#139 Jason Lear | Luci

I was lucky enough to be invited to Luci a few weeks ago for a five-course degustation showcasing new head chef Jason Lear’s spring menu. Jason is all about seasonality and not mucking around too much with the produce. Highlights of the night for me were the oysters with fennel mignonette, the tortellini with roast duck and cured pork cheek and the grilled lamb fillet which I loved was served with rhubarb, silverbeet, macadamia and date jus but also came with this little mouthful of crispy lamb belly that I have to say I thought about for days afterwards. So very very good. Luci is housed within the Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street, a heritage building dating back to 1931 and all those glorious art deco flourishes have been honoured here. It is elegant, yet not imposing dining, a beautiful space with thoughtful and delicious food. I somehow managed to launch the conversation from an unexpected entry point and we began with the various merits of sauces, which I absolutely loved. We talked about Jason’s lucky break at Di Stasio St Kilda, his enduring love for Italian food and what he reckons makes a good chef.