Taking on the classics requires a special kind of gumption, since the margin for error decreases. In an age when restaurants routinely face flak from diners on social media, a menu that manages to include both avocado toast (made richer with cheese and truffles) and baked Alaska (decadent, boozy, sinful but not cloying) is enough to entice us to visit Luna Gusta, and try the revamped a la carte offerings.
Under Yogendra Adep, chef de cuisine at Luna Gusta, the 38th-floor restaurant at the St. Regis Mumbai has decided to reinterpret time-honoured dishes. “We did a review of almost 150 restaurants, and we found that, everyone is doing a hell of a lot of good food, but no one is serving classic food," says Adep. “There are so many gimmicks with the food nowadays in the market, that it feels very uncomfortable while you are eating. So we came to a common decision: lets get classics back to the city.”
As a result, the menu spans au current city favourites including soft shell crab served with chips, pulled meat sliders, and vegetarian options such as mac and cheese and artichoke paella. Where the kitchen shines though, is in its interpretation of dishes that are often considered dated, updating them with ingredients that are trending, and presented for a social-media savvy audience. So there’s a chicken cordon bleu, stuffed with ham and cheese, alongside lobster thermidor and shepherd’s pie on the bill of fare.
Making liberal use of imported ingredients — including two types of cheeses in its fondue — the food at Luna Gusta manages to be wholesome, familiar and comforting, but with enough that is new to keep you coming back. The culinary team has taken care to keep pricing in line with other restaurants in the city, and while small plates start at Rs 350, the most expensive item on the menu is the lobster thermidor, which is priced at Rs 2,000 (excluding taxes). This doesn’t mean that the kitchen is skimping on quality though.
Adep’s time spent in the UK, has allowed him to show an appreciation for his ingredients that shines through in most dishes. For example, the lobster thermidor is amped up with the addition of different kinds of mushrooms, including chanterelles, king oyster, portabello, button mushroom and porcini. The added umami that that fungi lends to the dish is balanced by the traditional Mornay sauce that gives this classic its richness.
The dessert menu is where an older generation will be most pleased, with the kitchen taking on and doing a great job. There are treats like the baked Alaska, a crepe Suzette and a cassata alongside current favourites like churros. We choose to sample the classics and came away impressed, both for the fact that each was presented in a contemporary manner, highlighting the deft hand the kitchen has with the much-loved desserts.
When asked if anything from the previous Luna Gusta menu has been retained, the answer was an emphatic no. The eatery now has an all-encompassing vision, which looks at the classics with a reverence for its techniques and flavours, but updates them for today’s well-travelled, globally informed diners.
Luna Gusta, St Regis Mumbai, Lower Parel. 61628422