Cloudstreet

나는 마흔 살이되었어. 나는 아줌마가되었어. 하지만 나는 비슷한 나이의 다른 많은 사람들에 비해 나이가 들어가도 괜찮아. 

나는 아직도 건강한데 내가 하고 싶은 것은 뭐든지 할 수있어. 남편은 역대급😍하고 절친가 있어. 내 삶은 편안해서 지금은 리즈 시절이야. 그래서 나이가 들어감은 그렇게 나쁘지 않아😊. 

마흔 살이 마일표이지만 우리는 아무 계획도 없었어. 우리는 간단하게 내 생일을 지냈어. 남편과 함께 날마다가 모든 특별 하니까 생일을 특별하게 축하 할 필요도 없어. 👌


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This Cloudstreet Degustation ($258) was a dinner late last year when we agreed to take over a friend's reservation because she had to pass it up due to work exigencies. Having had a fantastic meal at sister restaurant Cheek by Jowl (now re-jigged as Cheek Bistro) back in 2017, I was enthused to dine at Cloudstreet. But as much enthusiasm as I had, it unfortunately had also been the end of a crazy work week heavy with late-night conference calls, and so I could barely keep my eyes open during the 2 hour-long dinner. Degustation-type meals are tough for old birds like moi these days: all I want, after a tedious day of toiling, is to just veg out in front of the telly while stuffing my face with comfort carbs. 

Nonetheless, Cloudstreet was superb. It was reminiscent of Restaurant Orana, in that it was delightfully unexpected, wonderfully experimental, and incandescently cerebral. It's not exactly soul food, and I don't think that I'd ever crave their food, but the degustation was undoubtedly a memorable and consummate experience. 

One thing that stood out, was how Cloudstreet had the most well-trained and knowledgeable staff, bar none. Cloudstreet may have been composed and possessed, almost clinical, in its dissertation to cooking, but its service was ardent and affable. Every server who attended to our table was familiar with and could break down all the components of each dish right down to the minutia, including their provenance. Like, did you know that the Jerusalem artichoke was actually a tuber, with taste akin to a potato rather than those green-coloured artichokes? Because I sure didn't!! Suffice it to say, I waddled out of Cloudstreet with my belly and mind full. 

The seemingly endless dinner kicked off with a duo of Coffin Bay Grilled Oysters, swaddled in betel leaf, and drenched in coconut milk, dill oil, and a squirt of finger lime. 

That was followed shortly by a trio of bites, from bottom: Pickled NZ Mussels; middle: Quail's Egg filled with smoked herring; and top: Chicken Liver Parfait, crowned with cranberry pearls and maple.

A fat Scottish Loch Fyne Scallop was adorned by kohlrabi, yuzu kosho, dill, and sago. 

A succulent Grilled Jeju Island Green-lip Abalone, was embellished with a heapful of Russian "majestic" caviar, butter abalone liver, and a sweet onion consomme. 

Poached Razor Clams were up next, pimped with pickles, mossy ogonori seaweed, fresh grated wasabi melded into buttermilk, and tonburi field seeds (purportedly also called land caviar), green tea, dill oil, celtuce, cultured cream, and the prettiest Egyptian star flowers. 

A luscious slab of Smoked Pastrami of Veal Heart, was fitted out with a salsify chip, fig skin chips, pickled onions, and finished with Korean green fig jam. 

A Cloudstreet signature, and for good reason, the Sri Lankan Curry of Western Australian Marron, was dressed with tamarind chutney, millet porridge, and sided by a coconut lemongrass broth with Thai basil oil. This was absolutely top-rate, I'd return just for this. 

A nibbler of a Sakura Ebi "Pocky Stick", comprising a chickpea dhal stick, dipped in aioli, and then crispy sakura shrimp, was kitschily delicious. 

The Barbecued Turbot, with basil mustard seeds, spiced golden raisin brown sauce, and coconut miso mousse, may have appeared insipid but it was an exercise in restrain and scrumptious. 

The Singapore Stout & Liquorice Bread, glazed with molasses, and served with spring salt and blended butter, was sticky, smoky, and addictive. 

The Australian F1 Wagyu Angus Beef, with fermented soy sauce, and a king brown mushroom grilled on binchotan, was melt-in-your-mouth perfection. 

A kicky Galangal Sorbet, with goat's cheese marshmallow, onion jam, kombu, and apple pickles, served as a refreshing palate cleanser before the sweet courses. 

First of the dessert finishers was a mini Musquee de Provence Tart of French pumpkin and edible florals. 

The penultimate course was a Jerusalem Artichoke & Jamaican Custard, flavoured with red miso, pedro ximenez grape, and set on a bed of caraway flavoured toasted buckwheat, washed down with a robust toasted artichoke skin tea sweetened with Okinawan sugar and black salt. 

Rounding off the degustation was a petit four of Dark Chocolate Saffron, Vegemite Toast with macadamia, and a traditional Indian ginger sweet. 


Cloudstreet
84 Amoy Street
Tel: 6513 7868
Open Tuesdays to Thursdays from 6pm to 11pm for dinner only;
Fridays & Saturdays from 12noon to 2.30pm for lunch; 6pm to 11pm for dinner;
Closed on Sundays & Mondays 

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