Four Seasons Hotel Dubai International Financial Centre has launched a new menu at DIFC’s premier rooftop lounge, Luna Dubai. The new dishes combine seamlessly with the venue’s social atmosphere, and are great to share, although most would be tempted not to.
Renowned for a lively ambiance, mixology expertise and stunning views of glittering Burj Khalifa and DIFC, Luna’s culinary offering shines just as bright. Sous Chef Filippo Rassetti’s new gems elevate the menu even further with some introductions that take four days of perfected preparation before being served.
These are some of the highlight dishes, as described by Chef Rassetti:
Spicy Tuna Tartare
- Served on a tapioca crisp, with spicy sauce, sesame, chives
This recipe is an evolving one that has been experimented on with incremental changes for years. The fish is a fresh Maldivian yellowfin and is marinated in kombu water, ponzu and chili paste to achieve the perfect acidity and spiciness level. To add a crunchy texture, the tuna is laid on a house-made squid-ink tapioca crisp, giving guests the option to treat this gourmet classic as a finger food.
Sushi Imperial
- Luna Dubai’s elegantly presented, full selection of rolls
A burst of colour and art, this dish features rich ingredients including gold, truffle and ikura. The immersive umami flavours are complemented perfectly by Japanese pickles.
Truffle Caesar Salad
- Featuring baby gem, sourdough croutons, truffle dressing, salted ricotta, anchovies, parmesan crisp
It is way more than truffle that makes this particular caesar salad out of the box. Using baby gem wedges instead of romaine ensures that every bite is fresh and fragrant. White truffle oil, Japanese mayonnaise, Parmiggiano reggiano and French Dijon mustard make up the dressing while spinach powder sprinkled on the dish adds a pleasant earthy flavour. The star of the show is the grated ricotta salta, which replaces the typical parmesan.
Salmon Café de Paris
- With za’atar mash, beetroot, asparagus and light bisque sauce
Café de Paris butter, a flavoured butter most commonly associated with steak, is mischievously used in this stand-out salmon dish. Luna’s take on the butter features 32 ingredients that completely coat the salmon fillet. Mascarpone mash potato, pickled onion, baby beetroot, asparagus and a garnish of za’atar give freshness to the dish. A light bisque and herb oil split-sauce is brought in, to give sweetness and balance the overall acidity.
The Risotto
- Porcini mushroom, truffle, chanterelle (V)
Chef Rassetti took stock in perfecting his risotto dish. Quite a literal statement, it actually is the stock used to cook the risotto that makes it so special, with kombu water and porcini mushroom creating an immersive flavour mixture. Porcini mushroom, girolle mushroom, shimeji mushroom and summer black truffle are all used, with a home-dried porcini powder really pronouncing the excellent fungi blend.
Takoyaki Bites
- Flavoured octopus bites, bonito flakes, Japanese mayo, tonkatsu sauce
The takoyaki bites are methodically prepared over a period of three days. The homemade dashi is refrigerated for 24 hours to achieve the required taste. On the second day, the dashi is added to the batter with pickled ginger and ground bonito while the octopus undergoes a six-hour sous vide. On the final day the octopus is chopped and moulded into the takoyaki balls.
Smoked Short Rib Croquettes
- With jus and “srirachonnaise”
If something takes four days to make, it simply has to be worth the effort and patience required to make it. In this case it is worth the wait in gold. It all started when the Chef overheard one of his team members boasting about trying the best croquettes in the world at a rival establishment. The challenge was on and this masterpiece was born. The short rib is marinated for 24 hours, smoked for 12 hours, and braised for another 12 hours the next day before they are moulded into croquettes on day four. The result is a croquette that bursts with unexpected smokiness and flavour, the type that makes one pause for a second and really relish the moment. The srirachonnaise sauce is the perfect accompaniment, adding both sweet and spicy notes to complete the flavour trident.
For reservations guests can contact Luna Dubai:
- +971 4 506 0300
- www.lunadubai.com
- @lunaskybar on Instagram
