Grissini Tasting Session 2018
392 Havelock Road
Level 1 Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel
Opening Hours:
Mon - Sat: 12pm - 2:30pm (Lunch), 6:30pm - 11pm (Dinner)
Sunday: 12:30pm - 3:30pm (Brunch), 6:30pm - 11pm (Dinner)
https://www.millenniumhotels.com/en/singapore/grand-copthorne-waterfront/grissini/
This was an invited media review. I did not pay for the meal during the free hosted tasting session.
Attended with representatives from Purple Taste, and Darren Bloggie.
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| Tagliolini, White Onions, Butter And Sage Sauce, Shaved Fresh Black Truffle |
Experience Italian Omakase
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 8
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 9
Value for Money: 9
Budget about SGD $60 / $120++ per person.
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I have good memories from previously dining at Grissini, the in-house restaurant for Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel. Named after the Italian word for 'breadstick', Grissini specialises in traditional Italian dishes. Their new Head Chef, Mirko Vinci, hails from Apulia / Puglia, South Italy, and this young maestro is showcasing his culinary creativity honed over 15 years with a thoughtfully curated, omakase dining experience.
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| Grissini Entrance |
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| Kitchen & High Table |
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| Sophisticated Space |
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| Private Alcove |
Ambience at Grissini is warm, cozy, and inviting, with clean, elegant lines. The atmosphere exudes a sophisticated class, warm lighting with dark wooden furnishings on plush carpets, with heavy curtains against the windows. The actual floor space is rather small, with a maximum seating capacity of 50 people, which lends a sense of privacy and exclusivity. There is a small al-fresco outdoor seating area too.
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| Seating Outdoors |
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| Seating Indoors |
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| Easy Lounge Seating |
Service at Grissini is good, nearly fine dining status. Staff are professional, friendly, and efficient. They offer greetings upon entry, and are quick to seat guests. I note they're able to broadly describe components of dishes and ingredients, but there is little conversation beyond transactional engagement. I like that staff check on your dining experience, and clear away empty / dirty plates quickly. However, I wish they were more proactive in topping up drinks.
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| Table Setting |
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| Introducing Chef Mirko Vinci |
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| Ready For Guests |
Food at Grissini is focused on Italian cuisine, with a range of rotisserie / grilled meats, fresh seafood, salads, pasta, pizzas, and desserts. The highlight remains the josper grilled meats and seafood. Generally, dishes are well executed, made with fresh ingredients, and tasty. Portions are sized for individuals, and prices are comparable to other fine-dining restaurants, being upper mid-range to high. Budget about SGD $60 per person for a regular meal, and $120++ per person for the Italian omakase experience.
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| Josper Grill |
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| Grissini Menu |
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| Wine Cabinet |
The Wine Sasso Dei Lupi L'Intruso Cabernet Sauvignon is a red wine, made with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, by the Sasso Dei Lupi winery in Marsciano comune, Perugia province, in the Umbria region of Italy. It has a deep, dark ruby purple colour, with aromas of cherries, blackberries, oak, and leather. The body is smooth, structured, and subtle, with tastes of plum, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla. Has a fruity sweet spice flavour, with rounded tannins and a medium finish.
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| Wine Sasso Dei Lupi L'Intruso Cabernet Sauvignon |
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| Wine Sasso Dei Lupi L'Intruso Cabernet Sauvignon |
Head Chef Mirko Vinci has put together an off-menu Italian omakase experience, for the discerning diner who is used to their regular menu, or for those looking to delight during a special occasion. Made with fresh seasonal ingredients, there is no fixed price point, nor number of dishes, in this curated experience, it's all dependent on what you want, and what Chef can get from the market. Each dish is served by Chef, who regales you with a brief description of the dish, and why it's close to his heart. Expect homely, comforting, soulful fare.
The eponymous Grissini Breadsticks are served as an appetizer, and remains one of my favourites here. The long, pencil-thin breadsticks are coated in wheat semolina, and have a crisp, crunchy texture, with a light earthy grainy sweet flavour. Served with a dipping sauce of mayonnaise infused with sun-dried Italian tomatoes. Highly recommended!
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| Grissini Breadsticks |
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| Grissini Breadsticks |
The Rye Bread With Olive Oil Candles wins on presentation alone. I felt the soft, spongy Rye Bread, with its light earthy grainy savoury flavour, could have been more crisp. But I like the Olive Oil Candle, which slowly melted to become a dip. Infused with fresh herbs (rosemary and thyme), the dip is incredibly fragrant.
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| Rye Bread With Olive Oil Candles |
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| Rye Bread |
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| Olive Oil Candle |
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| Rye Bread With Olive Oil Candles |
The entree of Panzerotto Pugliese is a traditional South Italy snack. Either deep-fried or baked, this savoury sweet cheesy turnover has a plain flour pizza dough, folded to resemble a calzone, and filled with ripe tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and extra virgin olive oil. Originally created from leftovers to ensure no food goes to waste, its easy-to-make characteristics make this very popular, and today, it's known by many other names, such as 'calzone fritto / fried calzone', 'pizza puff', 'pizza pocket', or 'hot pocket'.
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| Panzerotto Pugliese |
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| Panzerotto Pugliese |
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| Panzerotto Pugliese |
The Grilled Seafood Salad is a beautiful dish, both to the eyes and on the palate. A medley of fresh, sweet savoury seafood, including squid, cod fish, prawns / shrimp, and octopus, have bouncy tender textures with a fragrant smoky aroma. Plated along with tender earthy salty cured black olives, crunchy vegetal sweet asparagus shoots, and a tangy zesty sweet sour lime dressing. Refreshing and satisfiying, this delicious dish left us craving more.
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| Grilled Seafood Salad |
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| Grilled Seafood Salad |
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| Grilled Seafood Salad |
The Eggplant Parmigiana With Mixed Leaves & Pearl Tomatoes Salad was a standout. While the Mixed Leaves & Pearl Tomatoes Salad was decent, the star is the layered Eggplant Parmigiana. Think vegetarian lasagna, with layers of smoky vegetal sweet grilled brinjal / eggplant / aubergine replacing the noodles and beef, in a savoury sweet home made tomato paste. Bold and comforting all at once, a good rustic dish.
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| Eggplant Parmigiana With Mixed Leaves & Pearl Tomatoes Salad |
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| Mixed Leaves & Pearl Tomatoes Salad |
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| Eggplant Parmigiana |
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| Eggplant Parmigiana |
Our favourite dish was the Tagliolini, White Onions, Butter And Sage Sauce, Shaved Fresh Black Truffle. I've never tasted a pasta as unique as this before; with a delicate sweet earthy flavour. The silky al dente tagliolini pasta noodles pick up the rich, creamy butter and sage gravy, and tender sweet caramelised white onions perfectly, while the aromatics of luxurious black truffle shavings complete this beautiful plate. So good we asked Chef to include it on the regular menu. Highly recommended!
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| Tagliolini, White Onions, Butter And Sage Sauce, Shaved Fresh Black Truffle |
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| Tagliolini, White Onions, Butter And Sage Sauce, Shaved Fresh Black Truffle |
The Veal Scaloppine With Char-Grilled Zucchini is a good dish, hampered by a mental expectation of red meat. Instead, this tender, milk-fed veal is pink meat, rather similar to pork in texture, but with a delicate sweet savoury flavour that is distinct and tasty. It's paired with delicious grilled zuccini, smoky and juicy with vegetal sweet flavour. Completed with a tangy zesy sour lemon sauce, and a bright crunchy red bell pepper / capsicum tapenade. A decently substantial portion for a main course.
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| Veal Scaloppine With Char-Grilled Zucchini |
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| Veal Scaloppine With Char-Grilled Zucchini |
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| Veal Scaloppine With Char-Grilled Zucchini |
The Pan-Seared Sea Bass With Parsley And Garlic Crust appealed with its tender, flaky, sweet savoury, fresh fillet of sea bass fish. Generously coated in parsley and garlic, served with earthy salty cured black olives and juicy sweet skinless cherry tomatoes, in a white wine sauce / gravy. We loved the bold, herbal earthy sweet savoury flavours of this dish, however, the portion size is smaller than expected for a main course.
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| Pan-Seared Sea Bass With Parsley And Garlic Crust |
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| Pan-Seared Sea Bass With Parsley And Garlic Crust |
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| Pan-Seared Sea Bass With Parsley And Garlic Crust |
Loved the Chocolate Souffle Lava Cake With Sea Salt And Coffee dessert. The star is the rich but soft and moist chocolate souffle lava cake, a mashup fusion as its name suggests. The deep chocolatey sweet flavours, which are enhanced by sea salt and coffee, are complemented by the crunchy nutty hazelnut crumble, the juicy fruity sweet sour burst of seasonal berries (strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, blueberry), and the creamy scoop of pistachio gelato, with its earthy nutty sweet flavour. A filling, yet excellent, dessert.
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| Chocolate Souffle Lava Cake With Sea Salt And Coffee |
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| Chocolate Souffle Lava Cake With Sea Salt And Coffee |
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| Chocolate Souffle Lava Cake With Sea Salt And Coffee |
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| Chocolate Souffle Lava Cake With Sea Salt And Coffee |
It's tradition to have a shot of Espresso coffee towards the end of an Italian meal.
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| Espresso |
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| Espresso |
Served chilled as an after-dinner digestif, the Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur that is made from lemon zest and lemon peels, steeped in a rectified spirit such as grappa, then mixed with a simple sugar syrup. Has a bold tangy zesty sour sweet bitter flavour that is refreshing, and aids to cleanse the palate.
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| Limoncello |
Overall, the Italian omakase experience at Grissini in Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, is good value for money as a premium offering, and well worth trying for special occasions. Kudos to Chef and team for an excellent meal!
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CONVERSATION