Pre-theatre meal @ Cumulus Inc.

The location: Cumulus Inc.
-> Eating house on Flinders Lane (near Spring St) headed by brilliant chef Andrew McConnell
-> awarded The Age Good Food Guide 2010 One Chef's hat and The Age Good Food Guide Chef of the Year

The occasion: Solo pre-theatre light meal before meeting my sister Fiona for 'Le Salon' @ Arts Centre on Saturday night.

The dishes:
-> Crab and dried scallop soup with crispy chicken (great as an entree)
-> Sardines and zucchini flower tart with pines nuts (yum yum yum)

The sardines were pan-fried to perfection, with no unpleasant fishy smell, slightly crispy, and were excellently complemented by the pine nuts and zucchini flowers (i really like the yellow-green leaves but on speaking with Fiona about her previous experiences with zucchini flowers - stuffed and at a different eatery - she hates it).

The crab and dried scallop soup with crispy chicken had a seafood chowder-like texture without being too creamy. Nice seafood taste without being too heavy. Succulent crab flesh bits and also bits of dried scallop flesh added to the mixture. My guess is the crispy chicken was used as soup stock and helped to balance the taste of the seafood. It had a drizzle of basil oil at the top which added a dash of fresh vegetable taste to the overall concoction.

Also had a glass of Pyrens Vineyards Block E Shiraz (I should have taken greater care to match my wine to my mostly seafood dishes - but I like Shiraz and was just having a casual meal, so Shiraz it was)- nothing much to report... but my takeaway soy latte (made with Bonsoy) left me a happy foodie as I made my way to Le Salon. (I need to double check - but I suspect they use Genovese coffee...? If so, can never go too wrong with Genovese and Bonsoy!)

Since I had to rush to the theatre, I didn't have a chance to eat dessert, but would have loved to have tried the sago dessert and/or have a couple of madeleines with herbal tea (but required 15 mins prep time).

The menu has changed since it opened (of course, not surprisingly so) - I had gone a few times when it first opened (last year?) but not since then due to long wait lines (no bookings) and as so many other eateries in the area have caught my attention (Coda, Bar Lourinha..) Definitely need to head back to Cumulus Inc more often to try all the new items!

Cumulus Inc also serves reasonably priced breakfasts daily (closed Sunday) - I've tried the full English brekkie previously which was very nice (although I didn't like the blood sausage - not because it wasn't tasty - I just don't like blood sausage). I must head back for breakfast soon and do a proper brekkie review then.

The place: I arrived at 6:30pm on Saturday and the place was already packed out. I squeezed onto the last seat on the counter and had the absolute delight of watching the professional cooking team hurry about their tasks in a focussed and efficient manner. There's a social buzz to the atmosphere and the mostly white and black decor is classy and modern; open, casual and comfortable (not snobby, pretentious or intimidating). There were a couple of people on dates near where I was sitting - I probably wouldn't go to Cumulus Inc for 'the special date' as the venue is more social than intimate - perfect for catch-ups with a friend or two over good food though.

The people: Service was excellent and professional but still friendly and attentive. Spot on.

Value for money: All up, including drinks, my meal was just under $40. For that sort of quality, who can complain?

The verdict:
Food 8/10
Ambience 8/10
Service 8.5/10

Total 24.5/30

Cumulus Inc is back on my favourite eateries list - along with similar quality places like Movida, Coda and Bar Lourinha. They're all very close to my work too - very lucky!