Resto: Luka

It’s raining. The sky is grey. And you’re constantly fed up. There’s only one way to pull yourself out of this slump: indulge in some taste therapy. It just so happens that a little place has opened which is injecting flavour and colour into the city: Luka.

The decor is simple but effective. Three adjoining rooms with a decidedly understated feel: a pale wooden counter, school-style chairs which mirror the two simple benches, a wicker lampshade, and some touches of colour provided by a blue wall and some cushions. At the helm is a father-daughter duo.

Luis greets the customers and has the mellowness of a man who has seen it all. In the kitchen is Kamala, a young woman that, in the manner of Yotam Ottolenghi, juggles with different world cuisines. The menu is split into breakfast, lunch, and snacks – promising “joyous and delicate” food. The lunch that we sampled certainly embodied this spirit.

As a starter, the pumpkin and spinach soup (€4.80) was remarkable. The consistency was more that of a broth than a cream soup. Skilfully executed, the result was to give it even more freshness and to bring out the flavour of the vegetables, especially the bitterness of the spinach. As for the main course (€13), it was clearly very well-researched. It consisted of a savoury version of kadaif, that pastry made with vermicelli which can be found from Greece to Lebanon. In this instance, it had a ricotta and aubergine centre, surrounded by a nest of wheat vermicelli, on a bed of beetroot sprouts.

At once crisp and fresh, the dish was made complete by the acidic tones of a pepper sauce and a tabbouleh with blood orange and dried apricots. Not to forget the cauliflower with dill. A genuine delight.

ma/lu/Mo > vr/ve/Fr: 08.00 > 17.00
za/sa/Sa: 11.00 > 15.00