All kinds of diets are adhered to (as long as you call beforehand), vegan, dairy-free or vegetarian, which I hear, is spectacular. Plenty of Asian touches here, especially of Sri Lanka, where he comes from. It’s a lot of fun, and more worth your while than watching Nigella Lawson attempt to cook on TV.īreaking away from the bubble of Cheek by Jowl, the food here is a lot less Aussie and a lot more ‘Rishi’. Take a counter seat and enjoy the rhythm of the chefs bouncing around, pinching and tossing sauces into place. Everything about him is precise, from the plating and height of the flames right down to the last emerald tile behind the open kitchen. Started by chef Rishi Naleendra, who began his career at Taxi Dining Room (now Taxi Kitchen) and ran the refined, modern Aussie restaurant Cheek by Jowl (now Cheek Bistro), one can only expect great things. Of course, there’s more to look forward to at Cloudstreet than just an addictive loaf of bread. Cloudstreet’s famous Singapore Stout and Liquorice Bread, which you’d be heartbroken to leave until your next visit

A long time coming, but so worth waiting for. And it’s a good thing it’s served only during the fifth course, Grilled Lamb with Young Jackfruit and Mint (pictured above). The Singapore Stout and Liquorice Bread is the sweet result of plenty of trial and error – 50 times, to be exact – by Melissa Ong, the pastry chef. Raised on baking soda and flavoured by Brewlander stout, the rye loaf arrives at your table warm, slightly dense, chewy and sticky from a liquorice glaze. Everyone I know is in love with the bread. The last rule’s a tough one to follow, but one I’d happily break here at Cloudstreet. Always pace yourself, do not finish it all (I know, wasting food is the worst) and most of all, never begin the meal with too much bread.

But wait, there’s moreĪfter a few years of dealing with food reviews, your stomach (and expanded waistline) will teach you a few things. At Cloudstreet, the liquorice soda bread is enough to keep us coming back.

Cloudstreet review