Sensi - Richmond, Va

Date of visit : September 02, 2006

Sensi  , an Italian word for “Senses” . This latest venture by Paolo Randazzo , chef-owner of Franco’s Ristorante , promises an experience that will activate all five senses as you taste the offerings from his menu.

           As we made our way through the dimly lit dining room, “Contemporary”  quickly entered my mind. It kind of reminded me of the dining room designs on TV’s “Hell’s kitchen” . A chain link soft curtain separated the dining area from the bar area .  As we got seated , I felt the chair was a tad bit uncomfortable, but I soon forgot about that as I turned my attention on the menu.  We decided for our first visit to Sensi , we were going to try the 7 course tasting menu.

1.                    A cold appetizer of fresh buffalo mozzarella, on top of a thick slice of juicy tomato, surrounded by a reduced balsamic vinaigrette dressing .  Who could go wrong with a classic combination ! There was some kind of herb on the mozzarella , Sina says it is oregano ; I couldn’t really tell , all I know is that this was the best tasting fresh mozzarella I have ever sampled .

2.                   A warm appetizer of lump crabmeat ball , with prosciutto and melon. Some kind of orange mayonnaise was dotted around it. My first thought when I saw this was “Fusion” .  Prosciutto and melon were obviously very Italian and another classic combination ,but the tasty crunch of the lump crabmeat ball, I thought ,had an Asian spin to it which I really liked.

I have to pause and mention that there definitely was a sensory play going on around the beautiful presentation of each dish. Taste and aroma is a given when you eat, but with the appetizing way everything was plated, it gives you an anticipation for how the next course will be presented.

3.                   Our pasta course was a pan-seared scallop on lemon risotto.  Leave an Italian to know how to cook risotto perfectly!  It was creamy with that hint of lemon and had that nice bite to it without being chalky.  Best risotto I have ever had in a restaurant! The scallop was perfectly browned on both sides yet was tender and juicy inside. Chive trimmings were nicely laid out and served as a bedding for the scallop over the risotto.

Ok, at this point I am starting to get stuffed.  Did I mention we, in our greediness, ordered a grilled calamari appetizer on top of our tasting menu ? This was the same one they served at Franco's which I have reviewed.

4.                   Our fish course was a pan-seared rockfish in a lobster cream sauce with a broiled breaded tomato and parsley garnish. Still a beautiful combination and either I’m getting really filled up or the portions are getting too big. Paolo’s lobster sauce, as always was full of depth and flavor.  The fish was cooked and seasoned pretty well. Not a big fan of rock fish but even I thought this was good.

5.                   Our salad course was a beet salad. Nothing too special about it except maybe   to prepare our palette for the last course.

6.                   Our meat course was a petite filet. It was drenched in a brown sauce … too brown in my eyes . I felt that there was too much sauce around the meat and maybe a drizzling around the filet would have been more appropriate. It came with a side of buttered brocollini.  Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the filet too much. Now don’t get me wrong, it was cooked to medium and was juicy but the meat flavor was very ordinary and so was the sauce .

7.                   Our trio of desserts was made up of a chocolate tart, a goat cheese bodino and a semifreddo ( a sinfully creamy ice cream) . It was set out so beautifully that I did not want to dig into it… definitely a feast for the eyes. Each had its own accompaniment.  The chocolate torte had some kind of foamed whipped cream. The budino had some strawberry compote as well as a fresh halved strawberry.  The semifreddo was set atop some crust. Each had a distinct flavor ,but all blended  very well to finish off a wonderful meal.

After all is eaten and done, the risotto is my favorite.  This dish was simply amazing !

Rating : Food :5 Ambience :2 Service :2 Price:2  = 11

Comments

[jim]

We're originally from NYC and a familiar with fine dining. We recently moved to Richmond and have been to Sensi twice. Once on our own and the second time invited by some friends. Neither time were we impressed. The food was so so and the service was very poor.

[Ramon]

I couldn't agree more with the original review. My family took me there for my 50th birthday and everything that was said was true. We started with the appetizer plate for the table of six and it was fabulous. Risotto was spectacular. I really enjoyed the Rockfish. Service was great. Go and enjoy.

[Murphy]

Very nice...If you enjoy good wine and great food, go and make an evening of it. Fine dining should be an experience and Sensi gives you just that!