Valentine’s Day 2019 Dinner at Senja (Italian Restaurant), The Saujana Hotel Kuala Lumpur


[Valentine’s Day Special]

 
My partner in crime and I recently visited Senja at The Saujana Hotel to try out their upcoming 2019 Valentine’s Day menu. Somewhat intriguingly, we seem to visit Senja (or formerly known as The Restaurant) every 3 years, and you can read about my previous visits here:
https://timchew.net/2013/10/22/romantic-dining-spots-the-restaurant-the-club-saujana-resort/
https://timchew.net/2016/09/23/malaysia-international-gastronomy-festival-migf-2016-senja-at-the-club-saujana-resort/
Senja offers a calm and classy ambience with a front-seat view of the water feature which is part of the hotel’s garden. Dine outside in the al fresco area to experience the sound of the running water stream that elevates the romantic feel, or opt to dine inside the main dining area for a classy setting of dark woods and a live slow Jazz band.
Senja at The Saujana Hotel Kuala Lumpur offers Italian creations by the restaurant’s Italian Executive Chef Andrea Zanella leading the culinary team. The menu features fresh and seasonal Italian ingredients that showcases Chef Andrea’s take on vibrant and authentic Italian flavours with a creative twist, while maintaining authentic and classic flavours. 
  

Italian Chef Andrea Zanella, with over 31 years of experience in the kitchen, the talented chef is a veteran when it comes to understanding the flavours of Europe and Asia outside of Italy.
Having worked in Switzerland, UK and nearly 20 years in Asia between Bangkok, Phuket, Macau and Kuala Lumpur after obtaining at 1994 a Michelin Star in Italy, the Venetian native is as much at home with soya sauce and sambal as he is with polenta, pancetta, and radicchio.
However, despite all his travels and passion for bringing in a little bit of what he learns from each place, Chef Andrea remains a purist, priding himself on delicious culinary creations which give a contemporary, cosmopolitan perspective, while remaining authentic to his Italian heritage.
He celebrates his current home in Senja with menus which takes pride in his Venetian roots, giving a modern rendition of the dishes speaking as authentically to Venetians as to the Malaysian.
His Valentines’ Day menu on 14 February 2019 will bring the true warmth Italian flavours using familiar ingredients such as tomatoes, garlic, olives, red wine to waygu beef and scallops.
 
My partner in crime with Chef Andrea Zanella

Surprised her with a bouquet of roses! If you can, get there slightly earlier while there’s still some daylight left so you can take some photos in the hotel’s beautiful garden which serves as a beautiful green backdrop.
Because unless you have a really good camera (or a high end smartphone like my Huawei Mate 10 Pro), taking nice portrait pics at night without using a flash inside Senja might be a slight challenge.
  
San Valentine Set Menu
Priced at RM 219++ per person

Amuse bouche
A pretty and appetising little creation which showcased Chef Andrea’s culinary skills and set the tone for the rest of the dishes that followed!
 
Starter

For her- Capesante Marinate
Scallops Tartare, Smashed Avocado, Arenka Caviar
With scallops are imported from USA, this elegant starter has a mix of umami flavours from the scallops and caviar, balanced out with the creaminess of the avocado.

  

For him – Carpaccio Alla Moda
Wagyu Beef Carpaccio, Gorgonzola Mousse, Taggiasche Black Olives, Fine Leaves
This incredibly Insta-friendly starter comes with Wagyu Beef with Marbling #4, which is super tender and very flavourful, topped with a Gorgonzola mousse that provides lots of savoury flavours. (Ed – order a glass of house red wine to go along with this dish!)

  

Middle Course – together
Ravioli fatti In casa
Beetroot and Goat Cheese Homemade Ravioli on Pumpkin Sauce
This was the first time I’ve seen or tried beetroot and goat cheese ravioli however it was quite a nice combination of flavours! The reddish colour also made this a very apt dish for Valentine’s Day!

The meal is inclusive of one (1) glass of Woven Stone Sauvignon Blanc for each person. The Woven Stone Sauvignon Blanc comes from the Ohau Vineyards, Kapiti Coast, New Zealand. 
We suggest having it with the middle course, then leaving some to go with the moon fish (main) or just order an additional one!
Tasting Notes:
Aroma: Expressive herbal aromas with lovely gooseberry and lime skin notes
Palate: A Luscious palate showing gooseberry flavours with flinty notes and ripe citrus finish. Fresh aromas of ripe capsicum and lifted tomato leaf.
Viticulture: Ohau vineyards is perfect for cool climate wine production. Late dry autumns provide cool nights ideal for the flavour development during the ripening of the fruit.
        
Palate Cleaner – Campari Sorbet
The Campari Sorbet contains alcohol therefore if you do not wish to take alcohol it can be replaced with lemon sorbet
 
Main Course

For her – Pesce Luna
Slow Baked Moon Fish Fillet, Celeriac puree, Anis Butter Sauce. 
Slow Baked Moon Fish Fillet with an Italian twist of flavours which includes star anise – which gives it some Asian flavours!

  

For him – Agnello Al Tarragone
Roasted Lamb Rump, Braised Artichokes, Tarragon Sauce
A manly dish of lamb that is imported from Australia. 

  

Dessert – “Sharing is Caring”
Warm chocolate crepe rolls with berries and orange sauce
A nice rich and sweet end to the Valentine’s Day dinner. I really enjoyed the warm chocolate crepes (I love chocolate!) which she enjoyed the berries, so this dish was quite perfect for us!

 
End the meal with a choice of Coffee or tea
 
Senja is a very classy and romantic place to have your Valentine’s Day dinner. As it is one of the few nice restaurants around the Ara Damansara/ Subang area, you can expect it to be quite popular among couples celebrating on 14 February therefore I strongly advise you to book ASAP if you’re keen to celebrate there.
For more info or reservations, head over to http://www.saujanahotels.com/the-saujana-hotel/en/dining.html
  
Thanks for having us!