Grissini 意大利餐廳

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Item: Grissini 意大利餐廳
Rating: 4
Author: eatwai

189 Reviews

Taste

Decor

Service

Hygiene

Value

32599

Wan Chai

Above $801

Italian Fine Dining Hotel Restaurant

136

eatwai

Level4

188

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[ Grissini | 灣仔 ]

This restaurant has been in Hong Kong for a really long time and many chefs have came and left, each imprinting onto the restaurant and added new style and flavors.

The most recent chef to take on this role is chef Valerio Mandile, born and raised in Naples. He has been here since July 2021 and made quite a few changes to the menu. He uses regional ingredients from southern Italy from Campania to Amalfi to showcase the freshness and variety of produce Italy has to offer, and show that it’s not only pasta and pizza.

We decided to opt for their dinner set which is quite a steal as 5 courses is $880 and some individual dishes are already $200+

Our original booking was supposed to be at 6 but then on that day they messaged me and said it had to be delayed till 7 due to a private lunch meeting that got delayed too. However, when I arrived at 7, they said I couldn’t be seated till 7:30 which definitely made me quite upset. But I tried not to let this ruin my mood and I could tell the staff were very apoplectic as they kept offering me stuff and the general manager even came out to apologise many times.

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Grissini 🥖

Of course I had to start with their signature breadsticks. Each Grissini is baked fresh by Sessi, the chef you would be greeted at the entrance that has been making this foot-long delicacy for more than 20 years!

They serve it in threes and you might find yourself devoting all three by yourself because it’s so irresistible!! The exterior is crispy and oh so warm, the aroma is just divine with the warm and comforting smell of yeast and bread. When you break the bread, steam comes storming out and punches you in the face with more fragrance and warmth. The interior is fluffy and soft, the plump ends of each Grissini is even more fluffy with a beautiful crumb and chewy texture whereas the midsection is on the crisp side due to its thinness. I really like the two contrasting textures on the same breadstick.

They serve this with extra virgin olive oil, cold pressed and straight from Italy and a house made balsamic vinegar.

The EVOO is fruity and velvety. I can eat it plain with the bread to be honest. So luscious and perfectly moisturizes the bread. Also, they sell their oil at $450 for a hefty bottle which definitely tempted me.

The balsamic vinegar is so much better than I thought it would be. Normally, the vinegar in other restaurants are way too acidic and tart, making you feel as though you just ate a lemon. But not here, the vinegar has sweet undertones and an overall fruity flavor. You can taste the depth and how long they have aged it for from the complexity and richness of this vinegar.

It’s no wonder that this tangy vinegar and luscious oil are best friends. They simply complement each other perfectly even though one is hydrophobic and the other is hydrophilic.

This combination with the bread was so good that I had to ask for more of each and the server generously refilled my dish.

They keep refilling the breadsticks throughout the whole night whenever a fresh batch is released. They even ask to take away any old ones you have and replace them with fresh, hot ones. We didn’t want to waste any food so finished the breads before allowing them to put more.

To accompany the breadstick, there is a series of antipasti (appetisers) that are served around 10 minutes after the bread arrives, by then you would have already eaten two rounds of bread!

Carpaccio Di Ricciola 🐠

This yellowtail carpaccio rivals many high quality Japanese sashimi. The fish is so soft and tender but doesn’t melt in you mouth and thus retains a texture. But what I loved were the flavours they used. The orange pieces and anchovy colatura works surprisingly well together and the result is this sweet, refreshing but savoury and thick bite, the perfect accompaniment with the yellowtail. Colatura is like the Italian version of fish sauce, made with anchovies and salt so it tastes very similar and offers a rich and deep saltiness. Eating everything wit the Grissini was absolutely divine due to the prance of textures you experience in your mouth: tender yellowtail, fluffy and crisp bread, juicy and sweet orange, and salty and savoury anchovy sauce.

The ratio of fish to orange was a bit skewed due to the generous amount of yellowtail but I didn’t mind eating some alone as it was so fresh.

Insalata Di Carciofi e Burrata 🧀

Burrata is an Italian classic. They source theirs from Andria and thus claims the flavours to be better. And I have to say, the flavours are much better than the typical burrata. The texture of the mozzarella is tender and creamy whereas the straciatella is soft and luscious. The flavour is quite mild but still envelopes your mouth in this dairy-rich wonderland. It is definitely too rich to be eaten by itself thus it is another ideal match with the Grissini. Add in sun dried tomato that’s bursting with umami and some fresh herbaceous basil and you got yourself the best bite sized caprese you could ever ask for.

The portion is quite sufficient and as this was part of the dinner set, they gave us each 1/4 of the whole burrata so we get a nice amount of mozzarella and straciatella.

Marinated Anchovies All’Amalfitana 🐟

This is definitely a memorable dish as it is not very common in Hong Kong. Unlike the tinned and jarred anchovies that are used for their saltiness and depth. Grissini marinates fresh anchovies instead. By using fresh anchovies, the natural depth of the fish is enhanced whereas the salt that is normally used to preserve the fish is silenced. The texture is tender but a bite tough (as if eating a tendon) but still somehow melts in your mouth. The taste is phenomenal, especially due to the spicy oil they use for marination. I mopped all the leftover oil with my bread and it was so good.

We each got 2 pieces of plump anchovies but since my companion didn’t like it, I ate hers too.

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Polpo Marinato 🐙

The first official starter, technically still an antipasti but eaten without the Grissini.

The octopus itself is tender but the bigger pieces were quite tough and firm. I couldn’t really taste the marination on the octopus which was disappointing but at least I got to taste the natural flavour of it and it wasn’t fishy at all. They say they boil the octopus first before flash frying it to get some crispness on it but this was minimal. I would have preferred it being roasted, sous-vide or fried.

The accompaniments though were superb. The boiled potatoes are tender but not mushy and is perfectly seasoned. What shocked me was the lime mayonnaise. So refreshing yet wholesome and works wonders with the low-key dull potato and even duller octopus. The celery on top added a great crunch and refreshment to each bite but was quite bland.

Overall, this dish is only good when everything is eaten together and not individuality. The portion is quite generous as I had 4 sufficient pieces of octopus.

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Spaghetti All’Astice 🦞🍝

This is the best lobster sauce I’ve ever had in my life. No joke.

The sauce is so insanely rich without being too overwhelming as the freshness of the lobster is highlighted along with the freshness of the tomatoes. The chef says they instead of roasting the shells (as one normally does for a bisque) he roasts the vegetables and then toss in the shells at the end to retain the freshness of it. He wanted to showcase the freshness of the lobster as if it has been poached.

There is a big piece of lobster that situated on the top and it was almost too pretty to eat! Nonetheless, I ate it and it was so tender and minimally seasoned so the freshness really shines through. I also really enjoyed the bits of poached lobster meat that literally melts in your mouth and is amazing with the luscious sauce and the firm pasta.

Speaking of the spaghetti, it is perfectly al dente. Because it is cooked so well, a lot of people in Hong Kong will say it is undercooked and still very hard. To this I say that it is supposed to be like this and 咬口 and 彈性 is intentional. Each spaghetti is coated with a thin layer of sauce and provides the perfect ratio.

The portion is quite sufficient as a pre-main course. I would have liked more sauce so I will end up with extra ache for me to mop up with some bread. Because the sauce tastes even better with the warm and crisp Grissini.

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Orata Rossa, Cavolfiore, Aglio Nero, Bottarga 🐟

For the main, I asked to change to the fish course instead and they happily adjusted to my needs. Sadly, this may have been the most visually underwhelming course. By this time, we were already quite full but was still excited by the fresh Grissini and could never resist one straight from the oven.

The texture of the fish is dense and firm which is what seabream is supposed to be. It is still juicy with a meaty texture but some may not like the firmness as this is not a flaky fish like cod. The skin is very crispy but still a tad but greasy so it does get soggy over time. The skin is well seasoned but the flesh could have used more salt and pepper.

Accompaniments included seasonal cauliflower which is a delight due to its vibrant colour and refreshing crunch. I believe they also made a cauliflower purée which was smooth and creamy and went well with the firm fish. I am very intrigued by their black garlic sauce which had a great depth and made the dish more dimensional along with the salty and rich bottarga shavings that offered bursts of flavours.

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Millefoglie Ricotta, Pere, Mandorle 🍐

As for desserts, this was a great ending. The presentation is beautiful and made me sad to demolish it.

Firstly, the ricotta is made from buffalo milk instead of cow thus it is slightly sweeter and less acidic than milk but the creaminess is also milder but thicker. I thoroughly enjoyed this and could have eaten the cream by itself with some bread 😆 This creamy, fluffy cream contrasts beautifully with the crunchy and flaky puff pastry, sadly it was just a tad bit stale so breaking it was hard and it wasn’t as crisp as it could have been. Nonetheless, still great with the cream and each thin layer melted in your mouth.

The poached pears on top were nice and offered a new fruity texture and flavour but there was not enough to elevate the whole flavour profile since the cream and puff pastry did not have pear flavouring. The almond flavour too were silenced and only made apparent in a few slices scattered in the layers.

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Tiramisù All’Amaretto $120 🍮

This is not apart of our dinner set but our server was kind enough to let us try. Maybe because it was already 10pm and they had some extra stock 😅

First and foremost, the presentation is just perfectly executed. She gave us two very generous scoops and we happily finished both despite being very full.

This tiramisu has been deemed the most traditional and delicious one in Hong Kong and I definitely understand why. The ladyfingers are soaked with amaretto and espresso and thus the taste of alcohol and coffee is very fragrant and intense but not enough to make one drunk, it does leave a heavy taste in your mouth afterwards though. Despite being soaked and seeped, it still has structure to it and doesn’t get mushy at all, perhaps being refrigerated for a long time? Moreover, the mascarpone is so so so creamy and rich and even fluffy. Surprisingly light and not heavy nor is it overly sweet,easily made me go back for more. I asked the chef how this is so good and he said they let it rest overnight for it to really set and firm up.

The coffee powder on top is mainly for garnish and they diluted it with some cocoa powder so it’s not overly bitter or make your mouth dry.

A very indulgent dessert at the end of an epic meal. My companion is a tiramisu lover and she definitely approved of this and said it could be the best in HK.

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Petit four 🍬

As any Italian fine dining restaurant, there should be petit fours. Although there are only two here…. The almond cookie is way too sweet and hard, but I guess that’s how it’s supposed to be as no one every eats almond cookies anyways 😂 But their chocolate one is very good. The chocolate is rich and velvety but the inside is crunchy like a wafer (or malteser?) it’s also not too sweet with a focus on the cocoa. Eating this with their complementary tea or coffee is wonderful.

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推介 🙆🏻‍♀️

💬 Overall, a lovely experience at Grissini and glad they are still providing top notch service and food after so many years. I really enjoyed the service here and they waited a sufficient amount of time before clearing out plates and serving us the next course. They also periodically checked our water and refilled when necessary. Foodwise, their Grissini, starters and desserts definitely lived up the the hype with some of the starters being scrumptious. The main was the biggest disappointment, not that it’s wasn’t delicious, just not as creative and memorable as the other delicious.

🗓 Revisit? ✅ ⭕️/ ❎