Cumulus Up

Chef Andrew McConnell has cracked the big time in Melbourne, literally. With a fistful of venues around town he's given the whole dining scene a good ol' shake up and now he's moved into the domain of beverages with a new wine bar. Good man. Cumulus Up has only been open a short while but will be adored for years to come. Just upstairs from all day diner Cumulus Inc., you can literally spend the whole night quite happily at the same street number (45 Flinders Ln). Since visiting Cumulus Inc. and Cutler & Co. a couple of years ago I was impressed with the type of food he was serving all in a neat little package of service, wine and style.  

Some cumulus themed mirrors, perhaps? Gomes-McNabb does it again Source: Daily Addict

McConnell has teamed up once again with architect Pascale Gomes-McNabb to wave her magic wand over the place. It seems that together they are basically unstoppable! Similar to Cumulus Inc. in design, though upstairs the palette is darker and moodier, with mismatched chairs a bit of this and that. It is all ultimately welcoming. Like being invited to the cool kid's party, a Melbournian would never admit to it as such. He or she nonchalantly sips a glass of red, thinking 'Goddamn, I wish we could smoke in here'...

Sort of like an XL dining room, Cumulus Up is a great rendez-vous point Source: Good Food

If I knew more about wine I'd make some witty comment about the wine list but I do not and besides, I just had a beer. Beer + bar food = a resounding YES. The menu reads well, it all sounds good really (well wouldn't it?). The best thing is its versatility; pop in for a drink before dinner,  plant yourself for a proper meal or just a nightcap (and sweet) before bed. There's even a Chef's Selection Menu which sounds intriguing ($65). You can skimp or splurge, the ball is in your court.

Et voilà!

Kale fritters. Chips sans guilt, because they are dehydrated and not deep fried...right? Once you crunch into one, you forget that you're getting a serve of veg (justifying away here)! Perfect for lounging with a movie ;)

Duck waffle, foie gras and prune ($8). Though there were initial misgivings, I insisted we ordered this (like a crazy person). A seemingly odd combination yes, but it works (or McConnell has made it work). A genius creation of a buckwheat waffle mixed with confit duck (+ skin), piped with foie gras parfait and topped with prune purée. Everything about this is just so crazy it's perfect - all those textures and surprise of the duck inside. Di-viine.

Now, to a more traditional crowd pleaser: spiced lamb ribs with smoked tomato. The serve was so tiny I was a little bit disappointed! But at $7, it's not so bad. The ribs were ridiculously tender, you could pull the meat off the bone without any effort

Golden roasted chat potatoes - these were on special request, not usually on the menu. The C-Up kitchen was kind to accommodate. Oh and FYI, they can roast the hell out of potatoes. It must be all the duck fat they've basted them with!

This was a great way to end my first night in Melbourne (reunited, at last!). In all seriousness, it seems McConnell can do no wrong. Yet again, he has come up with the goods on this little standout bar. A decent wine list with excellent bar edibles will keep the masses coming. Will Cumulus Up stand the test of time? You betcha.

I couldn't help sticking another photo in, it is just TOO GOOD, okay. We had one of those "Are you serious?!" moments...the my mind is blown/good kind. Try it! Photo credit: Kristoffer Paulsen

Thanks for reading!
xGourmand

Black Diamonds

This could quite possibly be the world's most expensive breakfast. There's no other ingredient around that is as prized as the truffle and now 'tis the season. Presenting, a truffled omelette [emph-A-sis on the truffle part ;)] cooked with a bit too much butter and crowned with slithers of fresh black truffle, the eggs still a bit runny of course. It's a once a year occurrence and a culinary splurge, for sure. Miam-miam! 

Omelette with fresh black truffle: it's a deadly simple recipe to really show-off the flavour of the truffle. Now I know what it really tastes like!

Costing a very pretty penny (for a black diamond!), truffles can be found at our local farmer's markets for a strictly limited season. The truffles (or should I say truffle chunk) that we got our hands on were from Lowes Mount Truffles in Oberon, NSW. Another more famous Australian truffière (or whatever they are called, 'cultivators') is Manjimup Truffles from WA. Black truffles or Tuber melanosporum really are such beautiful things, organically formed and speckled white but etched inside.

Hai ya! This photograph is just pure indulgence. Photo credit: Fx Cuisine

'They say' that truffles taste differently to each individual, they are perhaps an acquired taste. They're earthiness and texture really is something entirely unique. A true gem in the foodie world. And it's no wonder, because they only grow amongst specific trees - hazelnut and oak for example and found only by trained dogs or pigs (although the latter tend to scoff them, unabashedly). Finally, we have started to grow them on our shores, Australia being the largest producer outside of the EU. These days there's even the annual Truffle Festival with truffle hunts and cooking classes held in the Canberra region. We can definitely hold our own!

RECIPE - it's a cinch

Truffled Omelette from Andrew McConnell's Cumulus Inc.

Serves 1 (greedy guts)

Oh, this is making me hungry. The foaming butter just tops it all off, not to mention those truffles!

Ingredientsss

2 eggs (choose free range or organic, you know the deal)

1 tbsp milk

pinch of salt

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

pinch of chives, chopped

1 tsp parmesan, finely grated

10g sliced fresh truffle (go nuts, i say)

1 tsp crème fraîche

pinch freshly ground white pepper

Method

1. Whisk eggs, milk and salt together at high speed for 2 mins

2. Melt butter with oil in pain over medium heat

3. Once butter is foaming, add egg and stir before reducing the heat to low

4. Sprinkle over chives and parmesan, then scatter truffle slices evenly on top

5. Dollop over crème fraîche and sprinkle over pepper, then cook for ~30 seconds

6. When underside of omelette is golden, and the egg is almost set, fold omelette in half and cook for another 30 secs before turning out

To appease my obsessive-compulsive streak I have collated a number of truffle/egg recipes from the interwebs. Choose your poison...

French Food Safari with Guillaume Brahimi (video) Scrambled Egg with Truffle

Gourmet Traveller's Truffle Omelette

and...

Oh mercy. Katie Quinn Davies' Black Truffle Fried Egg, with the addition of blue cheese and mushies. Source: What Katie Ate

From the lauded truffle shops in Paris to the humblest jar of truffle honey, everyone can savour the flavour of truffles. The magic of this ingredient is that you only need a few grams to really transform a dish, a light dusting over egg pasta or risotto is all that required. Bellissimo.

Sniff it out! Why have a truffle dog when you can have a truffle pig? Infinitely cooler. Photo credit: The Times UK

Thanks for reading!
xGourmand

B'FST, Melbourne styley

Too many things, there are just too many things that I want to write about on my little blog. I mentioned previously that i had made a recent trip to Melbourne. A city which I absolutely love - so much so that i can pretty much see myself living there one day. What is it about Melbourne that pulls at my heart? Coffee, food and laneways full stop (.) - and friends of course :P The trams are also a bonus. I'm sure this hunger for expenditure must be a generational thing, yay for Gen-Yers! We are well and truly fuelling the Australian economy. Well, I'm doing my part anyway.


Anywho, so last week I went for a 3 day trip down to Melb with an old work friend of mine, S. It was completely a spur of the moment thing, we literally booked the Friday morning to leave on Monday. Spontaneity for these kinds of things (impromptu minibreaks!!!) just adds to the excitement. We arrived at about 11pm on Monday night, dropped by a minibus on the side of Queen Vic markets. Now I'm not sure if you know the area, but it's sort of like sydney's Haymarket - an awesome food market during the day but abandoned and a bit on the dodgy side at night. I suppose the thick fog didn't help much. Anyway we found our lodging quickly and fell asleep ready for a huge day ahead...


The next morning was overcast with a decided wind chill in the mix. Typical. First stop was brekkie at Cumulus Inc. a wee diner on Flinders Lane (google maps anyone?) set up by chef Andrew McConnell - who has become some sort of demi-god on the melbourne restaurant scene. On route to the cafe we dropped into the Press Club to make a dinner reservation. They'll be more on that later ;) S and i had been scouring through the several restaurant guides i had brought with me on the plane (some would call me a food nerd). I'm sure the snoozing lady in our row didn't appreciate our squealing as we resolved to visit some of the hatted restaurants in town.

Cumulus Inc. 

15/20, one hat (The Age, 2011)

Readying ourselves for a big day of EOFYS shopping, the first coffee of the day was in order. The cappuccino that I had was brilliant, with plenty of foam that didn't deflate as soon as it was set on the table (take note baristas). Tick! I ordered the Cumulus Inc. breakfast (akin to a house special) which included a boiled egg (i would have liked soft boiled but forgot to ask/clarify), toast, preserves, natural yoghurt with winter compote (rhubarb and the like), organic orange juice & coffee. Can't complain really. The table next to us had ordered the shakshouka (baked eggs with roasted peppers and marinated Persian fetta) which smelt divine. Look, our trip really was too short...

The door signage. Flashy, but me likey. Weird, I seem to have a thing for signs on this blog. This shot is by Studio Round, the design firm responsible for the logo handiwork.

Another big plus for me is the interior design. This place has a really high set ceiling making it feel really spacey, with classic modern table settings - basically the kind of place i like to find myself (does that make any sense?). There is a proper bar by the windows along with front row seats of the kitchen (where all the action happens) and then the usual table/chair set up in between. It's a pretty nifty space. And I didn't seem to mind the scraping of chairs on the floor boards after a while. Apparently, you can also book them (as in Andrew McConnell and chefs) to cater private functions, within the Arc Gallery which is just next door - how handy...!

What I'm going on about. Isn't it gorg?! It's a miracle what a wide angle lens can do for a place. This still is from Australian Traveller who rate Cumulus Inc. #45 in Australia's top 100 gourmet experiences - okily dokily! 

Gee, i should be employed by tourism Australia. I do apologise for my personal lack of input on the photo front but i haven't entirely mastered the "subtle-camera-whip-out-to-take-an-instant-masterpiece" move yet. I did try however, and surely that must count for something? P.S. the restaurant pic i took had some crepy random lady, standing outside the door peering in. Slightly awkward and she probably didn't want to be in the spotlight. Moving on however...

Mr Tulk 

1/3 cups translating as very good coffee and food (The Age cafe guide, 2011)

This dinky place is the cafe attached to the State Library of Victoria and is a veritable gem. There's nothing better than catching up with the melbourne crew, and introducing them to 'new' spots. It strikes me as kind of funny but when you count the urban sprawl that goes on (Sydney is heaps worse let me tell you), most people live around the city and not in it (well, obviously). If you find the name intriguing, the cafe's namesake is Augustus Tulk, the SLV's 1st librarian. It's like his name (character) is straight out of a novel :) 

Monsieur Tulk. Man, I was sweating over how to merge these jpegs lol. I love the old school high arch windows, how do I get me some of those? Big central tables seem to be en vogue around these parts e.g. Journal cafe on Flinders Lane

The staff are friendly and the vibe is cheerful. The coffee is decent (pretty much all melbourne coffee is decent, as in very good and above Sydney's par) and my standard 'cap' order went down a treat.  Foodwise, I ordered the corned beef hash with 2 poached eggs and dijon mustard. This brekkie is apparently a must try, recommended by someone (I forgot who - i do a lot of food reading, okay). I was a bit perplexed by the prospect of 'corned beef hash' but it turned out well. It's essentially a hash brown, with shreds of corned beef incorporated. The thing is then shaped into a plump sausage-like shape (different from the picture), crumbed and cooked. Btw, the poached eggs were perfectly spherical orbs (how, i don't know) and had beautiful running yolks :D You can't say I'm a tough critic, but i do like my eggs done right. Haha   

Corned beef hash @ Mr Tulk circa 2007. Still by Agnes and her DSLR (i'm jealous).     

Finalement...


Brother Baba Budan
3/3 cups i.e. the best coffee and great food in a special setting; in some cases, the best coffee but limited food (The Age cafe guide, 2011) - i believe BBB falls into the latter category, sadly.
Now, on our last night, S and I stumbled across (not the drunken type btw) this place completely by chance after 'de-meandering' back home from a laneway bar, Murmur. Of course, the name BBB rang a bell - the name is pretty distinctive, nevermind the chairs they have for a roof. BBB is another spawn (i write as if it were a bad thing) of the Seven Seeds coffee empire that is taking over Melbourne one cafe at a time...

See what I mean?! BBB have effectively made a puny space punier but it just works for some reason. You can thank my phone for the blurriness, it makes for artistic effect.

So the next morning we hopped on a tram down Lizzie street to Little Bourke where this little nook resides. I was a bit trepidatious (lol) because it looked like the place was chockers, which it was. But the sweet thing about being in Melbourne during the working week is that most places are pretty quiet... Yay, for the suits who only had time to grab a takeaway double shot long black in their keep-cups. BBB feels like the kind of joint that is opened and run by a bunch of friends who have license over the coffee machine (a great monstrosity of a thing, probably equivalent to a Rolls in the caffeinated world) and the soundtrack. It is very laid-back (apart from the coffee orders that keep rolling in), which is a nice step back from the freneticism (here i go making up words again) of the sidewalk metres away. 


Somehow, we managed to get a seat right in front of the pastry cabinet. How convenient! Apparently the Russian pastries are the ones people go on about but there wasn't anything russian in sight so we opted for some almond croissants instead (old faithful). My order of a regular (full fat, ftw!) cap came out looking pretty as a picture. I must say, though it was very good, I was expecting a little bit more (some of it must be due to hype). I thought the coffee at Cumulus Inc. was a touch better (more creamy and better depth of flavour), but maybe it's because that was the first coffee of the trip and my first great coffee in ages...? I dunno, to be honest I really am nitpicking here. 

Now how could I write a Melbourne coffee/cafe post without showing off some coffee art? That is one good-looking coffee fern...lol

All in all, nowhere else in Australia is the cafe culture as strong as in Melb, Sydney tries really really hard and doesn't quite get there. Melbourne probably has more cafes/coffee vendors/baristas per capita than anywhere else in the world. But I really can't argue against it if the results are this good. A bit of healthy competition never hurt anybody now did it :P xo