Scena is one of the many restaurants that have firmly established the "Old City" of Casco Viejo as a destination for fine dining in Panamá City. It is a risky venture as transforming those marevelous old buildings into an acceptable dining establishment can be prohibitively expensive. Many people find the area difficult to navigate, especially at night, and parking is, as it is everywhere in the capital, difficult. However, the trip is worth it....and Scena is one of the reasons why.
We started with a petite glass of cold gaspacho, courtesy of the house, then an appetizer of Grilled Octopus that featured pieces of meat grilled to almost crispy, a technique that rendered the meat tender and succulent. Next was a Carpaccio of Grouper with thin slices of that fish marinated in citrus and thyme. While good, the thyme almost overwhelmed the delicate flavor of the fish. Push the herb aside and the flavor is greatly enhanced. Grilled Asparagus with ground almonds, olive oil and paprika was an excellent dish....perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned, perfectly delicious. As was the Sliced Ahí Tuna With Fresh Pineapple. Served rare, the flavor of this fish is often overwhelmed by inept preparation, but in this case, the flesh was touched lightly by the flames then quickly served. Highly recommended.
After sipping wine and enjoying the appetizers, our main courses arrived. Corvina a la Sal ($14.00) was described as a large filet of corvina baked in a crust of sea salt. The filet was large and it was crusted in sea salt, but the result was mildly flavored, a dish that could have used perhaps a hint of herbs to raise the taste barrier just a bit as the salt crust truly contributed nothing to the overall flavor.
Stuffed Chicken Breast with Bacon & Cheese ($9.00) was a delight; moist and flavorful white meat brimming with a mild cheese and accented with smoky bacon. It was cooked to perfection and was an instant success with my fellow diners.
The moment I spotted Steak Tartar ($18.00) on the menu, I know that was going to be my choice. Rarely found on menus any longer, this is one dish that is most definitely an acquired taste, but one that you crave after you've once tried it. Scena offers a large mound of ground raw steak blended perfectly with egg, capers, a hint of mustard, chopped pickles and a dash or two of tabasco. Served with toasted triangles of bread, this dish was my personal highlight of the evening. I personally prefer the traditional method of coarsely chopping the meat for this dish instead of utilizing a grinder as was apparently done in this case. The resulting flavor isn't affected all that much, but the texture is vastly different and texture is an important aspect of any meal.
The only real misstep of the evening was the Canelones Rellenos ($10), four medium-sized pasta shells, stuffed with beef and pork, roasted in foie pate and olive oil, and topped with an excellent sauce. The problem was the grainy texture of the filling and the somewhat off-putting flavor of the combined meats. Four canelones were served and three were left uneaten.
For dessert, we sampled the Pineapple Carpaccio ($5.50), thin slices of pineapple in custard topped with carmelized sugar ala créme brulé, Banana Cream Pie ($4.50), Chocolate Mousse Pie ($4.50) and Apple Tart A La Mode ($4.50). The pies and the tart were definitely the stars of the dessert menu, especially the Banana Cream Pie. The Pineapple Carpaccio was rich, but the over-caramelized sugar topping lent a burnt taste that offset the creamy custard and the thin slices of sweet pineapple.
Scena has become very popular and although our party of four had a culinary hit and miss evening, the overall impression was enjoyable.
San Felipe, Casco Viejo / 221-0157
