UR Hungry: Selba

I have heard a lot of good things about Selba, and it was on the top of my list for this season's Restaurant Week.

I made reservations for my friend and me online for 6 p.m. on a Monday. We were running late (per usual) so I called to let them know we were running about 10 minutes behind schedule and they said it would be no problem. Restaurant Week is a big time to go out to eat and I was afraid they would be completely booked and we would lose our reservation, but they didn't seem to have an issue. We figured out why they were so laid back as soon as we walked in: The place looked empty. They had beautiful decor inside with a grand piano, but there was not a single person to be found. Then they led us to the back of the restaurant where there was a gorgeous seating area covered in glass with exotic greenery all around the edges. There were plenty of people sitting here and the atmosphere felt very relaxed and tropical. Who knew there was a setting like this in Richmond, Virginia?!

Our waitress came over to introduce herself and acted as our friend rather than our server. She was also very knowledgeable about all of their menus. We ordered a bottle of red wine and she informed us that the grapes used to make the wine came from seven different vineyards. She also helped us choose each of our courses and gave vivid descriptions, including where the ingredients came from.

For our appetizers, we both ordered the mushroom tart: a thin layer of pastry on the bottom with a huge tower of oyster, shiitake and white mushrooms, a sherry caramel sauce and house-made fruit chutney on the side. The dish was light and flavorful, and we were both enamored. Then we split two main dishes: pan-seared organic chicken breast and the five- spice pork tenderloin. The chicken was served with caramelized squash risotto, broccolini and shiitake pan jus. This was our favorite of the two, as it had a great balance of sweet and savory and the chicken was very tender and juicy. The pork was served with a grit cake, baby bok choy, cashews, carrots and a ginger soy drizzle; the meat was not as tender as the chicken, but the flavors were phenomenal. The grit cake was a unique idea and the bok choy was cooked just right.

We ordered both of the desserts: flourless chocolate torte and creme brulee. The torte was served over a vanilla creme Anglaise with chocolate ganache sauce and was topped with a scoop of house-spun vanilla bean ice cream. The torte itself was not sweet, but the sauces and ice cream added a saccharine taste. I thought it was delicious, but my friend was indifferent. I would call it an "adult-friendly" dessert. The creme brulee was infused with citrus essence and was a refreshing end to our fantastic meal.

By the time we were on our way out, the whole place was packed; even their party rooms with long tables were full.

Overall, we had a great experience and left without feeling too full. The ambiance was beautiful and unique, the service was friendly and accommodating and the food was simply delicious. I would definitely recommend going there and bringing a friend or two.

Ratings:

Innovativeness: 3 1/2 stars

Quality: 5 stars

Atmosphere: 5 stars

Uniqueness: 4 stars

Shout out!

D-Hall: Pesto crusted chicken and sweet potato fries. We love them both and would definitely like to see them more often!

Tyler's: Your biscuits are awesome and we would order them at every meal. Can we make that happen?

Cellar: The salmon BLT was great! The salmon was a bit overcooked but that is easy to fix.

D-Hall tip:

Don't feel tied down to whatever bread they have near the toaster; they always have some sort of freshly made bread on the opposite side of the dessert bar that you can use to make sandwiches or add as a supplement to your meal.

Contact reporter Sarah Stewart at sarah.stewart@richmond.edu