Juniper
The Saujana Hotel has recently launched its “Do You Lunch?” program at the hotel’s 3 restaurants namely Senja, Ti Chen and RP Entertainment Centre. If you love Italian cuisine, head towards Senja to indulge in a Sicilian antipasto buffet (main course and dessert also available). Chef Filippo Giunta is Senja’s new head chef replacing Chef Giovanni Ricci.
Chef Filippo Giunta is the recent recipient of a number of awards during the Malaysian International Gourmet Festival 2011. His specialty dishes are grilled prawns in warm potato carpaccio and grilled vanilla pears with gorgonzola dressing and walnuts.
Meaning “before the meal”, the antipasto is a traditional first course of a formal meal. With a wide spread of Tomato Mozzarella, Potatoes and Carrots with Mayonnaise and Italian Parsley, Polenta with Fennel and Gorgonzola Dressing, Roasted Artichoke and many more, choose from a selection of RM35++ antipasto buffet, RM65++ antipasto buffet with a choice of main course or RM75++ antipasto buffet with a main course and a dessert.
Antipasto Buffet
Fresh Salad
Grilled Eggplant
Asparagus with Parmesan Cheese
Tomato Mozzarella
Baked Aubergine
Potatoes and Carrots with Mayonnaise and Italian Parsley
If you are a vegetarian or you just love vegetables, the antipasto buffet offers many varieties of vegetarian dishes. I liked the Potatoes and Carrots with Mayonnaise and Italian Parsley as well as the Asparagus with Parmesan Cheese. Cheese is one of my favourite dairy products and there is plenty of cheese in the antipasto buffet.
Main Course
Spaghetti with Carbonara Cream Sauce
While the sauce was thick and creamy enough, I could have done with a bit more sauce and it would have been better if the beef had been more crispy. This is quite filling after partaking of the antipasto buffet. There are 3 pizzas and 3 pastas to choose from the main course.
Pizza Diavola
The topping of this pizza is tomato, mozzarella, chili flake, beef salami, pepperoni, onion and olives. The base is thin crust. Despite the chili flakes, it isn’t hot at all but then again, I wouldn’t be a bona fide Malaysian if I found chili flakes hot.
Risotto with Seafood
I have never been a fan of risotto and much prefer paella which isn’t as soggy. Then again, I dislike too much sauce in my rice dishes so I really should not comment on the taste of the risotto which may be just fine for risotto fans.
Dessert
Chef Filippo Tiramisu
Sometimes the best part of the meal is the dessert and this is certainly true here where you can choose anything from the dessert menu. Of course, I went for this most classic of Italian desserts and was not at all disappointed with the mascarpone cream and melt-in-my-mouth layers of the tiramisu. Beautiful to look at and delicious to the last bite.
For reservations at Senja, please call 03 7843 1234 (ext. 4068) or email dine@thesaujana.com or visit thesaujanahotel.com
