We review Lumi, where fine fare is served with a light Japanese touch
From the pan-seared tuna salad to the buttery Kobe mignon, flavour and texture rule at chef Kihachi Kumugai’s restaurant
Located at the spot Cova occupied for years at Pacific Place – near to the JW Marriott in the middle space opposite the shops – Lumi offers “borderless” cuisine by chef Kihachi Kumagai, who was arguably one of the first chefs to incorporate Japanese ingredients into French cuisine.
The 72 year old has been a chef for more than 50 years, starting his career cooking for diplomats in the Japanese embassies in Senegal and Morocco, before joining the culinary team at the three Michelin-starred Maxims de Paris in 1972 – possibly the most famous fine-dining restaurant at the time. He has also worked under Joel Robuchon and at some of Paris’s top hotels.
When he returned to Japan, he opened a French fine-dining restaurant but, back then, typical French ingredients were difficult to source, so he used fresh local produce instead.
Lumi is a culmination of his culinary past, with the menu offering French, Spanish and Italian dishes with Japanese influences, and it is good.
We started with pan-fried foie gras in a green pea purée crème brûlée (HK$160) – an interesting combination that worked perfectly. The purée was smooth, creamy and light, with a sweet crunch from the caramelised top, and it went well with the richness of the pan-fried foie gras.
