When one is on the everlasting quest for great food, one goes to great lengths to consummate the experience that bestows on us food euphoria on a higher plane. But in doing so, one may sometimes forget that there is excellence everywhere around us. LuMi Bar & Dining is, quite simply, one of the worst-kept secrets in Sydney. In the two years since it opened this Japanese-Italian lightbox, perched at the tip of Pyrmont harbour, raked in awards so fast the yachts & speedboats in the habour seemed positively slothful.

You don’t even have to click into this post to infer that I’m going to wax lyrical about the place – if it’s between reading this piece and making a booking right now, I think you know where my recommendation lies. But for those with a bit more curious? Read on to find out why I think this may just be one of my favourite Sydney restaurants in 2016.

Date Last Visited: 17/09/2016  22/03/15
Address: Wharf 10, 56 Pirrama Rd Pyrmont, NSW 2009
Go-to dish: parmesan chawanmushi
Price Guide (approx): $115 for 8-courses

LuMi Bar & Dining – 2016 Visit

So yes, it’s easily one of Sydney’s best restaurants, and as usual, I say that with no hyperbole. On the pass is 2017’s Citi Chef of the Year Federico Zanellato, of Ormeggio fame (four years there as chef de cuisine!), who has worked stints at Noma, Attica & Ryugin – names that need no introduction. The food? A twist on Japanese & Italian fusion – which absolutely works.

In the 1.5 years between visits not much about the interior has changed. Pendant lights still hang from the ceiling – though funnily enough I’ve never seen them lit as I’ve never been for dinner. The furniture continues to emanate a relaxed, “not really trying but you know I am” kind of designer lux. Wooden tables for two contrast with black-polished 4-seaters (these are new) in an arrangement that makes the space look bigger than its 50-odd seats.

For lunch, LuMi serves a 5-course menu, but upon request, can produce its full 8-course that’s usually reserved for dinner. Given that I’m a full proponent of maximising an experience, you know which option we went for.

Recently, I’ve started to get more and more into the habit of oysters – eating them, that is. At $25 for a half dozen Sydney rock oysters, they don’t come cheap – but they come shucked, with an optional condiment of finely diced onion in sweet white vinegar.

Fresh and delicious – there was a lot of plump in the meat for these visually petite shellfish. Very soft, very juicy, very acidic. Three each was a good number to start with, but you know what’s an even better number? More. Six? A dozen? I could have started and ended the meal right here.

But of course, doing that meant missing out on LuMi’s famous procession of snack bites, the first of which was a shiitake mushroom tart. All aboard the umami train, because it started here and really didn’t end until the desserts come up.

It’s a multifaceted little thing, this tart – an unusually hard crunch was the primary texture profile of the tart base, as opposed to a traditionally friable, crumbly texture. It also had a somewhat glazed mouthfeel, a jarring difference to the norm. I loved it – it was unexpected in a most pleasing way. There’s a mushroom cream that’s full of delectable earthiness, and the flavour bomb was topped off with actual slices of charred shiitakes and grated parmesan.

If people get anger management issues from having been issued only one of these tarts, I’ll understand. It was a struggle for me too.

Next up, two pieces of brik pastry (“breek”) sandwiching some trout mousse and dusted with bush tomato powder. This steered the umami train in a fishier direction, with trout mousse that’s luscious, yet not blitzed so much that I couldn’t discern the texture of the the fish itself. The pastry was quite thin and flaky, but held the ingredients well.

While there’s a similar theme to the shiitake tart, the one aspect that wasn’t to my liking was its level of saltiness. Just a tad too much.

But that’s okay, because next up is what I personally consider one of LuMi’s signature dishes – albeit one that has evolved between visits. It’s chawanmushi, and on this day, we had a parmesan variant with green beans.

Chawanmushi is a Japanese steamed egg dish that’s typically made with dashi; it’s a hot egg custard that has the silken texture of tofu with the cleanliness of a clear, meaty broth. At LuMi, this is “Italian-ified” in that Federico uses Italian ingredients to produce the flavour. If you’re Japanese, flavours and textures will be immediately familiar yet, at the same time, a bit different. If you’re Italian, the dish may be foreign, yet the flavours will bring out intimate memories.

That’s the power of a fusion dish done right. This chawanmushi was technically perfect – the egg silky, smooth and “just right” cheesy. The green beans hold just enough texture from being perfectly cooked, and the right amount of broth to lap up.

Scratch that – there was no “right amount” of this dish. There’s never enough.

If you bother to read the 2015 visit of this post (keep scrolling), you’ll see that then, I wasn’t blown away by LuMi’s take on a Western dining staple.

That changes with a new rye & spelt sourdough brioche w/burnt butter mascarpone. This may just be one of the best bread courses in Sydney.

1. It’s served warm, almost toasty = instant win
2. As soft and fluffy as the most pillowy of milk buns, retaining a bit of crustiness at the edges
3. The bread didn’t even need the butter – and this was the most surprising thing – it was full of sweet, nutty flavour that’s baked right into the bread. As addictive as any snack you can think of
4. …but of course, you want to go for butter anyway and it delivers: sweetly acidic, soft and easily spreadable, and fat is FLAVOUR

The regret in not asking for a second round of this bread once again adds to the already same same-sounding list of “things we need to have more of” at LuMi. Goddamn it.

The first proper course (oh, we’re finally here?) was Fraser Island spanner crab. After the flavour assault of the previous courses, this spanner crab presented a momentum change – specifically one of freshness and tartness. Subtly sweet crab meat, interspersed with chewy scallop and brought to life with the zestiness of finger lime and subtle parsley notes from the oil from which it’s made. It was one of the less exciting dishes on the menu, but that’s alright – every fortissimo has its pianissimo.

There was one little thing I didn’t like about the dish and that was a bitter presence that made itself felt every few bites. Couldn’t quite put my finger on it but it was there. The finger lime? Tomatillo? *shrugs*

Next up was something a bit more contentious – beetroot w/black sesame & goat’s cheese. I personally call this dish “the pebble”: a slice of hot beetroot that’s covered up with a black sesame sauce, beetroot juice on a bed of horseradish cream, topped with chives and black sesame.

If like me, you’re a fan of beetroot, this dish is right up your alley. If not? You might be converted anyway. Sure, it definitely tasted like beetroot – albeit an incredibly fresh and sweet specimen. I particularly liked how it comes out steaming hot. The black sesame paste added its unique nuttiness and a slight sweetness, which almost feels like it could go on an ice cream. Because beetroot is also naturally sweet, this combination worked well. The goat’s cheese and horseradish add the required saltiness and pungency in just the right levels. You may not agree with goat’s cheese…but totes my goats.

Oh yeah, and while it may seem insignificant, the chives at the top do make a difference – both visually, and one of vegetal freshness.

Now, while examples exist, pasta is still ingrained in the collective unconscious of all Italians. It may be tempting to think think that LuMi, with its fine dining orientation, wouldn’t be able to specialise in pasta and thus deliver an acceptable, but ultimately uninspirational plate of the stuff. But, did you really think that LuMi would bungle something as quintessential as pasta?

Not so, as the agnolotti w/mushroom & rye dashi shows.

The plating was somewhat ostentatious, to be sure – the bowl was absolutely oversized for four of what must be the smallest parcels of pasta I’ve ever seen. You know how science has shown that bigger dishware makes people think they’re eating less than they truly are? Well this compounds the feeling.

And trust me, that’s not a good thing, given how heavenly these little pasta dumplings were.

Inside each parcel was perhaps but a mere teaspoonful of liquified porcini that delivers a hundred times the flavour intensity and creaminess that its volume implies. Pure. Mushroom. Nirvana.

The pasta itself was slightly softer than al dente, and just as well – anything harder would have been incongruent with its delicate filling.

The last component was the rye dashi – it’s lightly-seasoned and tastes pretty much like its namesake, however carrying strong pine wood overtones that must have been the rye influence. I’m not against this odd flavour combo, but I’m not totally for it either. In any case, the pasta was what stole the show – and yes, it made me forget about the size of that bowl.

At least, until I finished eating and stared off a bowl 4 times the size of my face.

If you’re skilled at something, don’t show it off just once, yeah? LuMi’s second pasta trick was sciatielli w/prawns. This is a Naples-style flat pasta that pretty much picks up all of the zesty prawn flavour that was the key driver of this dish. To complement its richness, the pasta was cooked al dente in order to remain firm, delivering a good amount of bite. The flavour was enjoyable, however this was the second dish so far that was too salty for my taste buds – likely due to the bottarga.

On the plus side, there was a generous amount of orange zest which added a lot of citrus and bitter notes that did a great job of mellowing the intensity of the pasta.

Once again, a great pasta dish – carb loading has never been so fancy. However, a little bit less saltiness next time please!

Now when it comes to optional courses on the menu, the concept of “optional” is illusory – it gets ordered, no questions asked. Especially if it’s King George whiting cooked in umeboshi butter.

I’ll just say this – I’ve never had a bad whiting dish, and that streak wasn’t about to be broken by LuMi’s. Buttery soft fish with textural leaves made for a timely and refreshing intermission between the energetic pasta and the final main course. It’s all quite vegetal and thus as light as it looks.

The most interesting aspect of this dish was the umeboshi butter – it’s smarmy and intensely earthy. Not a flavour I’m used to per se, and I can’t say I totally fell in love with it. However, its depth of flavour did mean the dish possessed a lot more character. I’d still order it again.

The last savoury was a true-to-tradition red meat course of wagyu w/radicchio & smoked eggplant. This was a tasty course – but actually, my least favourite.

It’s really that wagyu – at times, it’s fatty and delicate, with a texture almost like sukiyaki-style beef. Other times, it was chewy and oleaginous. The radicchio, while cooked to an exquisite level of juicy crunch, was bitter-sweet, with more bitter than sweet. I didn’t really see it belonging with the dish all that much – though it certainly added drama to the plate.

The best part was the sea urchin butter – redolent of lusciously saline urchin and mustard. The smoked eggplant puree also gets a very honourable mention – smooth as silk, it’s the sort of stuff that you wish you had bread into which you can dip.

So it’s not the best way to finish. But even then, it’s still a good dish. That is the level at which LuMi operates.

In pivoting from savouries to sweets, LuMi kicks off with an airy, almost ethereal sorrel parfait w/lime & liquorice powder. It’s lighter than a marshmallow, yet magically coalesces into acute bursts of acerbic lime, herbacious sorrel and even a bit of “meatiness” from the liquorice powder.

Sure, it’s no Evergreen (R.I.P. – see 2015 visit), but it certainly brings back those sorely-missed days.

So we had an egg for dessert, that’s cool. Hah.

On that day, I learned that a Douglas fir is a species of evergreen conifer tree. Its needles ostensibly sport an intensely pine-lemony taste that works very well in desserts. Wait, what am I talking about “ostensibly”? I had it! And oh wow, this is a dessert that is worthy of replacing the Evergreen.

What appears to be egg “white” was douglas fir ice cream, the “yolk” was extra virgin olive oil, there’s a bit of thyme and then all that rests in a blood orange sauce and candied blood orange skins on the bottom.

This was Christmas in my mouth – while walking through a forest at the same time. The ice cream was wholly smooth, the blood orange chunks ferrying its distinctive berry overtones without hindrance. The blood orange reduction was most tart.

Apart from what I felt was perhaps a little too much EVOO, It’s a bloody good dessert, one of the most peculiar dishes on the menu.

The last bite before the conclusion to the meal I wished would never end was a slice of yuzu tart w/yukari powder. Yukari powder is comprised of purple shiso powder mixed with salt, which on this tart gave off a spiced savouriness. Speaking of which, it fulfilled expectations of excellence – the crust, made of semolina (hello Italian influence), was frangible to a fault. The yuzu custard made a statement, but wasn’t overpowering. The whole thing just…worked. I’m actually glad we were only served a half slice – one tart would definitely have been too much. Half? Goldilocks.

A simple conclusion to be drawn here: this is Japanese-Italian fusion done right. One of my top three restaurants of Sydney – let that be on the record. Federico & the team at LuMi Bar & Dining have outdone themselves in the 1.5 years since I last visited. My only regret is that the time between visits was that long. Lead the way LuMi, lead the way.

The Good:

• An exceptional restaurant has become world-class
• Japan-Italian done right
• One of the best ways to spend $115

The Bad:

• It can get real windy when the doors are open
• It can get real warm if you’re eating on a sunny day (even if the sun doesn’t hit you)

The Ugly:

• The servers could be a little slower with explanations – they are a little rushed
• Not proffering more bread is a minor sin made major by just how good that bread is

I have a new scoring system! Read all about it here.

Most important takeaway – three separate scores for food, service and ambiance to give the final score. The new system is not compatible with any score given prior to 11/11/2014.

F8.5 | S4 | A2
8/10 Caesars

LuMi Bar & Dining – 2015 Visit

A restaurant with views for less than $100? That’s LuMi. Situated at Wharf 10 in Pyrmont Harbour, the restaurant resembles a lightbox of sorts – it’s transparent on three sides, allowing plenty of natural light to filter in. Food photogs: you’re in luck if you eat at LuMi during the day!

If you choose to dine at night instead, you’ll be received by a magical set of small lights hung from the ceiling (not pictured, sorry) that emanate a romantic yellow-glow. Incidentally, Lumi in Italian means “enlightenment”. How apt, as I was truly about to be enlightened as to the quality $95 can get you these days.

There are several ways to enjoy LuMi’s food – but the best is definitely their full 8-course degustation. The food is decidedly Italian, but with a lighter touch to it from Zanellato’s Japanese training.

To start, we receive an ample snacks platter consisting of salt & vinegar rice chips, porcini brisee w/mascarpone, and potato & rosemary focaccia.

One might question the inclusion of what is essentially chips at a fine dining restaurant, but these are above and beyond your no frills pack (confession: I got fat on those when I was younger). Extremely light and airy, they’re a ballet on the tongue, well-seasoned and a joy to eat. I wish there were more than one to eat per person!

The porcini brisee has a nice tart-like base, slightly crumbly and full of savoury, mushroom-y umami. That’s further reinforced by the creamy mascarpone on top, making for a decadent snack that was thankfully restricted to one portion.

Because you know, I’m sure I’d just become a mushroom if I kept eating those #YouAreWhatYouEat

I was least impressed with the potato & rosemary focaccia. It looks delicious and it sounds impressive, but it mostly tasted like regular focaccia to me. We didn’t get any other kind of bread, so this would have to do!

We didn’t expect a fourth snack to arrive but arrive it did – on a bed of sea salt. Say hi to these rather unusual-looking mussels. Actually, it’s pureed mussel w/coconut milk & seaweed. Coconut flavours are dominant here, with a hint of mussel lingering in the background. It’s texturally very creamy, and quite delicious – I see it as something I could even spread on a piece of bread!

Do use the spoon to eat this and not from the shell directly – you stand the risk of cutting your lips if you do so!

I’m a fan of any restaurant that offers a selection of snacks to begin; the meal was off to a great start!

The first course proper is what made me go “ahh, here’s where the Japanese influence is at”. Chawanmushi is a Japanese egg custard dish, where beaten eggs are mixed in with dashi, soy and mirin (with variations) to produce a salty-sweet flavour, paired with a texture akin to soft tofu.

LuMi tosses things up a bit by using parmesan consomme and tomato water instead of the usual soy/dashi/mirin combo to bring a decidedly Italian feel into this Japanese dish.

If fusion were ever a thing that was a thing, this would be it. I loved every mouthful of this dish, the cheesy flavour of parmesan and subtle sweetness of tomato water are fine substitutes for traditional ingredients. One of the tastiest parts of our meal!

Zanellato shows off a green side with calamari & scampi w/cucumber. This is a dish that truly proves green is good. A delicate and refreshing cucumber broth (with crunchy cucumber pieces) hide a delicious teaser of calamari & scampi beneath.

I didn’t end up taking a photo of the innards, but there wasn’t much to see anyway. Point is, this is a dish that tastes so much better than it looks. I particularly liked how the acidity and semi-sweet/saltiness of the yoghurt brought out the natural flavours of calamari & scampi. It pairs well with the green elements as a balancing act between the flavourful and the refreshing.

For the veal tartare w/roasted capsicum, one of my dining companions noted: “this looks so ugly but tastes so good”. I saw the allure of the dish in both looks and taste – this was a truly beautiful dish for tartare lovers.

The primary Japanese influence here is the clever inclusion of shichimi powder on top, which gives the veal a bit of a kick it would otherwise have been lacking. That said, it kicked all sorts of awesome by itself – great texture, great flavours from the tarragon emulsion. The puffed buckwheat is a wonderful textural bonus. This is almost as good as the legendary tuna tonnato at Ormeggio.

Shots fired.

Spelt ravioli – the best dish at LuMi, hands down.

That’s a tough one as well, given I’ve liked every single dish so far (and as you’ll soon see, every single dish to come). Somehow, these little discs of brown manage to stand head and shoulders above even the rest of the menu.

The chef recommends us to eat these whole – biting one in half will simply result in the creamy pumpkin within spilling out. It’s not worth it guys!

The ability for our tongues to taste the caramelly notes of burnt butter (essentially beurre noisette) is a blessing we must not squander. It is heavenly, and pairs with this ravioli like bread and…well…butter. Better, even.

A touch of decadence from the avruga caviar and a crunch factor by way of the pumpkin seeds completes the dish. A game changer. Of all the dishes I would say I’d order again, I was most tempted to actually reorder this off the a la carte menu.

I SHOULD HAVE 🙁

I’m still reeling from the spelt ravioli, but the next dish is a visual sight that does its best to make me look forward.

Some of the best pasta I’ve eaten has been at Ormeggio, so it’s no surprise that Zanellato is able to bring back fond memories with his tonnarelli. The plating is quite similar to Ormeggio’s tagliolini pasta, but with a completely reversed colour palate.

I’m not so sure black on black is the right way to present this dish, but you tend to forget these pesky little things when you start eating them.

Case in point: the pasta is damn good. Sure, we all got black teeth afterwards (make liberal use of the water!) but could not stop until the dish was polished. The pasta is served at my preferred al dente hardness, with a richness that is perfect for these chilly days. Textures of onion cut through the heaviness and keep the dish interesting. A delight to eat.

LuMi continues to trend on colour with a return to green, except all is not what it seems…

Any fears of eating salad as a main course are allayed when a 20-hour kurobuta pork jowl is revealed upon the unfolding of the tender, albeit decorative spinach.

To say this was a succulent and tender piece of pork would be an understatement. It’s also a ridiculously flavoursome piece. There’s puffed quinoa on top for even more texture than the pork’s crackling, which itself is more glazed than crunchy. There’s a bed of cauliflower puree and pieces of kale underneath, alongside a piece of poached pear. I don’t think the dish needed to be this busy, but I can’t complain if what I’m eating works, right?

Here is where LuMi has exceeded Ormeggio – the mains have shone through and for once, satisfied me on what a great-tasting main is like. This is where it’s at!

LuMi has so many good dishes it’s hard to tell just what’s a signature and what’s not. For their desserts, the evergreen is assuredly their flagship sweet treat.

There’s a lot of elements to describe here, suffice to say I particularly enjoyed the lemon basil granita for its refreshing nature and icy texture, the mint meringue for some sugary crunch, and the sorrel sorbet for a creamy finish.

Overall? It’s amazing. I could go on and on about each individual element, but sometimes breaking it down is terrifyingly boring. Just let your senses be indulged in this vibrant green forest.

While this plate came in looking rather sloppy, the final dessert and final course on LuMi’s menu is not playing runner-up to anything. This is the favourite of my two dining companions, and for me, maintains the consistently excellent quality of LuMi’s dishes.

I can’t really describe it in a way that would get you mouthwatering, but there’s just something about ginger ice cream that’s just ridiculously delicious, and left us wanting to order it again. Honestly, we deliberated for 10 minutes after our meal whether to order it again or not.

That says it all, right?

LuMi is an exceptional restaurant, worth every dollar of your hard-earned money. Zanellato has proven himself worthy of being a head chef many times before, but with LuMi, he’s outdone a whole bunch of them.

I’ve already made another booking for June. LuMi’s got my vote!

This post is based on an independent visit to LuMi Dining, Pyrmont

I know I’m late to the party guys, but what did you guys think of this place? Anyone going again soon? Can I third-wheel? 😛

The Good:

• Tasty, tasty food, consistent in quality…
• At a price that is just as palatable as the food

The Bad:

• It can get real windy when the doors are open

The Ugly:

• A few slops in plating If you care about plating that much

I have a new scoring system! Read all about it here.

Most important takeaway – three separate scores for food, service and ambiance to give the final score. The new system is not compatible with any score given prior to 11/11/2014.

F8 | S5 | A2
8.5/10 Caesars