Grissini, Food Capital, Tempo Tasting Session 2019

Grissini, Food Capital, Tempo 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, Where To Eat Singapore, and Ms Hannah Chia.
On a subsequent return visit, I paid a discounted price.

Milanese Breaded Sea Bass Fish Fillet

Sparkling Festive Feasting At Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 8
Food & Beverage: 7
Service: 8
Value for Money: 9
Budget about SGD $68++ (Lunch) / $88++ (Dinner) per person.


.....


Having previously visited Grissini, Food Capital, Tempo several times, have returned this time for the launch of their 2019 Christmas menu. This year, the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel scales back from the pomp of prior years, offering an intimate, cozy atmosphere with an emphasis on connecting with friends and family over a good meal.

Decorative Gingerbread House

Decorative Gingerbread House

Decorative Gingerbread House

Ambience at Grissini, Food Capital, Tempo is open-concept, yet cozy and inviting, with modern contemporary decor around the place. Food Capital has the largest floor area, cleverly making use of decor, partitions, and the curvature of the building to section off areas, making it seem more intimate. Ample natural lighting and a high ceiling lend a sense of space, while light wooden furnishings with comfortable cushions are contrasted by vibrant blue backed booths. Over at Grissini, the atmosphere takes on a more sophisticated class, warm lighting with dark wooden furnishings on plush carpets, with heavy curtains against the windows. Tempo bar benefits from being in the center of both restaurants, functioning as a sort of divider. There is also al-fresco outdoor seating, though it's not suitable on warm or wet days.

Display Of Christmas Treats

Service at Grissini, Food Capital, Tempo is good, befitting of a restaurant. Staff are professional, engaging, and efficient. They offer greetings upon entry, and are quick to seat guests. Staff will brief you on the various sections, and helpfully make recommendations if asked. While they're able to broadly describe what is available, their product knowledge does not have depth. I like that staff come around to check on your dining experience, as well as clear away empty / dirty plates quickly, which is important in a buffet.

Table Setting

Food at Grissini, Food Capital, Tempo is International cuisine, and includes American, British, Italian, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, with a range of rotisserie / grilled meats, fresh seafood, salads, main courses, stir-frys, desserts, cold cuts, and more. The highlight here would be the josper grilled meats and seafood. Generally, I would say the dishes here are executed to an above average standard, made with fresh ingredients, and are tasty. As a buffet, portions are naturally unlimited. Prices are comparable to other hotel buffets, and is good value for money because of the quality, budget about SGD $68++ per person for lunch, or SGD $88++ per person for dinner here.

Stunned Penguin

.....


Tempo bar has crafted a celebratory cocktail for the 2019 Christmas menu. The Cocktail Fairy Tale (SGD $18) is a festive blend of gin, elderflower liqueur, cucumber juice, and tonic water, garnished with white sugar crystals and a mint leaf. This has a bright, refreshing feel, with bold vegetal herbal floral sweet boozy flavour.

Cocktail Fairy Tale (SGD $18)

.....


Head Chef of Grissini, Mirko Vinci, has put together an exquisitely crafted set menu inspired by festive Italian classics.

The Bresaola Carpaccio features thin chewy slices of air-cured beef fillet, drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice. Originating in the alpine valley of Valtellina, Lombardy, Italy, this dish is garnished with crisp rocket leaves / arugula, grainy black truffle paste, tender roasted chestnuts, and a light dijon mustard dressing. Has a complex taste profile of sharp vegetal herbal bitter sweet earthy savoury salty sour meaty nutty flavours. Satisfying and appealing.

Bresaola Carpaccio

Bresaola Carpaccio

Bresaola Carpaccio

A filling dish, I found the Sardinian Fregola to be tasty and enticing. Originating from Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy, this dish features a base of small bouncy chewy pasta balls, rolled from durum wheat, semolina, and water, then oven roasted. Served in a thick creamy roasted pumpkin puree, with a center of soft goat cheese, garnished with chunks of tender roasted pumpkin and crisp parsley. This dish is soulful and comforting, with a mellow earthy sweet savoury flavour. Yum.

Sardinian Fregola

Sardinian Fregola

Sardinian Fregola

The Milanese Breaded Sea Bass Fish Fillet looks bright and festive. Originating from Milan, Lombardy, Italy, this dish stars a medium sized fillet of tender moist flaky sea bass fish fillet, breaded with a grainy herb crumb crust that lends a lovely light crunch. Plated over a thick creamy green pea puree, with bouncy green peas, tender whole baby carrots, and crunchy shredded baby carrots, all of which lend good vegetal earthy sweet flavour. Completed with a single juicy vine roasted cherry tomato with light vegetal sweet flavour. The herb crusted sea bass fish takes on a bready sweet savoury herbal flavour, decent enough in taste, but not memorable.

Milanese Breaded Sea Bass Fish Fillet

Milanese Breaded Sea Bass Fish Fillet

Milanese Breaded Sea Bass Fish Fillet

The Panettone Cup bears little resemblance to the classic Italian sweet bread loaf panettone, which originated from Milan, Lombardy, Italy. With a soft yet dense texture, this deconstructed fruit cake is reinterpreted, layered with creamy vanilla custard, wobbly chocolate mousse, and grainy pistachio crumble. Topped with fresh seasonal berries (strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry). It has a deep chocolatey fruity sweet bready floral nutty flavour. This didn't appeal to me personally though.

Panettone Cup

Panettone Cup

Panettone Cup

.....


New Executive Chef Jackie Zhang and his culinary team have prepared a gastronomic feast that will appeal to all. This festive buffet is available throughout December 2019.

Chef described how he managed to achieve a really juicy, succulent turkey - the entire 48-hour process is painstaking. But the result is evident. The Traditional Roast Turkey With Chestnut Stuffing has turkey meat that is beautifully juicy and tender, with a light sweet savoury flavour, while the grainy chestnut stuffing lends a good earthy nutty flavour. The Prawn Paste Roast Turkey has a hint of prawn paste on the skin, this being the only difference. I felt this was tasty even without the sides of cranberry sauce and truffle jus.

Traditional Roast Turkey With Chestnut Stuffing

Traditional Roast Turkey With Chestnut Stuffing

Prawn Paste Roast Turkey

Plate Of Prawn Paste Roast Turkey

Plate Of Prawn Paste Roast Turkey

We loved the Slow Roasted Beef Short Ribs, which is a perfect medium rare, with a tender chewy succulent texture, and a robust meaty savoury flavour. Paired with crunchy roasted asparagus, juicy baked vine tomatoes, crunchy sauteed brussels sprouts, and tender roasted baby potatoes. The vegetal earthy sweet flavours from the vegetables complement the beef short ribs well. Served with a tangy home made barbecue sauce on the side.

Slow Roasted Beef Short Ribs

Slow Roasted Beef Short Ribs

Baked Vine Tomatoes, Sauteed Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Baby Potatoes

Baked Vine Tomatoes, Sauteed Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Baby Potatoes

Baked Vine Tomatoes, Sauteed Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Baby Potatoes

Roasted Asparagus

Plate Of Slow Roasted Beef Short Ribs

Plate Of Slow Roasted Beef Short Ribs

Enjoyed the Honey Baked Gammon Ham, with its tender meaty texture and light sweet savoury salty flavour. The star anise and honey infused gammon ham can be accompanied with either dijon mustard or a caramelised pineapple compote, I preferred the latter for its fruity sweet flavour. The Baked Salmon With Shrimp Duxelle Pastry is a complex culinary creation. The crisp puff pastry is stuffed with a blanket of soft savoy cabbage, moist flaky salmon fish, bouncy prawn / shrimp duxelle, and grainy black truffle morel mushroom cream sauce. This results in a complex earthy vegetal bitter sweet savoury salty flavour.

Honey Baked Gammon Ham

Honey Baked Gammon Ham

Baked Salmon With Shrimp Duxelle Pastry

Baked Salmon With Shrimp Duxelle Pastry

Plate Of Honey Baked Gammon Ham & Baked Salmon With Shrimp Duxelle Pastry

Plate Of Honey Baked Gammon Ham & Baked Salmon With Shrimp Duxelle Pastry

Plate Of Honey Baked Gammon Ham & Baked Salmon With Shrimp Duxelle Pastry

Plate Of Honey Baked Gammon Ham & Baked Salmon With Shrimp Duxelle Pastry

The Traditional Manjari 64% Chocolate Log Cake has a creamy smooth texture, with a robust chocolatey bitter sweet flavour. Pretty good chocolate log cake. The Rum Infused Fruit Cake was supposed to be filled with rum, instead, this moist and soft chewy fruit cake was more fruity sweet in flavour, with not much boozy taste. We enjoyed the Hazelnut Crunch Yule Log Cake With Yuzu Cream, with its creamy soft texture. The light airy yuzu cream lends a bright tangy sour sweet flavour to the chocolate log cake, complementing the mild chocolatey sweet flavour. The smooth hazelnut cream lend a nutty floral flavour, rounding off this delicious dessert cake.

Traditional Manjari 64% Chocolate Log Cake

Rum Infused Fruit Cake

Rum Infused Fruit Cake

Hazelnut Crunch Yule Log Cake With Yuzu Cream

Hazelnut Crunch Yule Log Cake With Yuzu Cream

Loved the cozy Christmas atmosphere at Grissini, Food Capital, Tempo. Their food is fairly consistent and tasty, the service friendly and efficient, and the ambience has that lovely festive feel. Worth a visit!


.....







.....