Nestled in Kirketon road in Kings Cross, Tomislav is a new mini bistro opened by Tomislav Martinovic. Having recently worked with Heston Blumenthal at the Fat Duck, and followed by being head chef at Koi in Woolwich (both my absolute favorites), Tomislav provides an understated extravagance to his cooking with all the latest tools of the trade such as thermo mixes, waterbaths and siphons. The restaurant is small but cosy, its decor still very similar to its previous owner Bucha. It sits no more than 30 with a wonderful outdoor balcony. Start with a cocktail pre-dinner while you enjoy glimpses of the harbour view during sunset. The cocktail list concentrates on the simple classics so you can’t go wrong (hint: Anything with Campari in it)
We started off with some Fat Duck-esque ‘Rice crackers’ where the flavour is spritzed with a sea salt and vinegar atomiser, almost like a deep fried quilted tissue.
The Rangers Valley sirloin roll on toast and wasabi crumbs also makes a great accompaniment for your pre-drinks, just like beef tataki in bite sized pieces
The freshly shucked rock oystrers with lemon ice and soy dressing was ever so refreshing, the lemon ice like a fine powdered snow atop a creamy oyster.
Martinovic’s play on Asian flavours in the roast Red Gate farmed quail with chilli, coriander and roast pineapple creates a tongue in cheek joke about naff Asian takeaway food. His use of humour in his menu and invoking your memories and nostalgia must be something he’s picked up from Heston, but Martinov shows you that you don’t have to do it with a giant conch and an iPod to get the point across.
The sweetness from the grilled QLD king prawn celery perfectly balanced with the tartness of the apple dressing with avocado.
this is one of my personal favorites: The poached Comboyne hen’s egg is apparently cooked in a waterbath for 70 minutes at 62 degrees until it reaches a texture like panna cotta, served with mustard, grilled king brown mushrooms and paper thin “toast”. Incredible!
The roast tinder creek duck breast was cooked pink to perfection, served with olive oil sponge, baby beetroots, sliced and perfect for sharing. I could’ve sworn he’s borrowed the sponge cake recipe from Ferran, where the batter is siphoned with nitrous oxide into a plastic cup and microwaved! (but correct me if I’m wrong)
The O’Connor scotch fillet with grilled mango, chives and bone marrow was also a winner and equally great for sharing, but I suggest you claim dibs and bagsies on the bone marrow!
The egg pappardelle was presented beautifully with Jannei goat’s curd, broccolini and anchovy, but it was over shadowed by the showmanship of the other dishes on offer. There is also no vegetarian options available on the menu, unless this was ordered sans anchovy.
Let’s move on to our crinkle cut chips! These were triple cooked to achieve the perfect crunch on the outside and the soft steaming potato inside. It was truly like eating mash wrapped inside potato crisps. As you can see we’ve ordered way too much for ourselves, and even when the table was being cleared, I held onto the bowl of chips with separation anxiety.
Yes. However full we were, we make sure every last piece was stomached.
This leaves room for only one dessert on the menu:
The vanilla cheesecake topped with cheese jelly, mulberry sorbet was a fun way to finish the meal. The cheesecake was whipped into the lightest of textures, with the shortbread crumbs smashed against the airy cloud as you chew with the “cheese jelly” cubes. We felt like a kid eating candy for the first time.
We also saw the fig carpaccio on the dessert menu, which used to be one of my favorite desserts at Koi. I was wondering where it had gone when I visited Koi again recently – well now we’ve found it again, it left with the chef.
Kitchen hard at work
There’s no reason why nouveau scientific cooking has to be served in a posh restaurant with white tablecloths and a 1 month waiting list. Martinovic brings the “perfect food” right down to an accessible casual setting, which is what I enjoyed most about my dinner. His spontaneous approach to cooking and importance to have a great time creating his dishes really shine through. Never stop having fun, I say!
