Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Cumulus Inc, Melbourne

I have spoken before about grand master Andrew McConnell's special culinary powers. The legend continues at Cumulus, Inc., 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Tel +61 3 9650 1445. He calls the place an eating house where breakfast is done simply. But since when do "eating houses" dabble in molecular gastronomy? Breakfast done simply my arse.

65-65 egg

Not that I'm complaining. He can tinker around with the slow poaching machine and other scientific experiments as long as he likes. The failures can go in the bin. And the winners can go on the menu. Like the 65/65 egg. Slow "poached" in its shell at 65 degrees for 65 minutes, this is one perfect eggy-wegg. Just soft and slightly oozy all the way through. Genius.

If he keeps coming up with dishes like this, McConnell may soon be challenging Wylie Dufresne for the "Egg Man" title. In fact, now that I think of it, they share an eerie resemblance, especially in the haircut department. Not that I'm accusing Andrew of ripping off Wylie's look.

The 65/65 egg is served, sans shell, on a slice of crunchy sourdough toast, surrounded by smoked salmon, sprinkled with a few shreds of sorrel and dill, and topped with miniature apple soldiers about the size of matchsticks ($17). I contemplated dunking my apple soldiers in the egg yolk, but that would have looked a bit stupid, so I just shovelled bits onto my egg and toast.

If you're hungry, a better option may be the Full English ($18), which includes toast, farmhouse slab bacon, fried eggs, blood sausage, and smoked tomato. I am a big fan of the smoked vegetable, by the way, and the Tom Cooper smoked tomato they serve at Cumulus is no exception. Which reminds me, if you ever make it to wd~50 in New York, you should not miss Wylie Dufresne's smoked mashed potato (served with cod). It rocks. But I digress... For something a bit healthier, try the Bircher muesli with grated granny smiths and almonds ($10).

Coffee, service and venue are all excellent. But I have absolutely no idea why they named the place after a cloud.

20/20 "smokin"

score

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20 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

welcome back home ... I hope we'll all be treated to more regular blogging (no pressure though).

cheers,
sammy

19/3/09 23:47  
Blogger ice tea: sugar high said...

yumm.. I love breakfast at cumulus inc.

Welcome back!

21/3/09 08:13  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

At last! Back in town.

Good work resuming your coverage of Melbourne with the 65/65 egg.

23/3/09 09:06  
Anonymous Charlotte said...

I'm so glad you're back! And not only that but I enjoyed the 65/65 egg only days ago.

Found it delicious, but actually thought the staff weren't on their A-Game. Took ages to take a coffee order then weren't particularly interested in taking our food order either. Great food, but the service could be a touch smoother.

20/4/09 15:20  
Anonymous FPBI said...

nice....

10/5/09 01:39  
Anonymous Max mickle said...

Hey those cumulus inc look yummi,I love eating breakfast and always try new fast food recipes. I would love to try the cumulus inc for breakfast. that looks tasty. cumulus is also can make a satisfying breakfast. The Photos are amazing... I am already feeling hungry.

29/5/09 22:41  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good...but I'm sick of the service from same-ol'-same ol' surly and emotionally frustrated VCA students... Boo to them.

7/6/09 19:11  
Blogger andysa said...

I dropped by and had the Full English Breakfast this morning, absolutely amazing and the smoked tomato was the pièce de résistance.

13/6/09 16:32  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great organic museli as well. Love the addition of fresh pomegranite. Aside from slow service, which I can live with, decent cofee is something I can't live with out. Their coffee needs major improvement. I've never had a good coffee there. I still go back though. I just get a pre & post cumulus coffee elsewhere.

Off track from breakfast - try their anchovies. I'm not usually a fan of furry little fish, but these were amazing!

14/6/09 11:15  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Had Breakfast here this morning and I have to say the service was non existent and the staff had an attitude I usually only see in some Sydney Restaurants - Kind of like I am the lucky one to be there and pay for my food.

If you feel like a good restaurant should allow you some slight modifications on the menu - then do not go here - NO changes allowed.
I simply asked for Bacon and Eggs on toast ( cant have them Poached and wouldn't do them over easy )- The waiter took away the menu and I had no idea what I was getting until Bacon and eggs - sunny side up arrived. Also had to borrow salt and pepper from anotehr table as the waiters were far to busy looking busy to finish what they had started.
If it is important for you to say "where" you have eaten, then maybe this place will be OK, but if you want some respect as the customer - stay away.

Joe

22/12/09 15:00  
Anonymous Max said...

On holidays from Sydney, and i'm sitting at the Cumulus bar as I'm making this comment.

Decided to give this place a go after trying Circa at St Kilda.

Was sorely disappointed with this place. The food came half hour after we ordered.

The lyonnaise sausage with beans was almost at room temperature. The so called 'lyonnaise sausage' tasted like cheap frankfurters.

My bircher was a tastleless slodge.

You were spot on with your grade for Circa.

This place....questionable.

13/6/10 10:09  
Blogger pmta said...

We had breakfast here yesterday morning and it was awful. It started with the flat white I ordered and then proceeded to go downhill from there. The coffee arrived in a cup half full. I have never seen this anywhere else on the planet. I actually thought they had given me an espresso by mistake. When I asked the waiter he replied 'that's how we do it here'. I had to ask for more hot milk to fill my cup.The waiter then proceeded to have a gossip with the manager and they both turned to look disapprovingly over at our table....tsk tsk....After checking the menu for 5 minutes I ordered the Watermelon Salad only to be told that it wasn't available (why wasn't this mentioned when the menu was given to us??...not like there was a huge selection to start with). I instead ordered toast with a selection of jams. The toast arrived stone cold with 3 jars of jams, one almost empty. The jars looked dirty and were caked with jam around the rim. My friend ordered a muesli without yogurt and received muesli without yogurt AND without the poached fruit! When she asked the waiter that she wanted the poached fruit he literally rolled his eyes and took it back. Then we needed more milk for the muesli because the milk container that accompanied the muesli was tiny. It was as though they were on war rations there. I would seriously question this places reputation and suggest people avoid like the plague. I think the staff were rude and poorly trained. No Stars from me.

15/9/10 08:06  
Anonymous Stevo said...

They no longer have these dishes and there are no poached eggs on the menu.....
Cheers.

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