Cumulus Inc: Cloudy...no meatballs, but still pleasing to the palate

King Edward was back from Sydney, and to catch up, Bboi had organised for a last minute get together to congratulate him on finally proposing to Fushen (the love of his life – a brave woman, that she is).

Hence, last Saturday night I found myself dining at Cumulus Inc, in the company of those who could come on such short notice – J9, Bboi, Mic – and King Edward himself, of course. It was great to catch up with him; his investment banking gig in Sydney keeps him pretty busy, but it’s nice to know some things (or people) never change.

Located on Flinders Lane amongst numerous other popular dining institutions, Cumulus Inc is another one with a no bookings policy, walk-ins only.

We all arrived at 6.45pm, and were told there was a 45 minute wait. This was on a quiet Saturday – the streets of Melbourne felt deserted that night; most people were still on holidays after the New Year. I felt the wait might probably be even longer on a normal Saturday night...

We were soon seated on a round table near the bar.

Our waiter was very courteous, and explained the sharing menu; he recommended to order between 5-8 dishes between us.

Looking at the menu, I thought it could have been a tad more extensive. There were very few vegetarian options, and few desserts. There were a lot of oysters. Too bad none of us were huge oyster fanatics.

Mic, being vegetarian, had fortunately eaten before coming, and was happy to have a small salad.

The rest of us decided to each pick a dish, with an additional salad.

Foie gras parfait with toasted brioche

 Pork & Duck rillette, pickled fennel

Saffron spiced cauliflower, golden raisins, pinenuts & curd

Zucchini salad

Whole flounder, braised borlotti beans, smoked tomato & celery heart

Grilled pork loin, broad beans, buttered cucumber, white anchovy & warrigal greens

Strawberry jelly, coconut sorbet & granita

Rum baba, aged rum

Madeleine, filled with lemon curd

All 4 of us omnivores agree that the dish of the night was the foie gras. I also immensely enjoyed the cauliflower salad; Bboi also said it was very tasty, and he’s always hated broccoli and cauliflower (he always referred to them distastefully as small ‘trees’).
Mic, the one herbivore of our group, said he liked his zucchini salad best.

The flounder was good, but I’ve always been spoilt when it comes to flounder – it’s a regular dish for my family’s weekly dinners, and my sister and mum have just about perfected the art of cooking this fish. Needless to say, Cumulus’ version does not even begin to compare.

I loved the strawberry jelly dessert – it was refreshing! The rum baba arrived on a delectable bed of custard – King Edward pulled perhaps a little too much rum over the top though; I didn’t enjoy it with the rum.

The madeleines with lemon curd, so frequently mentioned in other food blogs, didn’t live up to its name. Don’t get me wrong, it tasted fine – pleasant, even – but not something I would remember or rave about.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable meal. I don’t think Cumulus Inc quite lived up to the hype, but perhaps this is unfair – it’s a lovely restaurant with a cosy atmosphere, excellent staff and good food made from high-quality produce.

Ratings (based on my own experience, on this occasion):

Food – 7 / 10

Service – 8 ½ / 10

Value for money – 7 / 10

OVERALL CONSENSUS: 3.5 bags (out of 5)