I would have liked more crunch to balance the gelatinous fat, but I'll still take it.

I could say the same for the slow-cooked beef brisket with mushrooms and (if I remember correctly) some sort of white vege puree: excellent, but on the rich side of balanced. And even though there was some dirt on the mushrooms that I got, it was probably the runner up dish to the tuna tartare.

Service was friendly and efficient (given the number of people waiting, probably not surprising). Prices reasonable for the quality. Hugely solid dishes with only minor quibbles.

I need to get to Cutler & Co next time I'm in Melbourne. A return visit to Cumulus Inc also needs to find a spot on the itinerary.


RATING: Will return to [?]

Cumulus Inc. on Urbanspoon

1 comment:

Reemski said...

I had breaky at Cumulus both days I was in Melbourne last week as we couldnt' get in for any other meal. Food was fantastic, my only criticism is both days, first with 2 friends and second just on my own I had the bill slapped in front of me quite unceremoniously just when food got finished! Apart from that, loved it