Cumulus

Cumulus was a little different than I expected visually. The reviews have been so grand I was surprised at how small the building was. I had a bit of a problem with the hollow floor combined with small and not-so-sturdy tables which vibrated as people were walking around, but the lighting, decoration and general ambiance were good. The food on the other hand was terrific. We began with wagyu bresaola with celery and parmesan which was a simple but fantastic dish. The bresaola virtually melted in the mouth and although it was quite salty, the crunchy celery gave the whole dish a break from the heavy flavours. Up next we had spiced cauliflower with goats curd. The tiny florets of cauliflower were tasty and well spiced, if not a little overcooked. The pine nuts, of which I am normally not a fan, were toasted to perfection and did add to the dish. The dish presented quite nicely and was colourful, although it wasn't particularly memorable or groundbreaking. We then had the seafood escabeche. This worked. The fish was good quality and well cooked, still firm. The mussels were delicious. The whole dish was ruined for me by the pickled carrot dotted everywhere which I hate. Lastly, we had the slow cooked pork strap with cabbage salad. The cabbage was great, the pork good too but I am a little done and dusted with 5-10-20-200 slow hour roasted animals. I drank a great Firbank 2008 Voinger and a glass of Bishop shiraz which at $16.50 a glass was pretty disappointing. Overall the staff were polite but distracted. It didn't help that we were in at 4pm on a Friday when they were preparing for the after work crowd, but it is a pet hate of mine to spend time when I want to enjoy my meal and conversation trying to make eyes at the staff, particularly considering there were more staff in the place than patrons! 7/10 The food was pretty fantastic and well priced. I would go back for that
Cumulus is on Flinders Lane, Melbourne.

in the beginning

This is my food blog! I tend to find the reviews of established food writers good but not entirely accurate because all established eateries know who they are dealing with as soon as they walk in the door! Here are the honest opinions of a foodie who does fine dining on a budget. Enjoy