Senso Ristorante & Bar

On the outside, Senso Ristorante and Bar looked very much like a boutique hotel. The first scene that greeted us when we walked through the doors was the receptionist desk, akin to that of a hotel check-in counter. On the right was the Senso bar and on the left were the private function rooms. To get to the main restaurant indoor seating area, we had to go around the courtyard. The owners retained the colonial architecture of the building; the courtyard exuded a rustic charm, while the indoor dining area looked posh and chic. Even before our meal started, our entire mood was lifted up by the sheer style and class of Senso Ristorante and Bar.

We ordered 3 main courses, and prior to that complimentary bread and canapés were served.

There were 4 different varieties of bread; the most popular one being the long deep fried bread stick. It was crunchy, slightly more savoury than the others and had a faint cheesy taste. The brown rectangular cuboid shaped bread had a subtle taste of herbs and would be better if they made the flavour a bit stronger. The hors d’œuvre served was Smoked Duck with Lettuce and Mango Salsa. The first taste which welcomed us was the saltiness of the duck. Taste and texture wise, the thinly sliced duck meat, with a thin layer of fats, resembled that of bacon. The mango salsa was overshadowed by the smoked duck and the mild sourness only set in after a few bites. The accompanying lettuce provided moisture, crunchiness and a refreshing taste, such that one would not get too sick from the saltiness of the smoked duck.

Senso ‘Bolo’bster Lasagna – Homemade Lasagne with fresh Lobster meat and Tomato sauce. The Senso ‘Bolo’bster Lasagna was a crowd favourite. The lobster meat came in huge chunks, and every piece was fresh, succulent and juicy. Though drenched in the tomato sauce, the lobster meat retained its intrinsic sweetness of seafood. The chef was very generous with the amount of lobster and all we can say is that every mouth we took was never lacking in lobster meat. The lasagna was soft and smooth; the proportion of lasagne was just nice. With the lasagne soaking up the tomato sauce, accompanied with the salted semi-melted cheese and the fragrance from the sliced garlic pieces, this dish was packed with so much flavours but ultimately the main lead was still the lobster. Absolutely divine and our personal favourite from Senso.

Pappardelle XXLong – 1 meter long homemade Pappardelle with braised Wild Boar, black Taggiasca Olives and sun-dried Tomatoes. Pappardelle are large and very broad fettuccine. In this special Senso version, the Pappardelle served was a total of 1 meter long in length. We couldn’t exactly tell if it’s really 1 meter long. We had that far-fetched thought that the Pappardelle would be spread out 1 meter across the plate and then served, but clearly we were wrong. Nevertheless, the Pappardelle was cooked al dente – firm and chewy. The sauce was tomato based and was rather salty. The wild boar had a taste and texture similar to minced meat. We couldn’t really differentiate the uniqueness of wild boar. It just reminded us too much of the minced meat you can find in hotplate tofu in Chinese dining places.

Duo of Risotti by Federico – Risotto Carnaroli with ‘Ca’ del Bosco’ Franciacorta sparkling wine and Risotto Carnaroli with Baby Squid a la plancha, fresh Italian Herbs. Carnaroli was used as the rice in the Risotto; it has a higher starch content and is stickier and firmer than the more commonly used Arborio rice. This dish was divided into the black and white regions. The black risotto was flavoured with squid ink. It was creamy and saltier than the white risotto. Taste wise, the white risotto was less strong in flavour, with the alcohol taste being barely detectable. Overall, it was an interesting and unique dish since you don’t find duo risotti in most Italian restaurants.

Desserts wise, we chose the Chocolate – Hot dark chocolate eruption served with Passion Fruit and Vanilla Ice-cream. The Chocolate was a huge disappointment. Reading the description ‘Hot dark chocolate eruption‘, we had expected an eruption of hot molten chocolate when we broke open the cake. Instead, all that welcomed us was … … more cake, perhaps more moist and softer, but still it was just chocolate cake. That was a major upset of the meal. The Chocolate cake was also pathetically small and taste wise, it was something that could be found in many dessert places, definitely not worth the $18 we were paying. The vanilla ice cream was too soft, and tasted mediocre. The Passion fruit sauce was also very miserable. The Chocolate was the only blemish in our otherwise wonderful Senso experience.

Service wise, Senso Ristorante & Bar displayed impeccable serving standards. From securing a table to us, helping us with our bags, taking our orders, explaining and serving the dishes to clearing our plates and table, the serving staff executed patience, friendliness and efficiency. It was befitting of a fine dining restaurant and their top service made the meal an enjoyable one.

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Along Club Street lies this quaint little colonial style building that houses one of Singapore's well known Italian Restaurant - Senso Ristorante & Bar. Established in 2000, Senso has received numerous awards and nominations for its ambience, food and wine. So it was imperative that we (my gf and I) tried out this place! Reservations weren't made as it was a rather last minute decision and we didn't think it would be too difficult to get a seat on a Sunday evening (Actually we were torn between eating at Senso and Grand Shanghai, but since the latter didn't answer my calls, we chose the former). We got there at about 645pm and were surprised to find that it only opened for dinner at 7pm. Anyway, it was but a short wait and at the stroke of 7, we were shown to our table in the courtyard. Please let me say this. We didn't opt to sit in the courtyard, but there wasn't a choice as we didn't meet the dress code.

It would be almost criminal not to dedicate at least a paragraph to the very pretty courtyard. From the moment I stepped in, it almost felt like I had been transported right into the heart of a warmly lit Tuscan courtyard in Italy, complete with a Greek statue that adorns the gardens. This is definitely one place you must see! There are strong fans around to help the customers keep cool whilst dining. However, it can get quite sticky because of the humid nature of Singapore's weather. The air conditioned interior was rather pleasing as well, with hues of orange and touches of elegance coupled with dim lighting. Decor aside, we had the Mozzarella for starters and the Frutti Di Mare and the Ossobuco for mains. On a side note, we had the chef divide everything up into 2 individual portions so that we could share.

The meal started off with a complementary serving of warm bread and bread sticks, with Chick Pea Puree as a dip. I personally found the bread sticks a little too hard for me, but it tasted quite good, especially with the Chick Pea Puree. The wheat bread was a little too dry for me. I couldn't make out the other bread, but it had onions on top and tasted soft and appetising. Following the bread was a tiny serving of Chick Pea Salad, complementary as well. I found this quite good as the chick peas had a tinge of zest coupled with the evident taste of the basil leaf. Small serving, but it sure packs a punch!

Our appetiser, the Mozzarella, was essentially pan fried Buffalo Mozzarella wrapped in Parma Ham, Marinated Raisins and Pine Kernels in Balsamico (Traditional Balsamic Vinegar). The huge chunk of cheese was a little chewy, yet didn't have too strong a cheese taste. Wrap a slice of Parma Ham around it and dip in the sauce (I think the sauce comes from the Marinated Raisins and Pine Kernels in Balsamico. It tasted a little alcoholic.) and you get nothing short of stupendous. It sure didn't look like cheese though, or anything related to it. Little wonder why this is one of Senso's signature dishes.

With such a wonderful appetiser, we thus looked forward to the mains. The Frutti Di Mare, Carnaroli Risotto with Octopus, Prawns, Mussels, Calamari, fresh Tomato and Basil, was very nicely done without being too heavy on the cream and with the rich texture of the Risotto. It was good, but not fantastic. The Ossobuco, braised Veal shank "Ossobuco" served with mashed Potatoes, Rosemary and Lemon Gremolata was very tender and fibrous, so much so that there was no need to even remove the meat from the bone. The natural Veal taste was very prevalent in this dish, which suited me fine, but people who don't like it might just want to stay away. The accompanying mashed potatoes were soft and had a tinge of butter, but nothing to shout about.

We racked up a total of $93.24 for a very satisfying meal (for me at least). I was stuffed up so much that I could barely walk, which explains the absence of dessert. This is definitely one place you should bring your date or that special someone to. The ambience alone puts many other fine dining restaurants to shame. Service is excellent and so is the food. What more do you need? Do note that prices are quite steep here, but hey, I reckon every dollar is well spent.