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Grissini is a contemporary Italian grill restaurant located in the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel. Grissini actually means “breadsticks” in Italian, and is a fitting name for an Italian restaurant where it is customary to serve breadsticks as appetisers.
The interior of Grissini felt very welcoming and warm, with a lot of natural lighting pouring in through the floor to ceiling windows. If you’re looking for a relaxing space for lunch, this ticks all the right boxes in terms of ambience.
The breadsticks at Grissini are free-flow and served with a Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce, as well as Mascarpone & Basil Sauce. The Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce in particular, was very delicious and had us snapping up the breadsticks (both literally and figuratively) to mop up every bit of the sauce.
One of the first dishes we started with was the Wild Catch Mediterranean Octopus Tartare ($24). It was very tender and tasted great with the white balsamic dressing and olive oil. The citrus undertones in the tartare also made the experience of eating raw octopus surprisingly refreshing.
We were served pasta before the mains, and I must say that the Handmade Charcoal Ravioli with Alaskan King Crab ($33) was the best tasting dish on the menu. The ravioli was served with a mixture of Datterini tomato sauce and Frascati white wine that was absolutely delicious.
The sauce complemented the Alaskan king crab very well and made the dish a hearty one, with cherry tomatoes adding bursts of freshness between mouthfuls.
The charcoal ravioli itself was cooked perfectly with just enough firmness, and was stuffed with finely textured king crab that I could not get enough of.
Another main that we had was the Australian Angus Sirloin Steak ($40). It was cooked sous vide to retain moisture and enable even cooking within the steak. Unfortunately, the steak was served well-done and had a tough texture that was not very moist at all.
However, the roasted ratte potatoes that accompanied the steak were cooked to perfection, with the potato skins being crispy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside.
The Slow Braised Australian Veal Cheek ($38) was another highlight of our meal. The veal was extremely tender and fine-textured, pulling apart easily with a fork. The mashed potatoes were a good choice as a side dish as the creaminess of the potatoes, combined with the tender veal cheek, made for a very pleasant texture.
One of the dishes I was very much looking forward to trying was the Wild Catch Mediterranean Octopus Tentacle ($38). It comes served with a dash of basil oil and sides of mashed chickpeas, cherry tomatoes and roasted ratte potato.
Though the sides all tasted good, I was let down by the octopus tentacle itself. Even though it was cooked sous vide, the purplish skin of the octopus was slimy and the meat was extremely rubbery and difficult to chew.
Thankfully, the tasting ended on a good note, with the Zuccotto Mudpie ($12). It was not a traditional zuccotto that usually includes cake, nor was it much like a traditional mudpie.
However, I’m not complaining as it tasted delicious. The Zuccotto Mudpie was made of brandy-infused mocha ice cream and coated in Oreo bits before being drizzled with chocolate and caramel sauce. A truly delicious way to end the meal.
Though Grissini had a few good dishes on the menu, I was disappointed with the overcooking of the steak, and the undercooking of the octopus tentacle.
However, this could have just been a one-time issue. If you’re a fan of Italian flavours, it’s worth a try for lunch. I thoroughly enjoyed the crab ravioli and desserts, as they were the highlights of my meal. So make you don’t leave without having a taste for yourself!
Expected Damage: $40 – $150
