Kisume is Lucas group’s newest venture and it’s another favourite to add to the already popular foodie land of Flinders lane. This venue has a different feel to the other Lucas Group restaurants like Chin Chin, Baby, Kong and Hawker Hall, it has more of a fine dining appeal with a relaxed vibe instead of the hustle and bustle.
The service is top notch and the décor is minimalistic with a touch of provocative Japanese artwork on the walls which projects character and elegance. They have a great selection of wines, rare sake and Japanese whisky. Not to mention a chablis bar. Wine on point.
We started with assorted sushi. We received a wooden box filled with a selection of nigiri (tuna, red mullet, salmon, red emperor, snapper, alfonso). Each one had a different topping to compliment the uniqueness of each fish.
The tuna tataki looked like a beautiful little garden. It had a pond of chilli yuzu ponzu in the middle of the plate, surrounded by a circle of alternating squares of Bluefin tuna and wasabi tofu. The Bluefin tuna was seared on one side topped with sesame and the tofu was topped with caviar and had a good amount of heat while maintaining a subtle and smooth flavour.
The sea urchin ‘uni’ rice crackers were amazing. The delicate sea urchin, the smooth sweet corn puree, pops of caviar, kizami wasabi and might I mention the perfect rice cracker to topping ratio for a perfect textural balance. Loved it.
The steamed king crab gyoza were indulgent and bursting with flavour. They had a thin slouchy skin and were filled with king crab which was a prominent flavour. And to add to the indulgence they were topped with a poached quail egg yolk and served with a bonito vinaigrette.
The crispy wagyu truffles were to die for. Juicy wagyu beef meatballs with a centre of melting mozzarella, coated with a black squid ink crispy crumb and truffle mayo dipping sauce. Love.
We ordered the kakiage and it had beautifully cooked whiting, prawn, mushroom, asparagus, eggplant and corn mixed into a tall tower of tempura. It came with a ponzu sauce and three different salts. It was a fun to mix and match the tempura with the salts.
For dessert we tried the layered pineapple, which was a glass of creamy coconut panna cotta topped with tart pinapple gel and sweet caramelised bruleed pineapple pieces. Then sitting on top of the glass there was a thin layer of dehydrated pineapple holding up a scoop of refreshing pineapple sorbet.
Our next dessert reminded me of a pokemon ball. It was a shiny pink dessert with lots of surprises inside. It was a hazelnut dacquoise with dark chocolate mousse and a Frangelico center with a thin layer of crisp chocolate. The middle oozes out when you cut into it.
They have function spaces upstairs, they accommodate for large groups and the best part of all is that you can make a booking. None of this waiting for two hours business, you can book ahead of time. Thank goodness for that.
I heart Kisume!
Olives x
Kisume
Address: 175 Flinders Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000
Website: https://kisume.com.au
Phone: (03) 9671 4888
Trading Hours: Mon - Sun: 11.30am - late (7 days)
