[Tasting] Brand New Dining Experience @ Grissini Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel

Grissini by night, transforms into a cosy, romantic place. Lovely flower decor on the table too. Was invited to try the Grissini Menu Degustazione , curated by new Head Chef Kenny Huang.

The menu is available at $128++ per pax, and likely to be refreshed on a quarterly basis.

cosy ambiance

you know it's fine dining by the number of cutleries laid out

While waiting for the meal to start proper, we could munch on the super crunchy Grissini breadsticks, or enjoy the soft sundried tomato bun or focaccia. I liked the soft bun with the tasty olive oil.

bread, baked inhouse

AMUSE BOUCHE

amuse bouche of prosciutto con tartufo e mascarpone and roselle pomodorino

Hmm, must have been too engrossed and must had misheard the sequence of which to eat first. Hence, I tried the prosciutto con tartufo first. Strong truffle savoury taste. Chased that with a pop of roselle pomodorino. Oooh, tasted sweet with hint of sour plum.

Appetite opened, and ready for more!

GAMBERO DI MAZARA

Paired with Ruinart Blanc de Blanc Reims Champagne France NV.

cheers to friendship with Ruinart Blanc de Blanc

Gambero Di Mazara

The Italian Mazara red prawn, comes from the waters around Mazara del Vallo, a small town on the south-western coast of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea.

For the Gambero Di Mazara dish, one could devour the head as Chef had cleaned it, coated it with semolina flour and deep fried till crunchy. Love the bright colour of the green pea puree. That squid ink cracker was so good. Umami with a crunch. The prawn itself was very tasty with savoury sweet briny taste.

Having this with Ruinart Blanc de Blanc, was a luxury I didn't know I needed. The wine was smooth, creamy with a touch of honey.

RISOTTO CON FEGATO GRASSO

Risotto Con Fegato Grasso

Oh my! Risotto with foie gras. If that doesn't scream rich, how about adding a 24K gold leaf onto the foie gras? Well, this dish has it all!

I thought I had tasted enough risotto but this one, was an eye-opener, or rather, tastebud opener! That first spoonful without the foie gras was already so, so good. 

golden

With the foie gras, it was pure decadence.

Capon consomme, white truffle oil, sweet onion confit melded so well together. Kudos to Chef Kenny and team. This is now my current favourite risotto.

TORTELLI DI ZUCCA

Paired with Marques de Caceres Gran Reserva DOC Rioja Spain RV

Tortelli Di Zucca

Truth be told, I was starting to feel full midway through the risotto. But finished all, because it was just too good. Next, was this tiny parcels of bright yellow tortelli. This dish is only available via the Degustation Menu.

Marques de Caceres Gran Reserva DOC Rioja Spain RV

handmade tortelli, butternut squash, parmesan fondue

So easy to pop these into the mouth. Loved the burst of gentle sweetness from the butternut squash, and countered by that salty-crunchy cheese. Then, complement it with the deliciously red Marques de Caceres Grand Reserva.

YUZU SORBETTO

yuzu sorbet with champagne konnyaku, lemon confit

Palate cleanser of refreshingly sweet yuzu sorbet.

For the main course, one could choose either the fish or the beef. I went for the A4 Wagyu but that bite of Branzino, almost had me converted. Almost.

Farina Amarone Classico della Valpolicella DOCG Veneto Italy RV

BRANZINO

Paired with Farina Amarone Classico della Valpolicella DOCG Veneto Italy RV

Branzino - European seabass, wild mushrooms, spinach and thyme jus

A4 WAGYU

Paired with Farina Amarone Classico della Valpolicella DOCG Veneto Italy RV

A4 Wagyu, purple artichoke, celeriac puree, veal bone marrow jus

The seabass has a crispy skin that tasted of fish oil, which I liked. Lovely. A4 Wagyu was good as expected. Amarone wine was full bodied, juicy and tasted of cherries and spicy hints.

FRAGOLE ALL'ACETO BALSAMICO

Paired with Huber Riesling Eiswein Traisental Austria 2018

dessert - lavender gelato, strawberries, aged balsamic, rumble

Huber Riesling Eiswein Traisental Austria 2018

It was a lovely dinner. I had enjoyed all dishes and all glasses of wine that night. Food portion was good and the wines complemented the dishes. Kudos to Chef Kenny, Sommelier Uzair Yaacob, and team. 

Petit Four, cr to handmodel

mini treats

Degustation Menu at $128++ per pax, and top up $70++ for wine pairing.

Thank you Ziqing for the invite, special thanks to Chef Kenny and Uzair for sharing so much with us and Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, Grissini for hosting the dinner.

Grissini

Address: G/F Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, 392 Havelock Rd, 169663

Website: http://celebrateatgcw.com/grissini

Contact: 8168 1539 or email: dining.gcw@millenniumhotels.com

Business Hours:

Lunch: 12pm to 2.30pm (last order at 2pm)

Dinner: 6pm to 10pm (last order at 9.30pm)

[Media Invite] Exquisite Japanese-Italian Omakase Dinner at Monte Risaia @ 59 Duxton Road

Monte Risaia is located at 59 Duxton Road and specializes in Japanese-Italian omakase dinner, meticulously crafted by Chef Taizo and team using premium ingredients and seasonal ingredients.

The counter seats could accommodate about 12 pax and it is where one could watch all the action that goes into each of the dishes served. There are two private rooms as well if you prefer so.

Chef Taizo Yamada in action

edible flowers

are we going to get those juicy tomatoes on vine?

first course and it involved torching~

finishing touches

 Mozzarella Al Forno

For the first course, one could choose between Signature Uni Pudding or the  Mozzarella Al Forno. I had the pudding but that wagyu looked so good! Didn't get a taste but it had aged Akagi wagyu, eggplant and avruga caviar ontop of the cheese. It already sounded delicious!

Was comforted by the solid whole pieces of sea urchin beckoning for a taste. So curious about the pudding. Was informed that the ingredients for the pudding were yellow eggs, cream and milk. Texture that was like tofu, creamy and non-funky. Lovey savoury flavours. 

Signature Uni Pudding

Then, the kitchen got really busy and there were larger plates laid out for our next dish.

assembling in progress

finishing touches on the Antipasto Misto

Antipasto Misto

The Antipasto Misto looked gorgeous. Like a picture! There were 5 components on the plate and Chef Roy would explain each components. "Have the cold seafood first, then followed by the seabream, the prawn arrabiata, the San Danielle ham with strawberry and finally, the fried gnocchi."

Sakoshi Bay oyster, yay! I lurrrve this oyster because it's so plump and fresh! Want to have this again.

Antipasto Misto - Sakoshi Bay oyster with ikura

Was pleasantly surprised by the seabream in shallot sauce. On first bite, one would have noticed the crunchy texture, which we later learnt is the shark cartilage. I think it was brilliant to use this. The sauce itself was mildly sweet, and tangy. The fish was firm and sweet. So good. This became my favourite piece.

Seabream with Shallot Sauce

The Prawn Arrabiata was also smile inducing. It was decorated with chrysanthemum petals, and what a lovely sauce it had. A tiny bit spicy and a whole lot tomato-ey. I liked this.

Prawn Arrabiata

Ice plant is an interesting plant, with stems that are dotted with tiny crystal lookalike, making it look as if it had been surviving in the Arctic for some time. It is edible and tasted crunchy, with a bit of water and tiny bit salty/acidic. The fried gnocchi was soft and nicely golden. Loved the cheese sauce underneath.

Fried Gnocchi with Ice Plant

After all eating all the gorgeousness, it was time for something more substantial. Chef would be cooking us pasta after the appetisers.

plating in progress

stirring the sauce

everything together now

 Signature “Shiso and Omaru Dashi” Pasta

The very first noticeable thing about the pasta was of its lingering fragrance. Loved the taste of shiso that's refreshing in a pasta dish.

lovely fragrance

guess what these are

The final course, was a meat item. Not just one meat but two! Grilled Iberico pork and sirloin beef duo. My goodness. The pork was awesome! This was the first time that I had preferred pork over beef. Such tender texture that was so gentle to chew on, and on-point flavours.

Grilled Iberico Pork and Sirloin Beef

The above 4-course omakase dinner set is priced at $98++ while a 3-course set is priced at $68++. Top-up $12++ to end the meal with a dolce.

Thank you Jennifer from JY Consulting for the invite and Monte Risaia for hosting the dinner. Special thanks to Chef Taizo Yamada, Chef Roy for the delicious food and Patrick for taking care of us.

Monte Risaia

Address: 59 Duxton Rd, Singapore 089523

Contact: 6970 0067

Reservation: https://www.chope.co/singapore-restaurants/restaurant/monte-risaia

Business Hours:

Mon to Sat : 6pm to 12am

Closed on Sundays.

[Tasting] TEN Sushi by Marusaya ( TEN Sushi & Bar ) @ 60 Robertson Quay ( The Quayside )

TEN Sushi by Marusaya (or also known as TEN Sushi & Bar) is located at Quayside, Singapore’s most sophisticated riverfront restaurant and bar community. Was invited for a tasting on a Friday night, and boy, it was buzzing! Hence, do make your reservations early.

restaurant's signage

Sushi food model on display (食品サンプル)

browsing the menu

Liked that the restaurant made it super easy to order for the first-timers. For example, there is a huge placard introducing the bestsellers, and on first page of the menu, are its signature dishes.

TEN Sushi is a casual sushi restaurant by Marusaya specialising in premium sushi with majority of its ingredients flown in from Japan. Helmed by Chef Hirai, TEN Sushi offers quality sushi and contemporary Japanese cuisine. Marusaya in turn, is a specialist in natural dashi based cuisine.

iced green tea 冷たいお茶

We began our meal with fresh oysters from Sakoshi Bay, Hyogo. Thick, fleshy, briny and creamy. Satisfaction guaranteed! These oysters were presented beautifully and came with toppings of either ikura or tobiko. Either way, the oysters were already good to be eaten on its own. The addition of tobiko gave it some crunchiness to contrast against the soft flesh, while ikura added continuous bursts of umami! A glass of wine/sake will complete the picture.

Japanese Oysters @$28++/$49++ for 6/12 pieces respectively

Sakoshi Bay Oyster 坂越湾牡蠣

The oyster fan in me was feeling satisfied after slurping up two of these good sized Sakoshi Bay oysters.

Next up, was the unagi roll. One could order the small roll (4 pieces) or the regular (8 pieces). The eel roll was lightly glazed over with a special teriyaki sauce.

Unagi (Eel) Roll ウナギ巻き寿司@$18++/$32++ for 4/8 pieces

The unagi sushi is actually a pretty big piece, hence each person could do two pieces to allow some space to try other sushi. The unagi was soft and tender with some savoury sweetness from the teriyaki glaze. Sushi rice was nicely vinegared.

closed up view of a piece of unagi makisushi

Another bestseller at TEN Sushi is the TEN Assorted Sashimi Deluxe. The sashimi set comprises of maguro (tuna), sake (salmon), hotate (scallop), ika (squid), amaebi (sweet prawns) and seasonal fish (2 kinds).

TEN Assorted Sashimi Deluxe @$58++

For the tasting, there were a few upgrades in the sashimi and we got some sea urchin and instead of a 5 pieces of sweet prawns, there was one large one (botan ebi?) in its stead. I only had the chance to try the some of the sea urchin, scallops, hamachi, salmon and squid. The tuna belly was snapped up pretty quickly.

For the meat lovers, you'll enjoy the A4 Wagyu Aburi Sushi. The raw slices of the wagyu looked enticing enough but we exercised patience as the beef needed to be seared, then glazed before we could indulge.

before the sear

searing in progress

glaze

A4 Wagyu Aburi Sushi @$18++/$44++ (2/5 pieces)

Thought that the small mound of rice underneath the seared beef slice looked kinda cute. The beef was of a nice chew and had a good oily mouthfeel. While not melt-in-your-mouth, the flavour was good and mild. Enjoyable.

peekaboo~

For more makisushi, there's Aburi Salmon Avocado Roll. Seared salmon layered ontop of sushi rice, with a piece of chunky creamy avocado, and topped with sliced onions, some green onions and tobiko. Mayo at the side.

Aburi Salmon Avocado Roll @$20++ for 8 pieces

with sauce

let's eat!

If you're feeling adventurous, one could also leave it to the expert hands of Chef Hirai for the Omakase Sushi platter. There's a 12-piece sushi omakase as well as Sushi Box for 12 or 24 pieces.

Omakase Sushi (12 pieces) @$49++

uni sushi, ebi sushi

tuna belly, kanpachi with spicy yuzu

salmon, tako and unagi

The sushi box was beautiful. Nicely arranged and easy to take photo! I can see that there's uni, toro, hotate, kanpachi/hamachi, squid, octopus, salmon, tuna, ebi and unagi and negitoro maki in the box.

Sushi Box (12 pieces) @$49++

Sushi Box (24 pieces) @$98++

To end, I'd recommend the Dashi Miso Soup. Well balanced savoury miso soup with mild sweetness. So comforting!

Dashi Miso Soup @$4++

I had a good meal at TEN Sushi. Thank you Jennifer for the invite and TEN Sushi for hosting the dinner. Thank you Mr Ueda and Mr Takuya for introducing TEN Sushi and to share with us more about the food. Special thanks to Chef Hirai who prepared the food for us that day.

Remember to make your reservations to avoid disappointment. Happy eating!

TEN Sushi by Marusaya

Address: 60 Robertson Quay, ＃01- 09, Singapore 238252
Website: https://www.bitejapan.sg/ten-en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TENbyMarusaya/
Contact: 6735 0383
Reservation: https://www.chope.co/singapore-restaurants/restaurant/ten-sushi-and-bar-by-marusaya
Business Hours:
Daily: 5pm to 3am