Moscow news
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02-Aug-2009
Sensuous and summery
A relaxed lunch on a shaded terrace under a brilliant sky isn't an unrealistic wish in Moscow. Sure, the weather has to cooperate, but Moscow does have a summer, if short, and it does have a place that can successfully replicate the relaxed luxury of Mediterranean resorts.
Sensi, in the Vremena Goda mall, is a Japanese eatery, blended with European décor and even a European brunch section of brioches and omelets. However, the Japanese side of the menu is so intriguing that I skipped the brunch menu.
This isn't one of those cheap pan-Asian places where you can see a picture of a green slithery mound next to the words "seaweed salad". Sensi assumes that its patrons know what they're here for.
The shaded terrace was extremely comfortable and pleasing to the eye with white furniture and light green cushions, and I dallied over the menu for a long time before making my choice. Even if the restaurant has a major road (Kutuzovsky Prospekt) on one side and audible, if not visible, railroad tracks on the other side, it was a very nice place to be.
My salad with shrimp and asparagus arrived promptly; a row of lightly sautéed asparagus shoots with shrimp and a mound of delicate salad leaves in the background. The shrimp, to my appreciation, had been lightly boiled and then sliced open, so that outside was cooked while the inside was still raw and tender. The asparagus came with kimizu - a tangy Japanese egg yolk sauce - which matched well with the shrimp. The leaves were perfectly complemented by sesame dressing - in most restaurants I usually find the salad either drowning in sticky and oily dressing, or almost tasteless. The roasted and ground sesame seeds accentuated the fragrance of the dressing to its maximum. Despite the generous portion, the presentation, on a black square plate, was modern and elegant.
Soon after, my California rolls arrived. After the first bite, I realised what I had been missing in California rolls in Moscow until now. Usually the tobiko are just decorative orange bits of some indefinable substance, but these were fresh, fat and burst into flavour in my mouth. I enjoyed all eight pieces with relish.
For my hot main, I had ordered tempura of lotus flower root with shrimp filling. Lotus flower root is not as exotic as it sounds - it's just another root vegetable, albeit a rather crunchy one. It's almost impossible to obtain in Moscow, so I waited eagerly. When it arrived, I knew it would be good, but scepticism set in. Yes, as I said, lotus root is difficult to find in Moscow, but 720 roubles for one tempura, even one stuffed with shrimp, even a big one, seems an exorbitant price. Yes, it was very hot, very crunchy, very shrimpy and totally delicious. But 720 roubles for a single piece? Maybe I can abstain from lotus root until the next time I go to Japan.
Although I was quite sated by this time, I couldn't resist asking for a serving of green tea tiramisu. I had heard of it, but never tried it. It came in a large cup filled to the brim and topped with powdered green tea. The green tea mixed in the cheese filling was not enough to offset the heavy sweetness, and it felt a tad too rich and intense for my palate. Perhaps I should go for the brownie next time - chocolate is never too sweet or too rich for me.
Sensi Café: 1st floor, Vremena Goda shopping centre, 48 Kutuzovsky Prospekt, 662 4258, m. Slavyansky Bulvar.
Open 11am-2 am
Schyot, please!*
Salad with shrimp and asparagus 480
California rolls 520
Tempura with lotus root with shrimp filling 720
Espresso 150
Green tea tiramisu 390
*All prices are in roubles
The Moscow News