[Italy: Senigallia] A Disappointing Meal at 3* Uliassi

Rating: 3/5

Set on a beachfront overlooking the sea in Senigallia is 3* Uliassi - home to Chef Mauro Uliassi and his sister Catia who oversees the front of house. The restaurant opened 35 years ago in 1990, and was awarded its third Michelin star in the 2019 guide for Italy. Rooted in the marriage of the land and sea, the cuisine is unique with the dishes as the chef’s canvas where he plays with flavors and textures. Diners can choose from 3 tasting menus - The Classics with iconic dishes from over the years, The Lab with the latest creations from the kitchen laboratory, and Wild Game.

Initially, Chef Mauro had arranged for us to try The Lab menu even though it was our first time here and we had wanted to try The Classics menu. Just a few dishes into the Lab menu and we requested to change back to the Classics because we found the dishes to be pretty off-balanced flavor-wise. The chef admitted that he liked to play with bitterness and acidity, and we were hoping that the classics would fare better. While it was marginally better than the other menu, I just wasn't a fan of the flavor combinations and it was particularly disappointing that the pasta was a let down - the smoked spaghetti with clams and cherry tomatoes was too salty. It's a real shame as I had high expectations given all the great things I had heard about the restaurant and we had trekked all this way to Senigallia.

Our menu:

Red shrimp, orange peel, ginger, shrimp brain and cinnamon

Hazelnut wafer, rabbit liver and Kir Royal shot

Herring milkshake, anchovy, walnut and hop

Razor clam, peach blossoms, celery, razor clam sauce and Siltimur pepper oil

Escargot, wild herbs and earthy moss

Massi’s pasta with sea urchins, tangerine, juniper and shiso oil

Sole, bergamot and lettuce homage to Piergiorgio Parini

Rimini fest
squid skewer and citronette in liquid nitrogen

Marinara marrowbone codfish tripe and celery seeds

Smoke spaghetti, clams and roasted cherry tomatoes

Wild sea bass, white wine sauce and morel mushrooms

Charcoal lamb, vanilla oil, sweet onion, cherries and hazelnuts

Predessert

Senigallia-Brest
vanilla ice cream, cold cherries and dried olives

Petit four

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