CHASING FOOD DREAMS: Senja, The Saujana Hotel Kuala Lumpur: Santa Ana Wine Pairing

A Five-Course Meal with Santa Ana Wine from the Vineyards of Mendoza, Argentina at Senja!

Returning to Senja, The Saujana Hotel Kuala Lumpur, to attend a wine pairing dinner with Santa Ana was indeed a memorable evening. My second visit after my previous MIGF 2011 at Senja, the urge to contain my excitement was untamable! Senja’s Head Chef Filippo Giunta has specially concocted a five-course dinner with carefully selected Santa Ana wines to match the feel and taste of every meal creating memories for his sophisticated diners.

Senja boast of scenic beauty of serenity. Built on stilts above a beautiful lake, the restaurant is simply perfect for a romantic dinner or business dinner with its gorgeous namesake environment. One can enjoy the sun as it falls into the evening while overlooking the lush greenery of the golf course and fountained lake.

The ambience was truly set in style with a classy edge. Dim lights, pristine white table clothes and elegant table setting were some pieces that added the aura at Senja. Lots of glass panel along the walls let nature’s lights gently streamed into the restaurant for a truly amorousness mood. A live four-piece band set the mood even further with soft crooning of jazz that evening.

With over 115 years of history in the art of winemaking, Bodegas Santa Ana, an Argentinian wine planted its roots in Mendoza, Argentina. The vineyards there are blessed with a region ideal for the development of viticulture from the watered melting snow from the Andes Mountains, the Cuyo region. Mendoza and San Juan reaped in quality grapes with its cold and dry weather in the winter and warm sunny summer with cool nights. Placing customers’ preferred taste as priority, Bodegas Santa Ana’ innovation and cutting edge skills in adapting to their customers’ needs can be found in an abundance of testimonies.

The evening kicked off with canapés and the first white of the Bodegas Santa Ana range where guests mingles comfortably on the restaurant patio while the sun sets.

Canapés of Smoked Norwegian Salmon with Horseradish Cream, Prawns with Chutney of Mango and Pistachio and Bruschetta of Wild Mushrooms, Gorgonzola and Chives were beautifully paired with a fine Santa Ana Chardonnay Reserve. The flavors of the canapés melded beautifully among salty, sweet, spicy, and tangy with the crisp Chardonnay.

My first sip of the Santa Ana Chardonnay Reserve reaffirmed that I was not in a dream but rather living my life like royalty! Crisp, fresh and scented with citrus aroma, the chilled Chardonnay was my favorite white that evening!

We proceeded inside to the gorgeous restaurant and the pre-dinner event was graced by a speech from Bodegas Santa Ana Ambassador.

Our appetizer of Burratina Cheese from Andria with Tartare of Tomato, Rocket and Parmesan Dressing had me oozing with delight! Educated by Chef Fillippo, Burratina is the crème of the crop made with buffalo milk. Spun dough of buffalo mozzarella holds a rich buttery filling made from shredded pieces of mozzarella and fresh cream or butter. Imported from Andria, this cheese is deemed a finer quality that the infamous Burrata or buffalo mozzarella. The rich and silky creamy center of Burratina was an eroticism of gastronomic cuisine. Soft and melt-in-the-mouth, the luxurious cheese was light in flavors and jazzed up by tangy tomato, slight crisp and bitter rocket and salty parmesan. I adored the dish for its simplicity that showcased fresh ingredients and its natural flavors!

Our second white was La Mascota Chardonnay, a crisp and complex white with aromas of tropical fruits, lingers with a delicious aftertaste! Its flavors were refreshing to lighten the rich and creamy Burratina cheese.

Duck Confit Ravioli with Red Onion and Rosemary Sauce followed pursuit as the next course. Shredded duck stuffed into thin pasta dough were glammed up with a rich onion and rosemary sauce. Plush but not overly heavy!

The fusion pasta was complemented by a savory, fresh and fruity Santa Ana Malbec Reserve. An intense red, the wine was a burst of berries and plums undertone.

A huge beef fanatic, the Grilled Striploin of Australian Black Angus with Radicchio cooked with Red Wine and Potato Timbale was opulent. Mine was cooked medium to my liking and the steak was juicy and bursting with flavors. Warm wilted radicchio stained with red wine was delicious with a soft hint of bitterness while the potato timbale was layers after layers of soft starchy and creamy potato. Yum!

The lush beef paired up well with two reds. A La Mascota Cabernet Sauvignon and a Unanime allowed us to enjoy the various flavors paired up with the steak. Cabernet Sauvignon tasted full and had a slight berry and licorice aroma. Unanime was my favorite red of the night. A beautiful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Cabernet Franc, the red wine had a stronger but very well balance flavors. Meat was a perfect match with Unanime!

Every meal had to end and this time it ended classically with a Lemon Cheese Cake with Mixed Berries Marmalade and Fresh Mint. Lemon scented cheese cake was decently rich and lighten up with a refreshing berry jam.

Paired with Amarula, an African cream liqueur made from the fruit of an African marula tree, the creamy caramel liqueur was served on the rocks. Flavors resembled slightly towards the infamous Bailey Irish Cream and I enjoyed this a lot as it complemented the cheese cake really well.

Head Chef Filippo Giunta certainly has more to offer than the above. Serving an array of luscious Italian cuisine with a twist, one will be please to enjoy an opulent evening of fabulous food coupled with a gorgeous ambience!