Luna Lu we love you. There’s no other way to express it. From the Sydney Harbour Bridge looming large over the space, to the varied menu to the gorgeous design and furnishings of the space – Luna Lu is certainly a spot for friends and family to enjoy sophisticated revamped Asian classics.
There’s a vast array of small plates and larger dishes all perfect for sharing as is the traditionally Asian way of eating food – made thoughtfully and shared lovingly and we were happy to oblige. We started with Hiramasa King Fish ($28). A cured King Fish served with wasabi emulsion and fresh kiwi salsa, plus yuzu ginger dressing and trout caviar, served with crunchy lotus chips. King Fish is always a winner but with the caviar this is next level extravagant and delicious. The dish really sets the scene for the style of cuisine we’re about to enjoy – all our favourites, modernised, refined and elevated.
The Pork Belly Bao ($27) is the crispiest of skinned pork bellies with a delicate dressing of salt to create some of the best pork belly we’ve ever tasted. Previously we’ve only been able to dream about this level of perfection of crispy salty tender pork wrapped in a cloud like bao bun served with pickled daikon and carrot, spiced mayo and wild coriander, delivering such intense joy and moorishness. We wished we’d ordered two lots!
The Silken Tofu ($22) is next arrived in a clay bowl with steamed soy milk custard, supreme XO sauce topped with morel mushrooms, spanner crab and salmon roe. Smooth, creamy and depth of flavour beyond what tofu usually inspires. Likely not for everyone, this one may be for the adventurous – and like any adventure – typically well worth it.
We paused to take a good look at our surroundings. The beautifully renovated Campbells Cove under the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge with a clear view to the Opera House it’s perfect for the Sydney sider looking to remind themselves of what an incredible world city this is as it comes back to life and for the tourist too – as they start to bubble back onto our fair shores.
Back to the menu…As it’s truffle season, we had the Black Truffle Duck Spring Rolls ($24) bringing together duck and premium grade Italian black truffle with porcini mushrooms. A decadent crispy spring roll of rich, luxurious flavours – as you’d expect from a combination of duck and truffle. It’s a must have really.
For the larger plates we enjoyed the Shanghai Toothfish ($58), which was miso glazed and pan fried, served with shisho, wild tiger beetroot and green mango salad. Toothfish is such a wonderful dense and creamy fish that it was particularly filling and the miso glaze accompanied the Edamame Fried Rice ($18) perfectly. The Edamame Fried Rice is also a must. Spinach fried rice, with edamame, broccolini and snow peas – could eat it for days.
The other large plate we tried was the Luna Duck ($48). Peking style charred duck breasts served with black cabbage, young bamboo shoots, pickled Spanish onion and tamarind jus. The duck breast is perfectly cooked and tender. Again, a brilliant contemporisation on an absolute classic.
By this time we were full but could not ignore the incredible dessert offerings. We inhaled the Caramel Creme ($20) a caramel egg custard, salted butter caramel with charred hazelnuts and pandan. The charred hazelnuts and pandan completely transforms this to a memorable dish that we want to enjoy again…and again.
The word Luna obviously means moon in Latin – and we could easily suggest the food at Luna Lu takes you to the moon and back. For art lovers, though, Luna Lu is the creator of the piece The Anatomy of Hugging. This is how we felt after leaving Luna Lu – the restaurant – like we’d just been hugged by beautifully created food. Hence why Luna Lu we love you.
Luna Lu
Campbells Cove, Ground Level, Bays 4 and 5, 7-27 Circular Quay W, The Rocks
Monday 5pm-10pm
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday 12pm-10pm
Friday, Saturday 12pm-11pm
