Sensing

[glauer]

Sensing from Guy Martin of Le Grand Vefour opened this week in the Fairmont Battery Wharf, and as not so many of the top chefs from France have opened places in Boston yet I thought I should go. This despite the fact that I found the food at Le Grand Vefour not as compelling as the decor when I ate there in 2001, despite it having three Michelin stars at the time (two since last year).

If Mr Martin did not want his food to be outshined by the ambiance in this place he certainly should be able to succeed. It is hard to believe that in such an expensive project one could come up with such a dull design. It looks chain hotel breakfast room and is a real downer. The Hotel lobby looks far more attractive and inviting. I usually do not care much about the design if the food is right but this is maybe the worst restaurant space I have seen in a long time. One almost expects to smell cheap floor cleaner. And it was terribly cold.

The food was certainly on a better level, though there is plenty of room for improvement. We started with their "snacking platter" containing 6 one bite morsels. This is supposedly a classic dish for Sensing (they are making this into a small chain) and I would have expected more from it. Plates like this only work if every single bite is strong and surprising, with bold and unexpected flavors and there should be some theme or idea to it. Here only the first bite was shining, a super fresh local oyster that was perfectly enhanced by the addition of a shallot and vinegar granite, a sensation compared to the often served absurd mignonette. The king crab was pretty much tasteless, the foie gras creme brulee too warm and the comte cheese maki roll a bit absurd. Smoked mussel and jerusalem artichoke soup were fine. Overall I could not detect any connection between the bites.

Fortunately we decided to add some extra appetizers as these were much stronger. Especially the terrine de foie gras with raw beets was excellent and definitely one of the best foie preparations I had recently. There was a beet jelly on top of the slice of terrine as well as a beet tartare and some thin slices of raw beet on the side. The earthiness of the beets and the slight sweetness worked perfectly as were the different textures. The foie itself was flawless and for once not overpowered by too sweet garnishes. I might come back to just have this at the bar.

The cauliflower and quince soup was also quite good. Maybe a bit too creamy and sweet it could also have used a bit more cauliflower flavor, but nevertheless quince and cauliflower made a great combination and the hint of wasabi added nice complexity and contrast.

For main courses we had tuna and duck. The tuna dish was somewhat boring with the exception of wonderfully filled mini turnips. Otherwise there was not much going on in this dish, the tuna was overcooked and the seasoning not very inspired.

The laquered duck was much better. Despite being medium rare it was extremely tender and flavorful and if only the laquered skin had been crisp it would have been perfect. I also enjoyed the parsnip sticks and the braised duck leg and foie gras in phyllo dough. The latter should have made with less dough and a bit crisper though.

Service was OK with our young server trying very hard to be helpful; I am sure he will be great once everything has settled in. The french maitre seemed a bit lost and aloof, but I think that was also due to the just recent opening as he was opening up as the night went on.

Prices are pretty steep with the snacking platter and the terrine de foie gras de canard at 19.-, other appetizers in the mid to high teens. Main courses were mostly in the thirties with one dish below 30 and one above 40 each. The wine list is OK if not terribly exciting, calculation is a bit steep and there are very few bottles under 50. They might reconsider in the current economy. We had a very pleasant St. Joseph from the negociant Vidal-Fleury for 65.

I am not a huge fan of the recent development that many starred chefs seem to develop mini chains. Even if they do it perfectly as in the case of Robuchon the places tend to lack a soul and I always will prefer a place where the chef is more involved. It will depend on Mr Martin's deputy here whether he will be able to develop his own signature, and whether this will be enough to overcome the absurd ambiance of the place.

[Chris Amirault]

Can you say more about the interior design? What were they shooting for? And is there any beverage program save the wine list?

[glauer]

Can you say more about the interior design? What were they shooting for? And is there any beverage program save the wine list?

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I have no clue what the design was supposed to be about. It really looks as if they had done a last minute transformation of a soulless breakfast room into a restaurant. It is all pastel colors and incredibly generic architecture and design. I think the only acceptable option is sitting at the bar of the open kitchen.

They have special cocktails and stuff, but I did not really look at them as I drink almost exclusively wine.

[EoPandaBear]

I have a reservation there for Valentine's Day. I'll let you all know how that goes.

[speidec]

I have not posted in quite a while, but after dinner at Sensing on Sunday I am compelled. My wife and I ate there after a grueling Valentine's Weekend and wanted someone else to cook our dinner. After dropping $15 on valet parking (there is no onstreet parking to be had due to the residential sticker requirement) we entered and I do agree with GLAUER I expected a bit more with the decor. Everyone was pleasant, the room was empty literally and figuratively, we sat at a fine table and proceeded with our adventure. The winelist and cocktail list are fine. There are not too many bottles under $50, but there is a good by-the-glass list. I needed to use the bathroom so be forewarned: YOU MUST GO DOWN THREE FLIGHTS OF STAIRS AND WALK 30 YARDS TO USE THE MEN'S ROOM. At one point I wondered if I was still in Boston. So, breathless, I needed a cocktail and we perused the menu. I ordered the cauliflower and quince soup ($10) with chestnut foam and my wife started with the shrimp tartar ($17)and seared shrimp a la plancha. My soup was lukewarm, dull in both flavor and appearance and did not seem to have the chestnut emulsion (I was told it was mixed in, but had no discernable flavor). The texture was not good as the soup was not strained. It tasted as though the quince and cauliflower had been pureed with a stick blender (rough) and served. There was this bagel chip on top that was getting soggier by the second. It was a poorly made, lukewarm soup and there was no excuse for it. The shrimp came with a tartar (sic) and 1 lukewarm, mi cuit, unseasoned shrimp still in half its shell. (Was the plancha not hot that night?) I think the tartare should have had enough acid to possibly coagulate some of the surface proteins because raw shrimp taste slimy and unappealing. There was also an odd sweet potato garnish that possibly had tapioca pearls it it? It was bland, lukewarm and unseasoned. It also came with an emulsion of ginger and cilantro that tasted of neither.

I really do hate to be critical, but we came from Rhode Island under the perception that this was going to be a hotshit new restaurant worth the price and and hype. The first courses were simply poorly prepared dishes. The ingredients were thoughtful and creative, but the execution was a total failure. I kept my mouth shut because I always end up being the bad guy when I say the slightest thing at restaurants and I really just wanted to have a good meal. Thats all.

Our entrees came and I had the Ribeye ($37) with eggplant fries and barbecue sauce! The meat was of high quality, warm and well seasoned. The eggplant fries were tasty and piping hot, however placed atop a garnish of greens that wilted under the heat of the eggplant (is this culinary school?) The steak was perfectly cooked and tasty, I had no complaints except the barbecue sauce really wasn't a good idea. My wife had the tuna (can't remember the price) and it was a fine piece of fish, well cooked. The stuffed baby turnips were cool and redolent of vinegar. We ask if the turnips were supposed to be cold and a server implied they were supposed to be room temperature. When we ordered our entrees our waiter (fantastic) told us there would be sauteed vegetables served along side. Unfortunately someone forgot to fire those vegetables because they arrived (with apologies) very late and again stinking with a ton of vinegar and no salt. We mentioned the potatoes were undercooked and were corrected that they were rutabagas. Either way they were raw.

We mentioned things were not going very well, but insisted to not make a fuss. I ate my entire steak and it was fine, not worth the price tag, but fine. They kindly offered us a second round of drinks. I would have ordered a full bottle of wine had the first courses not been so poorly executed. I also would have stayed for dessert, coffee and a little bourbon, but the meal was such a letdown.

This is just one guy's opinion, but for the prices this meal should have been a lot better prepared.

[John Talbott]

Far be it from me to comment from a distance, but Martin set up his Sensing's as very different from Le Grand Vefour. Whatever you think of the mother ship, it's a three-star and the Sensing's are like Robuchon and Ducasse's offshoots, money-makers, supposedly staffed with good ex-sous-chefs. My personal impression at the Paris one was while it was over-priced, it was quite good (my wife Colette disagreed).

[glauer]

Far be it from me to comment from a distance, but Martin set up his Sensing's as very different from Le Grand Vefour.  Whatever you think of the mother ship, it's a three-star and the Sensing's are like Robuchon and Ducasse's  offshoots, money-makers, supposedly staffed with good ex-sous-chefs.  My personal impression at the Paris one was while it was over-priced, it was quite good (my wife Colette disagreed).

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I think that was pretty clear John that this is supposed to be at a different level. But one always expects some of the qualities of the mother ship to shine through. And there is not enough of that (yet) at Sensing Boston. Though as I said, I also find his flagship not as impressive as others (and was not surprised by the downgrade to two stars).

But I will try again. It is not that we are overly spoiled with smart cooking here in Boston. And I definitely saw a few indications during my meal that there could be possibilities. Only the room seems hopeless.

[LindaK]

... for the prices this meal should have been a lot better prepared.

Your meal sounds terrible, especially at that price point. No need to apologize for being critical when you get food such as you describe. Though it sounds like you had a good waiter...

If this is a typical experience, then in this economy especially, I'd guess this restaurant might not be around much longer.