Lucine by LUNA

Been wanting to try this spot for a while and finally made it here. Below is what we had;

Spam & Cheese + Chicken Snail Sausage - My favourite dish! Thick-cut crispy spam with cheddar, sriracha mayo and lettuce, all in a soft toasted brioche 😋 The sausage was juicy which made it great add-on.

• Hamburg Steak + Creamed Spinach - Juicy and well-seasoned beef patty paired with a creamy spinach side.

For desserts:
• Orh Nee - Light vanilla sponge with yam paste, coconut Chantilly and a sprinkle of white chocolate pearls.

• Pistachio Hazelnut Tart - A mix of pistachio and hazelnut cream in a crispy tart shell, topped with chopped nuts.

Drinks:
• Peanut Butter Latte - Smooth and creamy with just the right amount of nutty flavour.

• Mint & Lime Soda ($8.50) - Refreshing, with a perfect balance of tangy and sweet.

For those whom have been following the recent happenings in the local F&B scene, an establishment that one would have easily come across would probably be that of Lucine by Luna — these folks had taken over the former space of the now-defunct outlet of Glyph Supply Co. at 111 Somerset; this makes them neighbours with the outlet of Verandah@Rael's there, as well as the outlet of Rise Bakehouse as well. Lucine by Luna can be described as a concept that directly replaces that of Luna’s short-lived location along Joo Chiat Road — Lucine by Luna is being announced around the same time that the location of Luna at Joo Chiat Road had shuttered their doors. There hasn’t been much of change in the layout of the space since its time being Glyph Supply Co.; in fact, Lucine by Luna takes up the same two units that Glyph Supply Co. used to occupy — this would include the small kitchen space that is situated in between the outlet of Old Tea Hut and the outlet of Chocolate Origin here. With all that being said, Lucine by Luna did give the space a bit of their own touch — there is a the large use of marble in its furniture and fittings, giving the space a rather contemporary look with an area feature situated in the middle of the space — gives the space more character than how it used to be. With the slightly different branding of the space, it seems like Lucine by Luna is intended to be an extension of the Luna name — whilst Luna has always been noted for its cakes, tarts and entremets, Lucine by Luna’s menu also includes a section dedicated to hot food; comprises of items such as a sandwich, salads and side dishes. Beverages available would include coffee, tea and non-caffeinated beverages like a Hazelnut Chocolate and a small selection of soda; there are also a range of flavoured lattes offered at Lucine by Luna as well.

The Tofu is one of the dishes that is listed as a recommended item in the menu here. Being an entremer, the Tofu is described on the menu to come with elements such as silken tofu cream, hazelnut ganache, buckwheat-infused creme anglaise mousse and sable biscuit. What really spoke to us about the Tofu was its use of rather unconventional flavours and elements even for a dessert — one that is likely to appeal to those whom love lighter flavours, the silken tofu cream provides a light, beany fragrance and is especially smooth. Slicing through the cake would reveal the other elements like the hazelnut ganache and the buckwheat-infused creme anglaise mouse. We liked how the hazelnut ganache here does come particularly sweet like how one would expect it would be in a typical combination of chocolate and hazelnut combo; instead, the hazelnut comes with a light nutty note that is well complimented with the slight touch grainy notes typical of Sobacha that gives a rather alluring contrast to the cake. Beneath lies the sable biscuit layer that adds a bit of a crunch factor for yet another dimension of textures. We also given the Pistachio Roulade a go during the same visit — the menu describes the Pistachio Roulade as an item that feature elements such as pistachio chiffon sponge, pistachio cream, sliced pistachios and raspberry compote.

Given the number of pistachio-related elements going on in this cake, the whiff of nuttiness runs almost throughout the entirety of the cake; the chiffon sponge being all light and fluffy with the entire composition of the cake being fairly similar to a Swiss Roll with the pistachio cream and raspberry compote lined up within the rolls — the raspberry compote providing a bit of a zing while the sliced pistachios provided an element of crunch. We also went for the Dirty Coffee; essentially a shot of espresso steeped into milk. Found it to be rather decent, though we would probably have liked it better if it came with chilled milk with a chilled glass that would keep the temperature of the milk after the espresso is being steeped just about right. While we had yet to have tried any of the savoury dishes that Lucine by Luna has to offer, it is interesting to note that Luna does seem to be taking a bigger step with this concept. Whether or not it works out for the folks at Luna remains to be seen; with the saturated cafe scene especially in this part of town, let’s just hope things will work out right for them this time around.