Lumi Bar and Dining, Pyrmont - Sydney

If you were to ask Sydneysiders a list of the best restaurants in Sydney, chances are Lumi Bar and Dining will get mentioned a lot. This is not surprising for a restaurant with an award-winning executive chef, Federico Zanellato (ex Noma, Attica and Ormeggio at The Spit). Federico’s fascination with fusing Italian and Japanese cuisine is the core of his establishment.

  

Lumi is one of the embodiments of the perfect Sydney dining experience and setting in my opinion. From its iconic Pyrmont waterfront setting to its sleek glass-walled spacious mid-century Italian interior design and the sublime Japanese/Italian fusion cuisine. This visit was from a few months ago with my homies Kerby and Chocolatesuze during a Saturday lunch session. There are numerous excellent reviews out there about Lumi. So, I want to approach this one as more of an appreciation post rather than a review. Lumi has a seasonal approach to their menu so some of the dishes we’ve had may or may not be available. The 10 ten-course degustation costs $150.

Disclaimer: On our visit, the kitchen brought out some extra dishes on the house.

The rye and spelt brioche was more soft and flavoursome than your usual brioche. It’s quite addictive so be careful not to over indulge on the bread before having all the other dishes.

The lovely yellow fin tuna dish was served in cute cones that tasted like delicate high-end Doritos cheese supreme nacho chips. That’s not a bad thing because Doritos is the best! Haha but seriously, these were amazing.

Rye crackers with zucchini and parmesan.

The uni is served as a nigiri boat. The umami from the uni and nori is balanced out by the creamy components of the dish.

The kangaroo tart was also fantastic! A blend of kangaroo and buttery bone marrow topped with sweet nutty fried leek in a perfect savoury tart pastry.

The chawanmushi is Federico’s take on a classic Japanese egg custard dish with Australian sea blight and shellfish oil.

The semi dried tomatoes with strawberry and olive oil is a nice delicate combo of light umami, sweet, fruity and bitter flavours.

The tooth fish with shiitake mushrooms, miso and Japanese turnip was oustanding. It’s a dish that showcases a lot of umami and a perfectly cooked fish.

Black caviar nigiri boat

The Moreton bay bug tart was next level in texture and taste. It was creamy Moreton bay bug in a seaweed pastry and topped with sea lettuce powder.

Don’t judge the pocket rocket Mushroom Agnolotti! These tiny little morsels are packed with a lot of flavour. Pieces perfect pasta filled with mushroom, truffle oil and manchego.

Tagliolini with calamari and 'nduja

The roast duck at Lumi is the most premium tasting duck I’ve ever had to date. The process to make the duck took around 4 weeks. The spices used, the flavour, caramelisation on the skin and texture was absolutely beautiful. We had the duck meat on its own and in a rice pot dish with star anise, mandarin peel and topped with shichimi togarashi. The combo of shichimi togarashi and the duck works so well.

One of the most refreshing desserts I’ve has is Lumi’s plum kakigori. Their take on this classic shaved ice Japanese treat contained basil, lime sherbet, plum and vinegar custard. Along with the fluffiest shaved came a super balanced citrus, sweet, sour and fruity flavours.

Salted geranium: An outstanding dessert that contains meringue, violet mousse, blackcurrant reduction and salted cherries.

Lumi Bar and Dining
56 Pirrama Road
Pyrmont NSW
http://www.lumidining.com/contact

Hours:
Lunch - Friday to Sunday from 12pm
Dinner – Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday from 6.30pm
Friday and Saturday from 6pm