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Freshly voted best Pop restaurant in the 2023 edition of the “Gault & Millau Luxembourg” guide, we decided to visit KAY restaurant. Located in the contemporary art museum of the Casino Luxembourg, KAY offers a creative Peruvian cuisine “inspired by tradition, guided by intuition”. A universe to discover urgently!
Don’t be fooled by the rather classic and sober atmosphere of the Casino Luxembourg, because the cuisine offered by KAY’s chef is anything but classic. Welcomed by Silvana, the restaurant’s manager, a real ray of sunshine, she warns us that once we are seated at the table, the KAY culinary experience will begin. Guided by her explanations and her communicative good mood, the experience was a success!
First of all, you should know that “KAY” (pronounced Kaï) means “the essence of being” in Quechua language, because that’s what the restaurant is all about, discovering the culinary soul of Peru with a contemporary touch.
We were tempted by the 3-course menu, offered every day at noon with amuse-bouche, starter, main course and dessert (at a price of 38 euros).
The chef has at heart to propose a true gustatory adventure mixing with audacity gastronomic universes of distinct horizons and especially well marked tastes: citrus, bitter, umami, crunchy or velvety, in short an explosive mixture. Peru, the country of origin of the chef, is of course honoured but with a twist of flavours for a much more profound journey, one for all the senses.
At the time of our visit, the butternut squash was in the spotlight, from the starter to the dessert, all with Peruvian but also Japanese inspirations. For the starter, a pumpkin and anchovy mousse millefeuille served in a tempered miso broth was a delight of flavours. The perfect balance between the sweetness of the squash, the saltiness of the anchovy, the crispness of the millefeuille and a slightly spicy fish broth.
For the main course, the choice was between meat or fish. For the meat, an osso bucco cooked for 12 hours on a puree of Indian lentils and a chamomile mousse that surprised us once again with its combination of creaminess, spices and softness in the mouth. A real treat.
The fish dish based on Udon carbonara with shiitake, mussels, all in a dashi broth and a final touch of pineapple tomato sprinkled with parmesan, blew our palate away.
To end this journey, the pastry chef imagined a chocolate and coffee mousse pie, and its marinated butternut. A soft landing.
When you visit KAY, expect to be surprised by daring but always winning combinations. A trip to Peru and elsewhere, according to the chef’s desires.
Winter will be a change of scenery thanks to KAY!
More information: www.casino-luxembourg.lu/kay-restaurant
Picture: KAY Restaurant