Having taken a day off following my bday and drink with my brother the night before, i decided to use the opportunity to finish off number 43 from my list. Having already been to cumulus inc and thoroughly enjoying it, i was excited and had high expectations from Andrew McConnell's new restaurant Golden Fields. With a more Asian feel to this menu that the cumulus menu and with the promise of chili, spice and the highly talked about Lobster roll, i headed down to St. Kilda on a bright and warm day.
As with Cumulus Inc, the place had a vibrant vibe and was reasonably noisy with an open kitchen where you could watch the dishes being put together, lots of glass and clean lines and lots of white.
I was given the choice between a high table or a place at the bar. I decided to go for the bar and have a better view of the kitchen and interaction with bar staff. The bar had wooden stools and little hooks attached to it for coats. The staff seemed to enjoy themselves and had good interaction but also maintained efficiency and competence.
After being seated i was offered the reasonable short wine list and choose a decanter of pinot gris. This was accompanied by some spiced seeds. After reviewing the menu i choose to forgo the limited selection of main dishes (only 4) and choose a series of starters and salads and finish with desert. I ended up choosing 3 entrees, 1 salad and 1 desert course.
The first entree to arrive was the Lobster Roll. Quite small but had a variety of flavours, textures and temperatures and consisted of a toasted brioche roll which was crisp and buttery, poached crayfish, watercress and kewpie Japanese mayonnaise. Great balanced flavours and differences in temperature between the cold crayfish and hot buttered roll. This dish was great and you felt like you wanted to order more.
However with other dishes to try i resisted the urge to order another and went on to the second dish, the salad. A salad of shredded and sliced chicken, combined with sesame paste, spring onions, cold rice noodles and a generous chili oil. The contrast between the heat from the chili and the cold moist chicken and other cold elements was great and the flavours really stood out. Also they were not afraid to add some heat to the dish without overpowering it.
The third dish was the rustic pork dumplings with a side of chili vinegar. Good well cooked pork meat encased in a doughy, fluffy dumpling and the side of chili vinegar after being poured on top was excellent.
The final savoury dish was the twice cooked duck. Served like Peking duck with a steamed bread case sliced in half with cucumber and vinegar and plum sauce. The duck skin was amazingly crisp and the duck meat fell apart with the slightest touch of the fork. The sauce was great and the combo was excellent but the star was the duck meat.
For desert i went with the peanut butter parfait sprinkled with extra peanuts covered in salted caramel and topped off with a scoop of soft chocolate. The food was rich and decadent and full of flavour and the presentation and combo of flavours was first rate. Excellent dish.
As much as i loved cumulus inc. this restaurant is much more my style of food and i loved the bold flavours and contrasts in flavours, textures and temperatures with a slightly Asian focus. Quality cooking, great flavours and aesthetically pleasing dishes meant for a quality lunch out. Combined with a relaxed and fun atmosphere it was a great meal out. Don't expect high silver service but a more relaxed and hip vibe. And the cost was very reasonable.
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