Sensing

For a place that promotes itself as such a fancy place, I wasn’t too impressed with Sensing. Inside the Fairmont on Battery Wharf, the décor is beautiful, but the outdoor seating didn’t exactly have as great a view of the water as I would have expected. Still a nice environment, though.
There was no hostess when we arrived so waited around awkwardly for a while while the people in the hotel lobby stared at us. Finally a hostess showed up and seated the people before us and didn’t return for a while. Another host came in and directed us to follow him, before handing us off to the original hostess who did not have a table ready for us. So we waited by the rolls for a little bit while they dragged some tables around. The umbrella on our table almost caught fire because they dragged the table too close to a heater lantern thing.
It was a good 10 minutes before we had placemats and silverware, then maybe another 10 before we had menus in our hands. Then, we had I think four people wait on us between drinks, bread, water, and our actual dinner. We ended up repeating ourselves quite a bit, which was a huge turn off.
The food itself saved this restaurant from a bad review. I had the lamb loin/​shoulder with orange couscous. I thought it was delicious, though the portions left a little something to be desired. I almost opted for the cheaper small plates, but thought it would be more economical to get a full entrée instead. If I’m going to pay nearly $ 40 for a meal, I’d like more than two bites, please.
In short: good food, pricey/​small portions, disorganized service. Would not return without a coupon.

This is a long overdue review. I was thrilled when I heard Guy Martin was opening a restaurant in Boston. I had been to Le Grand Vefour in Paris and had a wonderful meal there (though he had lost one of his Michelin stars). Unfortunately, this was one of those places that felt like he lent his name to the operation but didn’t have a hand in the cuisine. What happened?
ATMOSPHERE — It definitely feels like a hotel restaurant… completely lacking in personality.
SERVICE — The waiter was kind enough but wasn’t knowledgeable about the food or menu.
FOOD — I like the idea of having a nightly prix fixe menu but the food just wasn’t good.
— Snacking Platter — Kebab of cantaloupe & prosciutto, port jelly, Lobster roll, Local oyster with shallots and vinegar granite, Stilton croquet, Marinated spicy clam, Chilled tomato and vanilla water. — The Kebab was extremely tasty and the flavour combination was beautiful. The gelee was a little dense though.
— Green risotto, poached egg, asparagus, radishes — The dish was bland and the risotto could have been more al dente.
— Golden tomato and mango gazpacho, ricotta wasabi raita — This soup didn’t work at all.
— Cod steamed in lemongrass, seasonal vegetables, coconut and grapefruit sauce — Blah! It was beautifully presented but completely lacking in flavour.
— Top sirloin of veal, mashed potatoes in olive oil, chanterelles, snails, wasabi jus — Overcooked.
— Asparagus with olive oil foam — The asparagus was overcooked and soggy.
— Orange blossom panna cotta, fruits tartar in green anise, coconut sorbet — The panna cotta was a little too dense.
— Assortment of sorbets, financier cake — Completely unremarkable dessert. The sorbets had little chucks of icicles in it… ick!
I’ve attached photos. I’m really going to surprised if this place makes it. The location lacks energy and personality, the service is poor, and the food is mediocre. Even Guy Martin’s name can’t save this outfit.

Meh. Is there some sort of bandwagon going on where restaurants throw sugar and fruit in every dish? Whether it’s passion fruit with your fish or oranges and raisins with your lamb, it’s gross and here it’s in everything.
Couple that with the fact that it really just feels like the hotel restaurant it is. Sort of like a gussied up Denny’s.
I’ve been here a few times and, being local, really want to like it. On a warm night, the deck overlooking the harbor can’t be beat.
But for this price range and this type of food, there are so many places nearby that are much better.

While my overall experience at Sensing was not necessarily bad, I left entirely uninspired and have no desire to return.
The food was fairly bland and left my date and I wondering whether we had missed something. We had their Salmon and Cod, respectively, and neither was a top-​flight dish. The asparagus soup was an interesting combination, but not something I would have again. We each stopped at one bite on the seared Swiss Chard. All told, the food was just fine. Unfortunately Sensing charges well above «just fine» prices, and falls well short of delivering an appropriate value.
On the plus side, the service and ambiance were impeccable. Our server volunteered both the soup and the Chard dish compliments of the chef, and was attentive throughout.
Bottom line: don’t bother. Great service and atmosphere can’t make up for below-​average food at four-​star prices. There are a slew of other restaurants around town where you can spend the same money and have your socks knocked off. Keep looking.

Came here on a Thursday to take advantage of the half-​price entrée deal (in other words, Go.On.A.Thursday.) and was pleasantly surprised by how good everything was.
To start, the Tasty Teasers, one of each. This seemed to be the popular choice for everyone. The beef empanada was super-​tasty, the onion soup rich, and the mushroom crème brûlée savory and delicious. I also loved the oyster, but I’m weird and like shooting slimy things down my mouth.
I had the Thai-​inspired lobster linguine bolognese which was loaded with succulent pieces of lobster. They were very generous with the portions. The flavor was interesting to say the least, a blend of lime and cilantro with meaty red sauce. The other entrée was the chicken, tenderly cooked and surprisingly rich in flavor. The mango tarte tatin dessert wasn’t very much to my liking, but I’ve had worse. All in all, a satisfying meal.
The restaurant’s just beautiful. It’s on the waterfront and decorated in cool, Little Mermaid shades with an airy, breezy feel to it. I noticed people here on first dates, French tourists on vacation and Wall Street types dining here. Definitely great for people-​watching.

This review is overdue. I came here several months ago for Boston Restaurant Week. I was hoping this place would be good since it is associated with Chef Guy Martin (of the famed Grand Vefour in Paris), but I was also skeptical since ‘satellite’ restaurants of celebrity chefs are often disappointing shells, lacking the personality and brilliance of their creators. Unfortunately, my skeptism was correct.
Walking in, I immediately *felt* like I was in a hotel restaurant. Yes, Sensing is inside of a hotel, but given the starpower behind the restaurant, they should have been able to invest more in the décor. It felt like I was in a cheesy Ikea imitation of a nice restaurant. The funny thing was that bathrooms (located outside of the restaurant) felt nicer than the restaurant!
I started with an heirloom tomato salad topped with caramelized pine nuts and a basil-​ginger dressing. I love heirloom tomatoes, and this salad made me very happy. The flavors were well balanced — the sweetness of the caramelized pine nuts offset the acidity from the tomatoes. The fresh basil also added another layer of depth to the flavors. The various tastes and textures all complemented one another.
For my entrée, I had the pan fried halibut over mussels, chorizo, shiitake and cranberry beans with a preserved lemon vinaigrette drizzled on top. Our waitress also gave me this big bowl of broth with cherry tomatoes and tofu. Oddly, she couldn’t really tell me what to do with it, so I just assumed I was supposed to pour it on top of my dish. The fish could have been cooked slightly less, but I was satisfied with my dish overall. The chorizo and cranberry beans gave the dish a hearty feel, while the lemon vinaigrette brightened it up. I’m glad I poured the broth over my dish, otherwise the fish and other components would have tasted too dry.
My husband ordered the cod steamed in lemongrass with seasonal vegetables in a coconut-​grapefruit foam. Our waitress said it was the restaurant’s «signature» dish and stays on their menu year-​round, but I call it a ‘disaster’ dish. The entire thing was completely overcooked — the cod was dry and flavorless, the vegetables were wilted and rubbery. I am shocked that they would boast about this dish. Maybe they cook so many of these dishes that they no longer pay attention to it… who knows.
I had a financier cake with an assortment of sorbets for dessert. This was my worst course of the night, and a rare occassion in which I did not finish every bite of my dessert. The financier cake tasted like stale almond cake. The «sorbets» (which were actually gelatos) were just ok — the strawberry was nice and refreshing, the cookies and cream was mediocre, and the lime was just weird. The waitress told me the lime sorbet was coconut, yet it was green, tasted like lime, and had no resemblance of coconut.
Although staff was nice, they didn’t know very much about the food and lacked professionalism — the waitress actually walked away from the table next to us while they were ordering their wine in mid-​sentence! The service was quite clumsy and definitely nothing like what you would expect from a ‘nice’ restaurant.

Can I say I was underwhelmed by Sensing? I was underwhelmed by Sensing.
I’ll start off by saying that it had nothing to do with the service; the place was completely empty when we arrived for our 5:30 reservation (strange that they bothered to ask if we had one, honestly!). We got our choice of seating, outside, and were treated just as one would expect to be at somewhere this swank.
So here’s my beef: The food is «meh» at best. Creative in presentation and content, but bland as hell. I had the lobster linguine with bolognese; for $ 29, the amount of lobster was just decent, and it was so overcooked that the tips of the claws were sharp and hard. The sauce was nice, but there wasn’t nearly enough of it for all my noodles.
The outdoor seating is lovely, but I’d order from the bar menu if I ever came back; I just don’t need to spend $ 30 on a mediocre entrée.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this restaurant. Usually I judge restaurants based 90% on the food, but the food was just not that big a proportion of the experience here.
What dominated my experience was the way this restaurant is run. I called asking for a 6:00 reservation — they offered me 6:30 or 5:30. So I took 6:30 and got there early. And there were empty tables everywhere… what is up with that?
Next, we were greeted repeatedly after we checked in. Every waiter we walked by said hello, and two separate people offered to take my coat. So they really take care of you.
And, it is a beautiful restaurant. The dishware is lovely, the sea green and beige décor very pleasing to the eyes, and the waiters all have side aprons and look pppreeettttyyy classy.
Basically, you feel pretty rich sitting in there. I was unprepared for that, as this is a sentiment fairly far from my own experience, ha ha. But anyway, when you go, get ready for that.
The food though, is in tiny portions. We had three courses, and we tried to eat slowly, but we were still out of the restaurant in an hour, because it was just so little to consume. And it was good, in a very subtle way. Very little flavoring, although I’m not saying it was bad. Just unobtrusive. Oh, and it’s not cheap.
Anyway, it seems like a pretty cool place, but not really my scene. Although, they have events all week, like half priced entrees on Thursdays, and prix fixes and cheap oysters (10 for $ 14) so maybe that would be cool.

I had a very good experience here. All elements fit together to make an enjoyable meal.
I had to brace myself based on all of the negative reviews, which didn’t materialize.
Trying too hard/​Aiming too high?: Well, it is a high end restaurant from a renowned French chef. Should they aim lower? I don’t get this one.
Serving size: This isn’t Cheesecak Factory. A perfect meal is one where you walk away feeling satisfied but not full. I had the three course prix fixe and was borderline full.
All of our food tasted GREAT and was well executed. Our server was courteous and efficient. I will say the place was more than half empty on Friday night, so I can’t give an accurate critique of the service and I didn’t really quiz our server too much on the menu or wine.
We’ll be coming back here.

This plced tried really hard. and at times it suceeded — at others it faled.
The food was pretty solid — and for the ½ price entrée night on Thursday, it’s just worth teh experience. The décor is cool, and I expect the outdoor terrace in the summer (we do have summers here, right?) is pretty bang on.
The server was really shoddy, but the rest of the staff made up for it, as did the manager who made apologies rather than excuses for any constructive criticism he heard from us.
it’s definitely a place that lacks the typical stuffiness Boston has when accompanying good food. For that reason alone, it’s worth a revisit.

It’s obvious from the décor and the menu that Sensing is aiming high, but unfortunately they fall short on every level.
As a caveat, the night I was there they were missing both their head chef (who apparently is more of a consultant) and their sous-​chef. That said, the entrees were bland. The little touches around the edge (like pickled blueberries and broccoli purée) were quite tasty, so why couldn’t the Cod or the Sole have flavor too?
As for the space, you could say it was well decorated… in a modern 70s kind of way. But the room just didn’t come together. Tables are pushed up against columns, the benches around the edge of the room aren’t all that comfortable, and the secluded tables in the center of the room block any feel of continuity.
Also, it was basically empty at 8pm on a Wednesday. Which was slightly awkward, like our waiter.
Again, nothing here was BAD… it was all just a little off. I wouldn’t do it again for the $ 80.

This is a very cool space to stop by for a drink. I suspect that in the summer the deck area is fantastic but even in January, the bar is warm and welcoming. While we did not eat in the restaurant, we did sample the bar menu. The vegetarian sandwich with fries was outstanding; fresh bread, perfectly cooked veggies and great fries. The fondue was excellent although they need to work on keep the fire under control. It burns so hot that it started to burn the cheese.
Drinks are generous. They make a mean martini here which always keeps me happy. The only real draw back is the price. Super expensive.
PS. According to my wife the bathrooms are incredible. Since I am not one to notice those sort of things, I will take her word. Apparently it (the bathroom) is worth the visit.

Reflecting on my dinner at Sensing, last eve, I only just now realize that I experienced flawless, attentive, yet almost invisible service. No memories of looking for my waiter, the next course, or more wine. Nor did my dinner companion and I ever feel rushed. Warm, down-​to-​earth service in beautiful modern dining room.
Sensing serves novella cuisine. Ravioli at sensing doesn’t look anything found at of the dozens of nearby Italian eateries. Infused with mushrooms and chestnut sauce, its pillow-​like texture and absence of red sauce will have you at first wondering if you’re being served what you had ordered. A bite later, you realize you have. And its wonderful.
The creamy rutabaga soup is topped with fig jam and comté cheese. A tremendous warmer. For my main, I had the fantastic Cod that is steamed in lemongrass and served colorfully enveloped in coconut and grapefruit sauce. I am not really into making food look like art, but I beginning to be persuaded otherwise.
The only negative to experience was our server’s limited knowledge (or excessive shyness) when I asked for some guidance with the menu. Otherwise, evening at Sensing was flawless.

A gem in the North End/​Wharf area, although you wouldn’t be able to find it unless you were specifically looking for it.
We came here as part of our celebration for all that we’ve accomplished this year and were pleasantly satisfied with our experience. I started off with a menage a poire martini, and my friend had a pomegranate mojito — perfectly balanced flavors that weren’t overwhelming in these cocktails.
The three of us decided on the five-​course tasting menu after being unable to choose just one entrée for dinner. We figured we could splurge a bit and go for the wine pairings (at $ 25 extra) with each dish. Once the servers found out what we chose to order, the manager brought over each dish and wine pairing, explaining in careful detail of what each dish was composed of in his lovely French accent.
We started off with the six-​part tasting appetizer, which began with the wellfleet oyster in a vinegar and shallot granite that was über delectable, but ended with the acorn squash soup and coffee «teaser» that left more to the imagination. This tasting was paired with a glass of Taittinger Cuvee Prestige Brut.
Our appetizers consisted of the mushroom ravioli with a green tea foam, tuna tartare, and rutabaga soup, all of which were delightful to the palate. The tuna tartare melted on the tongue, and the rutabaga soup warmed us right up, perfect for this cold, stormy weather. The mushroom ravioli were light and were reminiscent of the mini dumplings my mother used to make me when I was a child. The manager paired our appetizers with a glass of sauvignon blanc from Bordeaux, in which the less sweet, more acidic flavors complemented our food.
Seafood was next in our tasting; we were served the cod steamed in lemongrass, scallops with a ryeberry parsley risotto, and Maine lobster with chocolate gnocchi. This course was absolutely divine; my friends and I might have surprised the people dining next to us with simultaneous «MMMM» noises. Each dish was cooked to bring out the flavors of each type of seafood. This time we had a glass of sauvignon blanc from New Zealand, which worked quite well with our fish.
Our fourth course consisted of delicious red meat — venison and veal. The veal was incredibly tender and meshed well with the mushrooms and chard. The venison left a gamey aftertaste on the tongue, which reminded me of cooking meat over an open spit — the soft squash was a perfect complement to this dish. Our manager brought out a pinot noir from Burgundy with this course.
Finally, dessert came — the moment we’d been waiting for. We were served a glass of Château la Caussade Saint Croix Du Mont, a sweet dessert wine that paired nicely with our lemon and yuzu crystalline and chocolate mousse column desserts.
After our meal, Guy Martin came out to greet us and find out how we’d enjoyed it. Of course, we gushed about the food, but I have to say that the service is a big part of what made our experience so wonderful. At 26, Mr. Martin has worked hard to get to where he is now (he spent over 10 years training in France before attending school), and it definitely shows in his dishes. I think that he has some edges to refine in some of his plates, but overall, he’s done a great job developing and presenting French (occasionally fusion) cuisine.

Went there for lunch today. I had seen the maps were wrong so we knew where it really was and despite the wind we made it there, last time we were here it was all under construction. This is a little off the beaten path. It was not too busy for lunch (3 tables, 1 at the bar). Service was very nice and pleasant. Drinks were very good, the expresso martini excellent. I had the kobe burger, it was cooked rare as ordered and was excellent. Wife had the lobster sandwich (open faced) which was ok…
The prices were decent, food was very good, service excellent, also a very pretty place.

This is a glitzy restaurant, but I think that’s about all that can be said for it. The restaurant is impeccable and definitely ‘feels’ fancy, but the service is stiff and formal — the staff don’t seem practiced. The food is over-​complicated — everything we had was well made but not very well composed, and nothing seemed to go well with what it was served with. In detail:
We started off at the bar. The bartender was nice, but reserved and didn’t know how to pour champagne without waiting for the head to die down constantly. The wine selection was extensive, at least, and we got free appetizers with our drinks because it was a Wednesday. We started off with some prosciutto on bread with a tomato based sauce. This was good, but the sauce didn’t really compliment the ham. We also had the ‘fries three ways’ appetizer. The eggplant and chickpea fries were tasty, but the house fries were just fries. The ‘house interpretation of a barbecue sauce’ was not as good as real barbecue sauce.
Our waiter at the table was conscientious and knew the dishes by rote, but would not make eye contact and seemed uncomfortable in general. We were served an ‘amuse bouche’ of beef tongue with pickled beets and a little bit of sauce. This was quite good — one of the better things we ate there (and bonus points for fearlessly serving something unusual, unasked).
I ordered the sole with lemon sauce and angel hair pasta. The sole was well cooked, but was overwhelmed by the topping, which contained panko bread crumbs, lemon, and several other things. This was paired with a pasta which was fairly sweet (it included concord grapes). The two did not go very well together.
My date had the venison. Again, this was obviously a good cut of meat and well cooked, but it was served with a number of vegetables which did not do it justice. The sauce and vegetables were all very acidic, and they didn’t bring out the deeper flavor of the venison very well. Also, we were told the venison was served on a bed of greens and kimchi, but whatever it was served on tasted like no kimchi I had ever had.
Several people have complained that the serving sizes here are too small. I wouldn’t say this is necessarily fair. The entrees were pretty small, but with the appetizers we ordered we were full by the time we left. Part of the problem is that everything is served artfully on huge plates. If you don’t expect Denny’s sized portions you should be fine.
Over all, this is a great place to take someone easily impressed by glitz and formality. It’s probably great for business dinners at the hotel, and I wouldn’t be surprised if their breakfast was better than their dinner. However, the food was ultimately just not very good — which is pretty unacceptable at the prices they’re charging, and the stiffness and pretentiousness of the place takes the fun out of the fancy dining part of the experience. I’d avoid coming here again — I’ve had and loved good fancy french food and this ain’t it.

First, from the restaurant’s site:
«Make Sense of Monday» This fall at Sensing
Take a culinary journey with Sensing’s half price fall entrees
Autumn is here in Boston, and with the new season comes the new fall menu at Sensing. This fall Sensing will introduce its new menu by inviting people to ‘Make Sense of Mondays every Monday night
September 28 — November 30
Entrees on Sensing’s dinner menu will be offered at half-​price.
Taking inspiration from seasonal New England ingredients, Chef Gerard Barbin’s new fall menu combines modern French flair with his love of eclectic flavor combinations. Half-​price menu highlights include the lobster panfry with chocolate gnocchi and cod steamed in lemongrass.
***
Doesn’t that sound lovely? Half-​priced entrees? I’m so there!
Unfortunately though, I had some trouble finding my way there… according to the Unilocal map, 3 Battery Street is on the corner of Hanover Street and Battery Street. Nope!
According to Opentable, the cross street is Commercial St., so I headed that way. But from that corner I got confused… I couldn’t see either hotel or restaurant from there. A tip, if you’re walking on Battery Street from Hanover Street, look across Commercial — there’s a private street ahead with a pole stuck in the middle of the road. Head over that way, pass the pole and it is the building at the very end on the left, where there are valet people to greet you.
The staff here is wonderful and quite nice. Our waiter even walked me over towards the bathroom before telling me it was down those stairs and on the right. Oh, the bathroom was so pretty! You have to see it for yourself.
Bread was served individually from a metal basket — white or whole grain? The white’s served room temperature to keep the crust crispy, while the whole grain was warm. And yummy. And still crispy. The round pat of butter was perfectly spreadable.
A comment about their flatware and china… curved and modern, a variety of shapes. Every dish was served on a interestingly shaped plate or bowl. Fresh utensils were provided with each course. A cup of coffee $ 4 was served with a entire silver pot alongside for convenient self-​service refills.
At half price, we decided to order additional entrees as our appetizers (I had also read on Unilocal that the portions here aren’t huge) and I tasted:
* Cod steamed in lemongrass, vegetables of the season, coconut and grapefruit sauce $ 26 (reg price)
* Pan fried lobster, chocolates gnocci, ‘Honey Pot Farms’ pear essence $ 29
* Seared scallops, ryeberry, Sam Adams ‘Octoberfest’ $ 26
Everything was prepared well — nothing overcooked, including the veggies. A lasting foam decorated each of the plates. The lobster dish included the entire tail and two claws of the crustacean. I particularly liked the neat texture of the ryeberry that came with the scallops, and the appetizer that came as a gift from the kitchen — noodles with pickled mushroom in a cute bowl — it was very good. Too bad it doesn’t seem to be listed on the menu.
After all that, I didn’t have a whole lot of room left for dessert, but we perused the menu and decided to split the Pumpkin apple tarte tatin, pumpkin pie ice cream $ 10. A simple dessert that seemed to be layers of pumpkin (cake?) and apples with pumpkin and caramel sauces. Plates for sharing were brought out without us even asking!
Before we got around to requesting the bill, a plate of chocolate truffles and pecan financiers was set before us. Financier? It looked like a madeleine to me… hmm… what’s the difference? I took a small bite and had to shut my eyes. It was SO GOOD! Rich and buttery and just plain good!
For me, the highlights of the meal were the service, the bread, and the financiers. =) The dining room, however, unfortunately got a bit loud at times, despite the pillars that divided up the room.
Valet parking here is $ 12, and if you give the ticket to the waiter 15 minutes before leaving, the car will be out front waiting for you.
PS — On the Unilocal map, the star marking the restaurant location should move east two blocks on Battery.

3.5 stars. Went to lunch today for Restaurant Week with some coworkers. The place was eerily empty/​quiet, I think there were only 2 other tables aside from us, but the interior was nicely upscale/​chic without being stuffy/​overly pretentious IMO. Probably because it was so empty, we had fantastic service, our waiter was really attentive and helpful, so two thumbs up for that. I did the 2 course meal for $ 15 and chose to forgo the app, as did two of my dining companions, and the fourth went for the 3 courses.
At the beginning of the meal, the bread man came and delivered us some really tasty fresh 7-​grain rolls, definitely one of the better breads I’ve had while dining out (they came around again later but was one roll short for our table, but all the servers were very apologetic, and came back 10 minutes later with more freshly baked rolls just for us, it was sweet). We ordered a pitcher of the white sangria for $ 20, and it was refreshing, tasted mostly of citrus and cucumber (and a nice value for the price, we got 4 full glasses out of the pitcher).
For my entrée, I got the «fresh fettuccini pasta, tomatoes, olives, lemon confit, basil and marscapone sauce» which was tasty, it had a good flavor to it (felt like a creamy, brighter version of pesto?) and the pasta tasted fresh. The few bits of tomatoes were the best part of this dish IMO, I wished there were more. Dessert was «strawberry and Szechuan pepper soup, almond crusted apricot and iced orange nougat», which frankly was one of the main reasons I wanted to come here for RW (aside from its proximity to our office in the Navy Yard). I was a little nervous about the pepper, not being a fan of hot things (I had ordered this in the hopes it wouldn’t be too spicy for me), but I could barely taste it, it was more in the background to help bring out the flavor of the rich strawberry ‘soup’. The color was fantastic, and the ‘soup’ permeated with loads of tiny strawberry pieces was really summery tasting, the strawberry flavor really came through. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the almond crusted apricot– the crushed seeds kept falling off and clouding up the soup and I’m not sure my palate understood what was happening because I didn’t really like the flavor combo-​, but I did like the other part of the dessert, a hard sugary orangy shell with a foamy nougat inside that went well with the strawberry.
Portions were excellent; with one bread roll, the pasta entrée, the dessert, and a glass of sangria, I was stuffed. RW lunch was definitely a bargain here (especially for the 2 course option), although I checked out the normal lunch menu and entrees are around $ 12 (sandwiches, pasta, etc), so not too bad in general. The other dishes eaten at the table– a salad app and the sorbet dessert– also got good marks by my coworkers.
This isn’t the kind of place I’d necessarily go out of my way to come back to on my own, because nothing completely stood out to me (except maybe the description of the soup, the «strawberry and pepper soup for dessert» bit tended to get some attention from friends). But that being said, the experience and the food were solid and I’d be happy to come back if I happened to be in the area or if someone else suggested it. Although it does look like it has a patio out on the wharf (too hot for it today), so may be worth at least coming back for some drinks on the water…

I loved Sensing.
My husband and I scooted over to Sensing after an event at the Marriott Copley. It was our first time, and we were looking forward to seeing the design of the bar and restaurant.
As soon as we walked in, it reminded me a little of the Park Hyatt in Paris — the subtle music, the lighting (even though the lights over the bar could use a little cleaning…), the tables off to the side.
Once we sat down at the bar (on the very cool seats that bounce a little when you sit), the bartender immediately brought us water. I ordered a French 75, and my husband ordered a Pisco Sour. Mine was served first, then my husband’s drink. They were both really good.
We asked to see the menu, and since we didn’t eat enough at the event earlier in the night, we decided to order the little snack platter. It was perfect. The taste of everything was so flavorful, but not overpowering. I enjoyed the chilled asparagus soup, the foie gras crème brûlée and the avocado «éclair» with passionfruit.
The linens are from Frette, which are very nice — it’s nice to see some standard of luxury exists in this city. There are some bars that claim to be a luxury bar, yet they don’t even use real linen — just paper napkins. It seems like such a simple thing but it makes a difference.
On a Saturday night, it was really nice to go someplace where there wasn’t either a line to get in, or having to shout to be heard once we were inside.

Sensing is senseless
Anticipating for a dining experience that promised to awakening all five senses, we headed over to this new restaurant in the Fairmont Hotel by the wharf. The ambiance was lacking, aside from the bar area, the rest of the place looks like it belongs in a Marriott somewhere in the suburbs. Promises of an open area overlooking the wharf for al fresco dining makes me throw one star at them.(1^st*)
Then another deserving star for a happening bar on the 3^rd day of their public opening (2^nd*). After our first round of drinks (French 75 highly recommended along with the Monti Carlo and Cucumber Pomegranate Mojitos) I know that star was very well deserved. We sat in the corner table and the Manager was ever-​so-​nice as to approach us with a simple black pashmini to wear because it was a tad nippy by the window, all I thought was wow. What excellent service (2.5*). Here’s where it gets spotty and my 2.5 star started to waver, my first course was the duck foie gras (which taste more like a mousse) but the waiter put my companion’s cauliflower soup in front of me instead. My top notch service detector started beeping.
The food does not live up to the waiter’s praises. I basically ordered everything he recommended but was not satisfied. My roasted duck breast and duck leg laque wrapped in filo dough with a sweet sauce was suppose to be moist and flavorful because they grill it with the skin side down, all I can taste on the duck was a very caramelized bbq sauce. The pasta with sage was clean but the eggplant fries, which I asked for on the side, was the only highlight of my meal. Eggplant fries, who would have thought (3^rd*)! We also started with their starter platter, which is 6 bit size of promises that should stimulate your taste bud but atlas. nay; it features Jerusalem artichoke soup shooter with Ras-​El Hanout, duck foie gras crème brulee, local oyster in granity of shallots and vinegar, king crab in grapefruit jelly, cheese and sage maki sushi roll, and smoked mussel and root beet tartar. Aside from the yummy artichoke soup, there were no senses that was tapped from me, although my companion did complain of the smell from the smoked mussel. The dessert was bland; my chocolate caramel pie was a dismay but the peanut ice cream on the side made my heart flutter a tad.
Both food and services were pretty spotty but again, they’re still new (The manager apologize for a few error and decided to comp all our drinks!). I’m hoping they’ll be in much better shape when I come back, and I’m sure we will for some more drinks and eggplant fries.
So far, only 3 senses were evoked from this dining experience.