Food: Luna Gusta set to open in Mumbai! mid-day gives you the first look

Chefs spray liquid nitrogen on the Gusta Cake for TwoItrsquos 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 Mumbairsquos 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 ldquoBut yoursquove just missed the gorgeous sunset by a couple of minutesrdquo 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 spaceArtisinal BurrataTo 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 mdash a throwback to Victorian times mdash 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 newage feel especially with Major Lazer and DJ Snakersquos Somebody To Lean On playing in the backdropLady of EclipsldquoItrsquos not finedining space but a modern eclectic European restaurant that hopes to offer fresh organic food along with some good musicrdquo 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 Kindleysidesrsquos current appointment as the Executive Chef at St Regis MumbaiThe 52seater space is dotted with tables made of Italian marble and the walls are plastered with Mediterranean mosaic tiles left Australian chef Martin Kindleysides says hersquos still trying to understand the Mumbaikarrsquos palate PicsShadab KhanWe start with a cocktail recommended by him mdash Lady of Eclips which has rosemary thyme and basil infused gin with fresh cream and sour mix One sip and you realise itrsquos quite a potent mix mdash the subtle flavours of rosemary and thyme balancing the pungent alcohol To keep the tastebuds busy until the starters Wersquore treated to housemade 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 threeweek 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 cregraveme 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 saltAustralian chef Martin KindleysidesInterestingly the menu has more vegetarian options even vegan ldquoThatrsquos because vegetarians always complain to me that there arenrsquot enough options for themrdquo says Chef Marty as he likes to be called He adds that his farming background propels him to scour for fresh farm produceMarty says that hersquos still in the process of exploring Mumbai ldquoPeople here are warm but they like their food spicy Irsquove had to change the menu 12 times to understand the Mumbaikarrsquos palaterdquo