Senja, which means dusk in Malay, is an Italian restaurant at The Saujana that oversees the lush green golf course and enjoys a spectacular sunset view with its alfresco dining deck by the side of the pond. I was invited to sample the MIGF menu created by their new head chef from Sicily – chef Filippo Giunta.
Senja at The Saujana, classy dining hall
The Saujana is a little different from most hotels in Klang Valley. Instead of everything in one giant building, it is spread out amongst the greenery. There are shaded walk ways from the main building to the different restaurants located by various ponds and gardens, giving the place a very relaxing, holiday ambiance.
The resort is fast becoming one of my favorites, stepping into the resort and immediately you’re in a completely different world of the hustle and bustle of KL even though you’re just half an hour away from the city.
bread with olive oil & such, and the amuse-bouche of the day
Anyway, lets get back to food. The MIGF menu is priced at RM 110/140/180 for 2/3/4 course dinner, or RM 220/280/360 with wine pairing. The menu is available the whole of October 2012.
We started out the dinner with some freshly baked Italian bread and a pretty tasty amuse-bouche (pre first course bite size food) of the day in the form of a deep fried risotto ball. Crunchy skin with the flavorful filling that carries a hint of mushroom, I liked it.
sparkling water, and Prosecco Cascine 7 NV
The first course is a choice of Sicilian Brood Bean Soup with Dil and Sun-dried Tomato or Sardine Beccafico Style, Rocket Salad, Fennel and Orange Reduction. The wine with these dishes is a glass of Prosecco Coscine 7 N/V.
first course – sardine beccafico style, or Sicilian brood bean soup
The sardine is apparently a Sicilian signature dish, the cleaned sardine is rolled up with breadcrumbs, pinoli (pine nuts), passolina, sugar, and lemon juice. It was one of the more interesting dishes I’ve tried lately. The rocket salad gives it a good balance, but the orange reduction did need a bit of getting used to.
This, or the savory brood bean soup, were both quite a big serving for fine dining dishes, I’m not complaining tho.
second dish – risotto with cream of pumpkin, or seabass tortelli with seafood ragout
The second course is a choice between Risotto with Cream of Pumpkin, Burratina Cheese and Fresh Sage, or Seabass Tortelli with Seafood Ragout and Porcini Foam.
The risotto was prepared al dente, which is well, the proper and only way to have risotto that’s sometimes misunderstood as being undercooked by less familiar diners. It was excellent and  just appropriate to have some pumpkin this Halloween season.
The seabass tortelli lets us check off the skills of Chef Filippo in handling pasta, it was another dish we enjoyed throughly and definitely went well with the second glass of wine – Banfi Le Rime IGT 2010, a Pinot Grigio with a nice balance and clean finish.
3rd course – wrapped silver cod with aubergine, veal ossobuco Milanese style,
Banfi Le Rime IGT 2010
Moving on to the third course, you get to choose from a choice of the following dishes:
- Veal Ossobuco Milanese Style, Saffron Risotto and Sicilian Gremolata
- Wrapped Silver Cod Fish with Aubergine, Onion, Tomato ‘Cipollata’ and Basil Oil
- Stuffed Chicken Breast with Pistachio and Mint, Sicilian Caponata, Rosemary Roast Baby Potato and Red Wine Reduction
the huge chunk of bone marrow from the veal was irresistibleÂ
The fish was prepared impeccably and a work of art. The very thin aubergine gives the cod an extra dimension, and the onion and tomato base sauce offered a perfect compliment.
The veal though, is more of a straight forward meat dish that is bold and flavorful. The explosion of savory taste was a welcoming change of pace, and that chunk of bone marrow? Heaven, which is why it deserves a full size picture by itself. 😀
desserts – chef Filippo’s Sicilian cassata and orange granita, or Szechuan pepper panna cotta,
Barone Ricasoli Castello di Brolio Vin Santo DOCG 2004
Dessert proved to be another platform for Chef Filippo to showcase his skills. Both choices were beautiful.
Szechuan Pepper Panna Cotta, Chocolate Sauce and Raspberry Sorbet is perhaps one of the most interesting desserts I’ve had all year. The panna cotta carries an undeniable hint of peppery taste that’s not something you’d expect in a dessert, but it does work very well in a, well, very unfamiliar way.
Chef Filippo’s Sicilian Cassata and Orange Granita is more “traditional” sort of dessert but one that’s not shabby either.  The taste is close to ice cream cake, and the icy citrus in the shot glass provided an good cleansing to the palette.
We were served Barone Ricasoli Castello di Brolio Vin Santo DOCG 2004 to end the dinner, a very good dessert wine that is perfect for a sweet ending.
Ahfa, Azimy from The Saujana, and Chef Filippo Giunta
If you’re up to some Italian food that’s true to the origin, do give chef Filippo at Senja a try. I’m quite sure this capable chef from Sicily is here to stay.
Address:
Senja
Saujana Resort, Jalan Lapangan Terbang SAAS,
40150 Selangor
GPS:Â 3.108849, 101.578474
Tel:Â 03-7843 1234
email:Â info@thesaujana.com
Ahhhh!!!! I’ve seen other people’s posts on this place. Food must be great, certainly looks so. I wonder why they would choose a Malay name for an Italian place though.
suituapui: I think the name is consistent with the overall theme of the hotel naming convention tho. 😀
Yeah, I’ve been here before. It’s a nice place for dinner, just a bit far from where I’m staying.
I like the sparkling water – pretty authentic, it’s the stuff I drink while I was backpacking Europe too. 🙂
Huai Bin: yea it is a bit out of town but ambiance’s great
I love their lobster spag there!
The risotto with cream of pumpkin looks splendid! =)
Smitten by Food: lobster spag? oOo that does sound good
That’s a godawful pic of me KY! TURUN SAHAM MAX WEI!
Ee Laine: that’s semi act cute in natural way kinda pic! appreciate it!
wow, i’d love to try BOTH the risotto! pumpkin WITH burratina sounds fab, and the saffron-veal shank one looks great! ooh, and i want the sardine starter too, for a chance to wipe away the memory of ayam-brand canned sardines from my memory, heh. next year hor, i wish these MIGF restaurants would offer delivery services for their special menus 😀
Sean: yah, actually the only unpleasant thing about the whole experience is getting there. This is the same with almost everywhere.
Wow! looks yummy!! I want the risotto with cream of pumpkin, the cod fish and the desserts! : )
foongpc: they were yummy! 😀
wah the food certainly looks good! Must be your good photography skills la.
eiling: haha it’s the chef’s skills ok
looking at the risoto..si pek lau nua
taufulou: ho chiak leh!