As Luna Gusta at St Regis gets ready to open its doors to Mumbai, we hop in for the first look
Chefs spray liquid nitrogen on the Gusta Cake for Two
It’s past sundown when we arrive at Luna Gusta, a modern European restaurant nestled on the 37th floor of St Regis, Lower Parel. We are here to savour a culinary experience before the restaurant opens its doors to Mumbai’s swish set, starting tomorrow. Towering over the city at a dizzying height of 500 feet, we warm up to a spectacular view of the Mahalaxmi Racecourse on one side and the Arabian Sea on the other. “But, you’ve just missed the gorgeous sunset by a couple of minutes,” a charming staffer tells, as she leads us to our table. Luna Gusta, as the name suggests, is all about experiencing the alluring energy of a moonlit night. As we look around the plush interiors, we get a feeling of being cocooned in the clouds as the fairy lights dance and twinkle in the otherwise dimly lit space.
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Artisinal Burrata
To get to Luna Gusta, one has to walk through the bar, (formerly known as Li Bai), which we find buzzing on a Monday. A cutesy elevator takes you to Gusta. But the the wooden staircase with the ornate balustrade — a throwback to Victorian times — offers a better ride. Once at Gusta, we settle down at one of the round marble tables paired with colourful, wooden chairs. The wall behind is plastered with Mediterranean mosaic tiles with an intricate pattern of metal and bronze sequins. While the space, bathed in gold, spells elegance and opulence, the edgy, mirrored bar lends it a new-age feel, especially with Major Lazer and DJ Snake’s Somebody To Lean On playing in the backdrop.
Lady of Eclips
“It’s not fine-dining space, but a modern, eclectic European restaurant that hopes to offer fresh, organic food, along with some good music,” says Martin Kindleysides, the executive chef from Australia. Born and raised on a dairy farm there, he started cooking at the age of 16 when he followed his brother, also a chef, into a restaurant kitchen. Since then, it has been a slow journey across South Korea and Bengaluru, before Kindleysides’s current appointment as the Executive Chef at St. Regis Mumbai.
The 52-seater space is dotted with tables, made of Italian marble and the walls are plastered with Mediterranean mosaic tiles; (left) Australian chef Martin Kindleysides says he’s still trying to understand the Mumbaikar’s palate. Pics/Shadab Khan
We start with a cocktail recommended by him — Lady of Eclips, which has rosemary, thyme and basil infused gin with fresh cream and sour mix. One sip, and you realise it’s quite a potent mix — the subtle flavours of rosemary and thyme balancing the pungent alcohol. To keep the taste-buds busy until the starters. We’re treated to house-made bread with black garlic butter and a pesto dip. Black garlic is a fermented or aged garlic that starts with a natural, raw garlic bulb. It goes through a three-week process, where it is exposed to heat and then allowed to cool and dry on special racks for a week. The result is a sweet and tangy garlic clove that has a rich but subtler flavour. They like to compare this process with how wine gets better with age. Next up comes the Highland Venison Carpaccio with horseradish crème, shaved pecorino, baby greens and extra virgin olive oil. The tender meat, which melts in the mouth, tastes phenomenal. We also try the artisinal burrata with citrus, pomegranate molasses, basil, roasted seeds and volcanic black salt.
Australian chef Martin Kindleysides
Interestingly, the menu has more vegetarian options, even vegan. “That’s because, vegetarians always complain to me that there aren’t enough options for them,” says Chef Marty, as he likes to be called. He adds that his farming background propels him to scour for fresh farm produce.
Marty says that he’s still in the process of exploring Mumbai. “People here are warm, but they like their food spicy. I’ve had to change the menu 12 times to understand the Mumbaikar’s palate.”
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