Grissini Tasting Session 2020 - Alfresco Dining By The Waterfront
392 Havelock Road
Level 1 Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel
Opening Hours:
Mon - Fri: 4pm - 10pm
Sat - Sun: 2pm - 10pm
https://www.millenniumhotels.com/en/singapore/grand-copthorne-waterfront/dining/
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, msginginly, and Darren Bloggie.
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| Signature Tiramisu (SGD $16) |
The Alfresco Experience
(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 $40++ per person.
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The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has wrecked havoc on businesses worldwide. Here in Singapore, many hotels are gradually opening in phases with the lifting of circuit breaker measures. The Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel has now resumed outdoor dining since August 2020, with the launch of Alfresco Dining By The Waterfront. The rest of the hotel's operations are slated to gradually resume moving forward, but for now, diners can enjoy a quiet and affordable dinner by the waterfront. Meals are prepared from the Grissini josper grill kitchen, with beverages from the Tempo Bar.
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| Alfresco Dining By The Waterfront Promotions |
Ambience at Alfresco Dining By The Waterfront leverages the beautiful and tranquil waterfront right outside Grissini at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel. Seats are spaced far apart for safe distancing, with the simple wooden and metal furniture being decently comfortable for lingering meals. It's great on cool nights; watching the skies at dusk, while decorative fairy lights amongst the trees glow softly. Bright spotlights scattered around lend illumination. Wet weather back up plans are in place, with diners being shifted indoors if it rains.
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| Grissini Josper Grill Kitchen |
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| Tempo Portable Bar Cart |
Service at Alfresco Dining By The Waterfront is more casual than Grissini, but manages to be more personalised with fewer diners. Staff demonstrate decent product knowledge, and the pared-down menu has clear explanations. There's a short wait as orders are prepared fresh, though it's well worth it - quality remains as good as before. Staff regularly come by to check if diners have further requests or need to top up water, and I note they sometimes proactively offer to clear finished plates throughout the meal.
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| Alfresco Dining Seating |
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| Alfresco Dining Seating |
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| Alfresco Dining Seating |
Food at Alfresco Dining By The Waterfront is Modern European Asian fusion cuisine, prepared in the outdoor Grissini josper grill kitchen. Specialties include the rotisserie and grilled meats, the hand made pasta and pizza, and the yummy finger food paired with their range of cocktails or the house M Wine. Dishes are generally tasty and well executed most of the time. Portions are sized for sharing between 2 - 4 people, and prices are slightly more affordable than before. Budget about SGD $40++ per person for a meal with drinks here.
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| Table Setting |
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| Platters Of Food |
At Alfresco Dining By The Waterfront, there are daily promotions that offer great value for money. From SGD $1 snow crab legs to fresh Canadian lobsters at SGD $9.90, house pour beer and wine at SGD $5 to Ladies Night 1-hour free flow drinks at SGD $1, there's something good to look forward to every day.
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| Us |
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| Us |
The classic Cocktail Old Fashioned (SGD $20) features a blend of water, sugar, Angostura bitters, whisky, and orange zest, served over ice. It has a bold boozy bitter sweet zesty citrus flavour, with a good kick.
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| Cocktail Old Fashioned (SGD $20) |
The house special Grilled Pork Satay (SGD $12 for 6 skewers) features chunks of fatty pork belly, marinated in a flavourful mix of spices, grilled till it takes on a smoky aroma. With a juicy meaty chew and bold smoky savoury salty spice flavour, this was delightful, especially when paired with the thick satay gravy with its nutty sweet savoury notes. Served with chunks of juicy cucumber with vegetal sweet flavour, tender chunky ketupat / rice cakes with starchy sweet flavour, and crisp red onions carrying sharp herbal spice flavour. Highly recommended!
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| Grilled Pork Satay (SGD $12 for 6 skewers) |
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| Grilled Pork Satay |
Loved the Deep-Fried Sesame Chicken Wings (SGD $12), which featured piping hot chicken wings whose crisp skin is coated in a tasty 5-spice, prawn paste, and sesame seed seasoning. Bite into the juicy tender chicken meat, and you're rewarded with a robust hit of the savoury spice salty nutty flavour. Served with a sweet spicy sour Thai chili tamarind dipping sauce. Among the best dishes we had here. Highly recommended!
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| Deep-Fried Sesame Chicken Wings (SGD $12) |
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| Deep-Fried Sesame Chicken Wings |
The Carne Meat Luncheon Fries (SGD $12) features thick cut strips of pork luncheon meat / spam, with a light crisp batter and a tender moist bite to texture. Boldly meaty savoury salty in taste, this paired well with the creamy zesty tangy sour sweet yuzu mayonnaise on the side. Good choice for a bar snack. Good!
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| Carne Meat Luncheon Fries (SGD $12) |
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| Carne Meat Luncheon Fries |
The Calamari With Yuzu Mayo (SGD $12) has to be eaten quickly when served, lest the crisp light batter goes limp. The bouncy moist calamari squid rings have delicate sweet savoury flavour while the batter has a light salty spice note. Good!
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| Calamari With Yuzu Mayo (SGD $12) |
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| Calamari With Yuzu Mayo |
The Josper Grill Combo Delight Set B (SGD $68) is the grilled seafood platter. The star is the bouncy Grilled Mediterranean Octopus Tentacles with clean-tasting, savoury sweet smoky flavour. The Grilled Norwegian Salmon Fish is tender flaky moist in texture, with a crisp skin and beautiful sweet salty savoury flavour. The Grilled Jumbo Tiger Prawn were fresh and crunchy juicy, with delicate savoury sweet smoky flavour. Served with thick creamy smooth Mashed Potato with starchy sweet savoury flavour, tender Baby Carrots and crunchy Asparagus with vegetal sweet flavour, and juicy Buttered Corn On The Cob with grainy sweet flavour. Yum. Highly recommended!
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| Josper Grill Combo Delight Set B (SGD $68) |
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| Mashed Potato |
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| Baby Carrots & Asparagus |
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| Buttered Corn On The Cob |
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| Grilled Norwegian Salmon Fish |
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| Grilled Jumbo Tiger Prawn |
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| Grilled Mediterranean Octopus Tentacles |
The Josper Grill Combo Delight Set A (SGD $68) is the rotisserie meat platter. The star is the Duck Leg Confit, with crisp skin and tender duck meat that pulls away easily from the bone, with deep savoury salty meaty fatty flavour. Unfortunately, the Angus Beef Striploin was dry during our visit, being well-done. The Baby Spring Chicken was tasty, with its tender juicy chicken meat that holds natural sweet savoury smoky flavour, and light peppery spice salty flavour to the skin. Served with thick creamy smooth Mashed Potato with starchy sweet savoury flavour, tender Baby Carrots and crunchy Asparagus with vegetal sweet flavour, and juicy Cherry Tomatoes with earthy smoky sweet flavour. Worth ordering!
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| Josper Grill Combo Delight Set A (SGD $68) |
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| Duck Leg Confit |
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| Angus Beef Striploin & Cherry Tomatoes |
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| Baby Spring Chicken |
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| Smoked Arabiki Chicken Sausages |
The Home Made Spinach Fettuccine Aglio Olio With Ocean Prawns (SGD $18) looks Modern European, but tastes Modern Asian. This is largely due to the strong garlicky seafood gravy, and the tender soft spinach fettuccine paste noodles pick it up beautifully... but it's not aglio olio to be precise. The bouncy juicy deshelled ocean shrimp are meaty with good natural sweet savoury flavour, and complement this dish well. Garnished with chili, chard, baby spinach, and parsley, this was delicious, and will appeal to most Singaporeans (though I'd prefer it a little more spicy, and with less gravy). Highly recommended!
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| Home Made Spinach Fettuccine Aglio Olio With Ocean Prawns (SGD $18) |
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| Home Made Spinach Fettuccine Aglio Olio With Ocean Prawns |
The Kapiti Coast Assorted Cheese & Cold Cuts Board (SGD $28) features an assortment of cheese and cold cuts, all imported from New Zealand Kapiti Coast. This showcase of local cheese features firm smooth cheddar cheese infused with port wine having sharp cheesy salty flavour, delicate crumbly Kikorangi blue cheese with mild pungent smoky earthy cheesy flavour, and creamy soft Aorangi brie cheese with delicate milky sweet cheesy flavour. For cold cuts, there's juicy rock melon with fruity sweet notes topped with chewy pork salami with spicy savoury salty flavour; and wispy thin prosciutto di parma / parma ham with salty meaty savoury flavour over crisp toasted ciabatta bread with smoky bready sweet notes.
To accompany this platter, there's soft quince paste with fruity sour sweet tart flavour, crunchy oaten wheat biscuits with grainy sweet flavour, juicy mixed black olives and green olives with earthy sour flavour, crunchy pickled gherkins with tangy sour sweet vegetal flavour, juicy red grapes with fruity sweet flavour, and chunky beetroot relish with mild vegetal earthy sweet notes. Good!
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| Kapiti Coast Assorted Cheese & Cold Cuts Board (SGD $28) |
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| Kapiti Coast Assorted Cheese & Cold Cuts Board |
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| Kapiti Coast Assorted Cheese & Cold Cuts Board |
The special Grilled Canadian Lobster (SGD $9.90, Every Monday Only) is served with a single juicy cherry tomato with vegetal sweet flavour. The fresh Canadian lobster is naturally salty sweet in taste, and grilling enhances the pronounced flavours. Succulent and juicy tender in texture, so good.
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| Grilled Canadian Lobster (SGD $9.90, Every Monday Only) |
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| Grilled Canadian Lobster |
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| Grilled Canadian Lobster |
The Snow Crab Leg (SGD $1, Every Wednesday Only) is clean-tasting and fresh, with flaky chunks of snow crab leg meat that you have to dig into. Has a delicate sweet briny salty flavour, yummy.
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| Snow Crab Leg (SGD $1, Every Wednesday Only) |
While the Signature Tiramisu (SGD $16) has a dense creamy smooth texture, the center of the dessert holds robust milky sweet coffee flavour. The crunch of the chocolate cookie crumble lends a nice contrast of texture. Presented beautifully, like a terrarium.
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| Signature Tiramisu (SGD $16) |
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| Signature Tiramisu |
The Baked Alaska With Chocolate Ice Cream (SGD $16) was our favourite dessert, though the portion size is large. The smooth chocolate ice cream holds deep chocolatey sweet flavour, and the coat of soft sponge cake and light whipped cream prevents it from melting easily. Served with rich passion fruit compote on the side, this is doused with rum tableside, and set on fire, lending a smoky caramelised sweet boozy note to the dessert. Good!
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| Baked Alaska With Chocolate Ice Cream (SGD $16) |
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| Baked Alaska With Chocolate Ice Cream |
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| Baked Alaska With Chocolate Ice Cream |
Having visited Grissini several times, we're always impressed with the experience. The new Alfresco Dining By The Waterfront experience is great, especially since this side of the waterfront tends to be quieter and less crowded, making it perfect for chilling at night.
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CONVERSATION