Molecular gastronomy is a loose term used to describe a new style of cooking that’s arisen in the last few years. More and more chefs are beginning to explore new possibilities in the kitchen through scientific techniques and equipment. We’re talking onion in the form of powder; beetroot foam; bacon and egg ice cream; espresso with parmesan air…

Molecular gastronomy turns time old traditions about food on its head and combines the excitement of food and science in one undeniably mind blowing combination.

The leading chefs in this area are Ferran Adria of El Bulli, Heston Blumenthal of The Fat Duck and Grant Achatz of Alinea, who coincedentally all appear in the top 10 in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

While some Australian chefs dabble here and there in this style of ‘avant garde’ cooking, Tomislav is probably the first of its kind to build its entire menu around this premise. Describing itself as a ‘future bistro’, Tomislav is located on an easy-to-miss corner of Darlinghurst within direct view of the Coke sign.

Owner and head chef, Tomislav Martinovic trained under Heston Bluementhal and has also worked with the likes of Matt Moran, Guillaume Brahimi and Eric Chavot.

Tomislav is intimate, cool and understated. The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating, all within direct view of the kitchen – where the magic happens.

We began our meal at Tomislav with an order of crackers. Rice crackers to exact. Accompanied with a sea salt and vinegar atomiser, we are advised by our waitress that three sprays are the recommended amount. The crackers were tangy, crisp and wildy addictive. We could’ve easily finished off a whole bowl and taken home a bag each.

Rice crackers with sea salt & vinegar - 7

I originally had reservations about ordering the oysters. What luck that I persisted, the oysters at Tomislav turned out to be my favourite dish of the night. Freshly shucked, the oysters were very juicy and supple. The lemon ice and soy dressing was the perfect duo – both soothing on the tongue and well seasoned. I don’t think I can have oysters any other way now.

Freshly shucked Sydney rock oysters with lemon ice and soy dressing - $12/$24

As we waited for our entrees to arrive, we were handed a small basket of bread and a plate of butter. The waitress tells us that the butter had been churned on site and was topped with an onion powder. I grinned from ear to ear, this is exactly the sort of creation I came for. The powder had a very subtle roasted onion flavour and added a nice earthy flavour to the butter, which in itself was so soft – almost like the whipped butter you get with McDonalds hot cakes.

Butter with onion powder

The excitement didn’t stop there. Our next dish was the grilled salmon rolls, topped with wasabi crumbs. Don’t be fooled, they’re not as lethal as they look. The crumbs actually had a very creamy taste with very little harshness at all.

Grilled salmon roll toast with wasabi crumbs - 12

The poached comboyne hen’s egg reminded me of congee. Except, instead of century egg, pork, chinese sausage and pickles, this had peas, ham and warm potato cream. Topped with a wafer thin slice of ‘toast’, I think it would make an incredibly comforting breakfast.

Poached Comboyne hen's egg with peas & ham and warm potato cream - 18

The quail, with its glistening skin, had very distinct Thai flavours – corainder, chilli and roast pineapple. The glaze was very addictive – if I wasn’t in front of company, I would’ve picked up the quail and eat it with my fingers.

Roast Red Gate Farm quail with chilli, coriander and roast pineapple - 19

The risotto was unique in that it used basmati rice – as opposed to the stubbier and creamier arborio rice. This meant that the risotto wasn’t as rich as normal and the lemon zest added a nice balance to the dish.

Basmati rice risotto with poached Yamba prawns, chives and lemon zest - 18

To round out the entrees, we had the poached yellow fin tuna with egg linguine, parmesan and celery cress. This really was an interesting trio of ingredients: the poached tuna really tied the dish together, while the celery cress helped cut through the richness of the creamy parmesan sauce.

Poached yellow fin tuna with egg linguine, parmesan and celery cress - 20

With only a brief moment to recover from the entrees, we were shortly presented with our mains. The barramundi was a very sizeable portion and both juicy and rich in flavour. Meanwhile, the cauliflower and parsley crumbs brought some colour and texture to the dish.

Wild river saltwater barramundi with cauliflower, parsley crumbs and king browns - 31

The scotch fillet came with a roast bone marrow split down the middle and a dab of horseradish cream. Already pre-sliced, the scotch fillet was cooked to a perfect medium rare. Our piece of marrow on the other hand, appeared to be overcooked and a little shrivelled. This didn’t affect the taste too much, it was an indulgent touch to the classic steak.

O'Connor scotch fillet with roast bone marrow and horseradish cream - 32

The duck breast was beautifully presented, set against a bright swipe of beetroot. Again pre-sliced (which made sharing so much easier), the crisp skin perfectly rendered and encased a tender strip of duck. The olive oil sponge had a very subtle flavour, perhaps overwhelmed by the surrounding ingredients.

Pasture Burrawong duck breast with olive oil sponge and baby beetroots - 32

The egg linguine was too creamy and salty for our liking. The pasta tasted very similar to the entree dish, it almost felt like we had doubled up on the order.

Egg linguine with Jannei goat's cheese, broccoli and anchovy - 29

Terry Durack raved about how great the chips were. But we found them dry and overcooked. If you’re ever travelling through Canada, the best chips money can buy can be found at Wild Bill’s in Banff. How they get their chips so darn crispy, I don’t know!

Crinkle cut chips - 8

When it came to ordering desserts, I was very disappointed to see that the chocolate mousse dome was no longer on the Tomislav menu. I had looked at it longingly when I read reviews by Not Quite Nigella, Eat Show & Tell and FoodiePop. Alas, we persisted with the four desserts that were featured on the menu.

The cheesecake wasn’t really like cheescake at all. It was light, creamy and airy – almost like mousse. The rhubarb was the perfect accompaniment and it’s very seldom I see it used so well in a dessert dish (besides the obvious tart or crumble).

Vanilla cheesecake with cream cheese and rhubarb sorbet - 14

Seemingly a tribute to the Bounty Bar, the dark chocolate coconut bar was a rich and decadent reinterpretation of the classic candy bar. The coconut ice and chocolate sorbet really made the dish and the sprinkling of pomegranate was nice touch! This dish reminded me of the ‘gas station’ challenge on Top Chef, where the contestants had to make fine dining dishes usuing only ingredients found at a gas station.

Dark chocolate coconut bar with coconut milk ice and chocolate sorbet - 14

My least favourite dish of the dessert round was the caramel pudding, which is surprising because I am a huge caramel fan. The caramel pudding sat at the very bottom of the bowl, buried under mounds of caramel walnuts. While the yoghurt provided a nice acidity to balance out the sweetness in this dessert, there was something about the combination I just didn’t enjoy.

Caramel pudding with yoghurt sorbet and caramelised walnuts - 14

And the dessert I ranked highest on the night was the apple crumble. I loved the deconstruction of this classic dish as well as the creativity in Tomislav’s re-construction. The individual elements were just as vibrant and delicious as the crumble combined. That’s the beauty of deconstruction I guess!

Apple crumble, macadamia nuts and clotted cream ice cream - 14

If you’re tired of the ‘same old same old’, then Tomislav a try. It will be sure to surprise you with its trippy menu of weird and wonderful creations.

Tomislav
2/13 Kirketon Road
Darlinghurst NSW 2010
# 02 9356 4535
www.tomislav.com.au Open Tuesday to Saturday from 6.00pm – 10.00pm.