Grissini Tasting Session 2019
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, Darren Bloggie, and Hazel Diary.
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| Black Ink Tonnarelli (SGD $38) |
The Italian Summer Experience
(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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We returned to Grissini, the in-house restaurant for Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, to sample the new Italian summer dishes. Ambience remains warm, cozy, and inviting, exuding a sophisticated class. Service remains professional, friendly, and efficient, with staff carrying out duties effectively, and the bartender introducing drinks. Food remains traditional Italian, with Head Chef Mirko Vinci serving up delicious plates. Well-portioned with comparable restaurant prices, budget about SGD $60 per person for a regular meal, and $120++ per person for the Italian omakase experience.
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| Tasting Menu 2019 |
The Cocktail Apple Twist (SGD $18) features a blend of Hendrick's gin, apple juice, home made cucumber syrup, and thyme, garnished with strips of cucumber. Love the delicate vegetal fruity sweet boozy flavour. Fairly refreshing and a good thirst quencher, really easy to drink.
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| Cocktail Apple Twist (SGD $18) |
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| Cocktail Apple Twist |
The Sour Cream Panna Cotta, Oscietra Caviar, Chives (SGD $120++ Omakase Set) is served in a spoon, and is meant to be eaten in a single bite. You'll get the dense creamy texture of the sour cream with its mellow earthy sour flavour, followed by the bright vegetal herbal salty flavour of the rough grainy salsa verde sauce (made with parsley, anchovies, capers). There's a light, crisp crunch from the vegetal bitter sweet garnish of parsley and chives, alongside the rich briny salty nutty taste from the luxurious juicy gloubles of oscietra caviar. Farmed from the ossetra sturgeon fish, this is among the most expensive varieties of caviar. Gone too soon. Good!
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| Sour Cream Panna Cotta, Oscietra Caviar, Chives (SGD $120++ Omakase Set) |
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| Sour Cream Panna Cotta, Oscietra Caviar, Chives |
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| Sour Cream Panna Cotta, Oscietra Caviar, Chives |
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| Sour Cream Panna Cotta, Oscietra Caviar, Chives |
Positioned as an appetizer salad, my only complaint about the Tuna Tartare (SGD $24) is that the portion size is too large for an individual. This was a well-executed, delicious dish. It features a base of creamy smooth mashed avocado, with a mild vegetal earthy flavour, topped with chunks of juicy bouncy raw tuna fish marinated in light soy sauce, giving it a bold savoury salty flavour. Garnished with crisp crunchy bread croutons with good bready salty sweet flavour, this dish is dressed with crunchy curly endive / frisée, juicy sun-dried cherry tomatoes, and olive oil. Pretty on the plate, and tasty enough to make you keep eating. Good!
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| Tuna Tartare (SGD $24) |
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| Tuna Tartare |
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| Tuna Tartare |
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| Tuna Tartare |
As named, the Black Ink Tonnarelli (SGD $38) features a base of soft chewy squid ink tonnarelli / spaghetti alla chitarra egg pasta noodles, in a bright tomato and lemon zest gravy. Bold tangy sweet sour earthy flavours here. Garnished with juicy cherry tomatoes and bouncy deshelled fresh prawns, which pick up the flavours of the gravy well. The plate is topped with a whole, shell-on wild Mediterranean langoustine, which looks so beautiful, and has a delicate sweet briny salty flavour. Worth ordering!
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| Black Ink Tonnarelli (SGD $38) |
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| Black Ink Tonnarelli |
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| Black Ink Tonnarelli |
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| Black Ink Tonnarelli |
The Sea Bream Fillet (SGD $38) was served in a huge portion too. Prepared in Sicilian style, which is noted for its bold earthy sour sweet savoury flavours, and is an uncommon combination of flavours for some. The large sea bream fish fillet is fresh, with a tender moist flaky texture. Beside is a juicy crunchy caponata of beetroot, cherry tomato, zucchini, eggplant / brinjal / aubergine, and yellow squash, with a sauce of cream, parsley, lemon juice, and white wine. There was a single, firm roasted baby potato, which felt out-of-sorts with the rest of the plate. Worth ordering!
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| Sea Bream Fillet (SGD $38) |
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| Sea Bream Fillet |
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| Sea Bream Fillet |
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| Sea Bream Fillet |
Named after a bonet hat, because it was the last thing you would wear after a meal, the Chocolate Bonet (SGD $120++ Omakase Set) is a typical North Italian dessert pudding. Served chilled, it's made with whole milk, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, and an optional splash of rum. The version here has a wobbly soft texture, with a rich chocolate ganache in the middle. Garnished with crunchy amaretti biscuit crumble, juicy strawberries, edible flowers, and a whole crunchy amaretti biscuit with a light nutty almond flavour. Good!
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| Chocolate Bonet (SGD $120++ Omakase Set) |
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| Chocolate Bonet |
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| Chocolate Bonet |
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| Chocolate Bonet |
Chef surprised us with this Chocolate Salami (SGD $120++ Omakase Set). Named for its visual resemblance to salami, this chilled dessert features crushed rusk digestive biscuits and toasted hazelnuts set in a disk of chocolate, milk, butter, and icing sugar. It has a firm, dense, chewy texture, and lovely chocolatey grainy sweet flavour. Unique dessert. Worth ordering!
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| Chocolate Salami (SGD $120++ Omakase Set) |
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| Chocolate Salami |
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| Chocolate Salami |
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| Chocolate Salami |
Having visited Grissini several times, we're always impressed with the experience. The summer dishes this round evoke a longing for sunny days by the coast, and long walks through a cool vineyard. As good as ever!
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CONVERSATION