CENO

As you may have known from my shoutout here, it was Ben's birthday a few weeks ago and I treated him to dinner at Ceno. I got a dealfind deal ahead and have been planing to use it for this special day.

a bottle of RED + bread sticks (love the height)

The bread was not that great but the green olives tapenade was heavenly

Equine Tartare

~ drizzled w/ white truffle oil & top w/ a fresh quail egg

I love how this horse tartare is loosely packed but the sauce was a bit too thick and strong that I can't taste the actual meat taste. But I have to say, my fave horse meat is still the Horse meat sandwich from Black Hoof with the spicy chili sauce =P

Mediterranean Snails

~ pan seared fresh snail in a white wine, fresh tomato and oregano sauce

This doesn't look all that good but it was super delish. The snails was rather huge (at least as big as snails get I guess), soft and tender.... the pop of juices and flavor from the Cherry tomatoes and the sauce was so good that we can't resist using the bread to clean up the plate

Lobster Potato Gnocchi 

~ w/ half lobster and finish with a crustacean sauce

according to every online reviews, this is their "star" dish and everyone raved about it.... so of course we have to try this. It's an empty lobster shell, what a disappointment but there was very bit chucks of lobster meat in the pasta. This was the best dish of the night and for $35 it better be. The sauce tasted like super concentrated lobster bisque and the gnocchi itself was just the right texture, not too soft and not too hard (most places have theirs way too soft/mushy).

Rustic Garganelli

~ w/ smoked duck and asparagus in a light cherry tomato sauce

Just as the snail appetizers, love the use of Cherry Tomato with the pop of juice when you bite into it. 

The sauce and al dente pasta was very good but the smoked duck was really not that special, it sort of tasted like the $10 smoke duck leg from the supermarket which I may attempt to make at home one day =P

side of sauteed Rapini for me  ~ wasn't the best, a bit too old / tough

Fisherman's Stew

~ a saffron-fennel tomato broth w/ halibut, clams, mussels, shrimps and calamari

Ben wanted to have this as well but by the time this arrive we were both having some sort of tomato overdose (>_<) The fennel which took over more than half of the dish was a bit tough/old to eat and it's flavor way overpowering and I haven't been able to taste the saffron at all.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

This was their most popular dessert and I've read good reviews but it was very average, no chocolate pouring out whatsoever when cut into.... really nothing compare to the one we had here.

This is a horrible picture, but just have to show you the center which look like a solid ganache (>___<)

Verdict :

Hit and miss, so I don't see myself coming back anytime soon

The snail and lobster gnocchi is a must try.

Service was great at the beginning but at the end we couldn't find anyone to get our bills