Under the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge with views to the equally awe-inspiring Opera House is Campbell Cove and within that a true jewel in the crown – Luna Lu.
Luna Lu’s new head chef Pier Davide Maiuri is bringing a new ethical and sustainable approach to contemporary Asian cuisine at Luna Lu that is based on combining carbon neutral, locally and handpicked globally sourced ingredients with skill, innovation and dare we say love.
This love is truly evident in the 24-hour simmering whiskey jus and the handmade purple potato powder – Luna Lu has put every element of dining under the microscope and refined each tiny piece to build a menu and experience of sophisticated, detailed, perfection – without pomp.
We started with a cocktail. Our wonderful sommelier explained that each of the cocktails on the menu has been designed to be enjoyed with the food – a cocktail food pairing if you will. We had the Shaoxing Fortune ($26), Roku Gin and Gu Ye Long Shan 10 year-old Shaoxing Wine infused with Sweet Pear and a touch of walnut bitters. The ice is pressed with Luna Lu and has gold within it. Quite the spectacular drink and worth a trip in itself for uniqueness and umami flavour. We loved this. Once fully imbibed a sadness took over us. We’ll be back for another.
Next we enjoyed Hiramasa Kingfish Sashimi Mosaic ($33), with white Miso from Kyoto, oscietra caviar, yuzu and ginger dressing. The caviar brings a salty-goodness to a typically light fish and the finely balanced yuzu dressing cuts through just at the end.
We coupled this with a small run Fiano from Saltram Winemakers Selection, Barossa, SA ($92). We love a Fiano – an unusual wine in Australia – but a perfect match for Asian food and it’s the missing link between pinot gris and chardonnay and couldn’t recommend it more.
We also had the Black Angus Ranger Valley Short Beef Ribs ($33). Slow cooked to melt in your mouth perfection with a rich sticky sauce, shallots and fresh chilli. Four multiple-bite sized pieces arrived to be savoured. Chewing was unnecessary and our taste buds jumped off the tongue in excitement.
The Peking Duck Salad ($36) was a delicate balance of premium duck, pickled onion, parsnip puree, and house made crispy taro. For us the parsnip puree weighed the salad down, but we loved the richness of the duck paired with the taro and dres
The Glacier 51 Toothfish ($65) is dressed in a blanket of red curry from central Thailand with squid ink and black cabbage. Toothfish feels like a treat no matter where you have it – but when it’s brought to an extra level of richness with a densely infused red curry to complement the firmness of the fish – is a cleverness of matching rich texture with rich flavour is dexterity rarely seen.
Eggplant is our favourite vegetable, mostly for its ability to adapt and adopt flavour. So Kungpao Style Eggplant ($22) brings together Miso, dry chili and peanuts that soak into the slow roasted eggplant. Beautifully decorated in micro herbs and flowers – this is an instagram worthy level of eggplant.
Overall Luna Lu is a special occasion worthy restaurant with its luxurious decor and internationally envious views (and internationally qualified chef) with enough casual drop-in menu items for regular visits – and with the variety it’ll take you a few visits to get through all the incredible options so specially crafted.
Luna Lu
Ground level and Level 1 – Bays 4 and 5, 7-27 Circular Quay West, Campbells Cove, The Rocks. 2000
Monday -Thursday 12pm-10pm
Friday 12pm-11pm
Saturday 12pm-11pm
Sunday 12pm-10pm
