(Shanghai daily)
Updated: 2006-11-20 09:30

Even though the trend appears to have passed, there still exists a certain charm when dining in revolving restaurants.

Often the meal is an experience in itself, and the quality of food sometimes takes a back seat to the novelty. Not to say that this is always the case, of course, for some establishments have been known to marry the view on show with superb fare.

The Sofitel Jin Jiang Oriental Pudong Shanghai has one such venue at the top of their tower. X Sensation, a name that suggests a more modern approach than what is delivered, is a typical French fine-dining restaurant at heart. It just wants to be thought of as more.

The property is located near the expo center in Pudong, and as such is not bustling with walk-in traffic. This is a plus for romantic evenings devoid as it is of any noisy distractions. The hotel, like many others of this standard, has a floral arranger in its employ, and the space is nicely decorated with his work.

The location also makes for an outstanding view, without any nearby buildings getting in the way. While the interior is elegantly designed, it did feel a wee bit dated. Coupled with the somber, formal atmosphere and the not so trendy concept, it is understandable that X Sensation is not on everyone's lips when thinking of dining destinations.

Which is a shame, as the food is actually not bad. Not fantastic by any stretch of the imagination, but clearly worthy of the accolades awarded by the local media. Flamboyant young chef de cuisine Benjamin Vaschetti has plied his trade in Paris and London previously, and seems to have taken a fancy to bombastic presentation over the course of his travels.

The first dish, shrimp mille-feuille with mango salsa and balsamic eggplant caviar, 168 yuan (US$21.35), started the meal nicely, without going over the top with the salsa.

The second course was highly amusing. A hot pot was placed over a bowl of dry-ice, sending carbon dioxide billowing into the air. After all that pomp, however, the waiter scooped out just two sea scallop dumplings into the lobster consomme in a separate bowl. They were delicious, but failed to create an impression that matched its presentation.

The meat dish was a lamb shank served tajine-style (258 yuan). This is a style of cooking native to Morocco, and involved the lamb being stewed in a distinctive, traditional pot for eight hours. The mix of dried fruit and almond milk made for a very sweet dish. Inspired by a former housemate of French chef Vaschetti, the dish was highly pleasurable and something out of the ordinary without the need for theatrics.

Dessert, on the other hand, was an exercise in pretentiousness. The chilled fruits and cocoa ravioli were tasty by themselves, but the chef could not resist the urge to leave a large caramel wafer for decoration. When it was pointed out that the caramel was not entirely appetizing, Vaschetti was clearly more concerned with the aesthetics of it rather than the taste.

The 26 year-old is a better than average chef and his youthful vigor shines through. X Sensation has the potential to achieve what they are setting out to do with him at the helm. In the meantime, however, the restaurant is a hard sell as it is hard to convince people to pay such high prices for potential alone.

X Sensation
Address: 47/F, 889 Yanggao Road S.
Tel: 021-5050-4888