Food, travel & discoveries
Join Rebecca Assice at Grissini Contemporary Italian Restaurant
By Rebecca Assice · Senior Features Writer
Originally filed 4 February 2021. Details in this report reflect the time of writing.
There’s nothing like an epic Italian long lunch (or dinner for that matter) and the team at Grissini have revamped their offering to be easily one of the best in Singapore.
Grissini (located at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront) is a contemporary Italian grill restaurant which specialises in premium meats and seafood prepared in the famous Josper charcoal grill.
With all the speciality ingredients of the season, from winter truffle to white asparagus, specially aged jamon to 40kg wheels of the finest aged cheeses – all served up table side, it’s an epicurean experience not to be missed.
Our journey starts with a wander over to the live jamon station, where the dapper waiter is adeptly slicing the succulent morsels for our charcuterie platter. We stroll past the truffle trolley and soak up the aroma of both the white and black winter truffles (the last remaining in Singapore as the season comes to a close). From there we commence our tasting with a selection of freshly baked focaccia bread, choosing from a trolley of fine olive oils and balsamic vinegars – the chilli oil and rosemary infused oils being amongst my favourites.
Heightening the experience, a grill appears table side where we are mesmerised by our waiter sauteing the white asparagus right before us. The aromas tantalise as delicate shavings of Bottarga mullet are flaked across the tender asparagus stems adding just a touch of the saltiness of the sea to their delicate taste.
This could only be enhanced by one of the most exclusive delicacies – the refined flavour of caviar or “black gold” as it is often known.
Onto my favourite experience in this extraordinary lunch, the mushroom and truffle risotto. Always a popular hit, this dish is taken to the next level when a side table arrives laden with a 20kg wheel of aged parmesan cheese. Our waiter finishes cooking the dish inside the wheel of cheese – which once plated is then laden with the earthy tones of the black winter truffle contrasting with the fruity and nutty flavours of the parmesan. A true gastronomic delight, it was easy to return for seconds here.
A new platter arrives – laden with a selection of gloriously grilled meats thanks to the innovative Josper grill. The famous Josper charcoal grill is a widely renowned apparatus from Spain that combines a grill and oven and allows chefs to smoke with apple wood in a closed barbecue. We are treated to succulent ribeye, tender lamb, juicy octopus and sublime barramundi – all cooked to perfection and brimming with that sought after grilled flavour.
Our final main is the black squid ink pasta with tender prawns, juicy cherry tomatoes, white wine, garlic and parsley. A classic yet perfectly executed dish.
Dessert lives up to the main dining experience with the return of the table side cooking. Flames stoke high into the air as the apples are flambeed for our delectable tart. The chef recommended freshly made signature tiramisu is given the tick of approval by the French husband – it’s his favourite and he was more than impressed
Grissini has been a long time resident of the Robertson Quay locale but it is fair to say this is not the restaurant many would have experienced in the past. With a revamped menu, a stellar professional team and abundant use of the best ingredients of the season combined with the entertainment of table-side show cooking stations – this is one Italian dining experience which elevates itself above the others.
INFORMATION
a. 392 Havelock Rd, Singapore 169663 Grand Copthorne Waterfront Lobby
t. +65 8168 1539 WhatsApp
