Omakase is a Japanese term meaning “I leave it up to you” and, when it comes to restaurants, that means a set menu devised by the chef who will generally create numerous small, perfectly presented courses. At Luna-Omakase, there’s a twist – the food follows the rhythm of the moon (birth, growth, change and renewal) so that it is defined by the stage in the lunar cycle. What that means, in turn, is that the menu keeps on changing so, if you want to go more than once – and I can think of no good reason that you wouldn’t – check your calendar carefully so you know it’s going to be a completely different experience.
To say that Luna-Omakase is perfectly presented would be to put the case very mildly. To find it, you pass through the rather more party atmosphere of Los Mochis to a remote and hushed corner of 100 Liverpool Street’s 9th floor. Here, there are just 12 seats set around three sides of the small square kitchen and 12 courses, each explained in detail. Add to this the 12 lunar cycles and you can spot there’s something of a theme going.
There are slightly different numbers elsewhere. There were five (five!) chefs for the dozen guests when I was there, including the renowned Executive Head Chef Leo Tanyag who has not just some 20 years of experience but a palpable passion for food and a flair for explaining it to the diners. Aside from the chefs, there were extra servers, an excellent sommelier, Greg, who had three options (non-alcoholic, wine and sake) and an ebullient maitre d’, Igor, who started proceedings by striking a tuneful gong. We were clearly in for quite a night.
The night of my visit was, as defined by the lunar cycle, waning gibbous. This is a time for introspection, gratitude, letting go; it can be a time when people feel exhausted. Tired and emotional, then? The answer, explained Leo, was food with vibrancy. And, that, we certainly got.
If the idea of 12 courses is a little daunting, the good news is that these are mostly tiny – a single nigiri, say, or a mouthful of tuna. In fact, Leonard advises eating the mouthful in one go (not always quite manageable, I found) to get the balance of flavours just right. Several courses are passed from the chef’s hand to yours, others need chopsticks, sometimes he suggests you pick up the plate to drink the remaining sauce. All of the time, he and the other chefs are explaining how they prepare, the precise cut of fish (the silky, fatty belly sections of the fish are particularly highly prized). Black truffle is grated, caviar is carefully spooned, blue fin tuna is sliced for a carpaccio so thin it is transparent.
Even the tableware is carefully chosen. There’s a dark moon that splits in half to reveal a smoking tuna tartar, there are plates like molten rocks, other like half-moons. There are a series of delights: a “taco” (Leo spent some time working in Mexico) of sweet potato, caviar and sesame “for love and warmth”; creamy, sweet scallops with tahini truffle; wasabi ice cream; and, my absolute favourite and a riff on Leo’s own childhood snack (to be fair, his mother was a chef, too) that was a wondrous ball of rice, yellow-tailed tuna, yoghurt and sesame that kept exploding new surprises on the palate.
Omasake, Leo explains, simply means, “You have to trust me.” You’d be crazy not to.
The 12-course Luna Omakase experience is priced at £295 and includes a welcome drink. Drink pairings are available starting from £190 for sake and classic wines, with premium wine pairings offered at £295. LUNA Omakase, Broadgate Circle, 9th Floor, 100 Liverpool St, London EC2M 2AT. For more information, and for bookings, please visit www.luna-omakase.com.
