Grissini’s Refreshed Dining Experience at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel

Located at the ground level of the new revamped Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel is Grissini. Previously known as Pontini, it was a place that I have visited a few times years ago. The food has definitely improved thanks to the dedicated culinary team lead by head chef Mirko Vinci.

Chef Mirko Vinci hails from the Puglia region in Southern Italy, which is popular for its rich cultural history, beautiful beaches, and fresh produce. The humble chef has over 15 years of culinary experience and has honed his skills in renowned restaurants working alongside Michelin-starred chefs in Milan, London, and Singapore.

We tried the refreshed menu and here are our thoughts.

We started dinner with the innovative Edible Handmade Butter Candle, a new addition to the dining experience at Grissini. The handmade candle is actually butter infused with thyme, coated with mixed herbs and served with dark rye bread.

Grissini’s Refreshed Dining Experience at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel

As you watch the candle melt, that is when you can start dipping your bread into the warmed butter. Visually it was pleasing however once the butter cools you will no longer be able to dip your bread. I also felt that the flavor of the herbs could be stronger. The breadsticks with Sundried Tomato Mayonnaise, on the other hand, were quite addictive.

Entree

We start with the Panzerotte pugliese which looks like a local curry puff is packed with cheezy goodness.

Cold Starter

Grilled Mediterranean seafood salad, with the all-time favorite josper-grilled Mediterranean octopus tentacle had a good char-grilled smoky flavor and tender. The rustic elements of the dish are balanced with organic carrot mousseline, ratte potatoes, heirloom tomatoes, and Kalamata olives.

Warm Starter

The eggplant Parmigiana with pearl tomatoes and white balsamic was quite a surprise with the interesting presentation in a little pan. The eggplant was packed full of flavor and the rich tomato sauce made you crave for another bite.

Pasta

The star dish of the night was the Tagliolini with white onions, Shaved back truffle, Butter and sage sauce. The soft pasta had a sweet mellow flavor from the onions and the truffle provided a very settle background layer of umami while the richness from the butter encapsulated the dish.

Mains

The Pan-search seabass with parsley and garlic crust, cherry tomatoes, olives, and white wine sauce was cooked to perfection. The fish was fresh, moist and well seasoned without overpowering the fish. We would recommend selecting this main.

If no one told me, I would not have known that I was eating Veal Scaloppine. Another dish that was cooked to perfection, the texture was soft and tender with still a bit of bite. However, the strange thing about the dish was that with roasted vegetables was more flavourful than the meat. A dish that has yet to reach its full potential in the flavor department.

Desserts

Chocolate lava cake with sea salt and coffee, hazelnut crumble, berries, vanilla ice cream was a fantastic end with the rich smooth and molten coffee center. The salt really evaluated the Molton coffee, and the hazelnut crumbles provided the crunchy textures to the dish.

Overall Grissini delivers great Italian flavors to your plate, each dish is cooked with dedication and great respect to the fresh ingredients. There were some hits and misses but these dishes are still in the experimental stages and I truly believe that they will blossom under the capable hands of Chef Mirko Vinci. Did I mention that you can say the magic words of “omakase”(ok he is not Japanese but you can say the English version) and allow Chef Mirko to surprise you with spontaneous off the menu creations?