grissini’s stunning entrance hallway with a view of the hotel lobby to the left and a very long wine chiller to the right
You all know about my love for this magical place, so I hope it’s no surprise that I write about another restaurant I loved. I first tried Grissini nine years ago when an uncle of mine insisted that we eat here. I loved it then and I still love it now. It is old school, authentic Italian, in a very classic setting. The restaurant boasts views of the Victoria Harbour but I didn’t get to take pictures this time around because there was heavy construction going on from my view point. Plus, we had a nine p.m. reservation so the restaurant was very dimly lit by the time we arrived. Just like I remembered. That, is part of Grissini’s charm.
The moment you enter, you smell the wafting aroma of bread. Not just any bread but possibly the best breadsticks one can ever have. Baked fresh and served warm right when you are seated. These breadsticks are baked in an old school oven too! I secretly wished I had one of my own.
oven love, i want!
the signature grissini breadsticks served with olive oil and aged crema de balsamico
Everything we ordered, we loved. We finished all we asked for that there was no room for dessert! Yes, carbs were a major player for us this evening. We were happy our parmigiana was done the traditional way. The burrata was so creamy and everything that came with it was fresh and barely seasoned. Natural flavours were very evident in all our dishes.
antipasti: parmigiana di melanzane. eggplant parmigiana done the traditional way with san marzano tomato sauce, parmesan cheese and basil
antipasti: burrata, gamberi rossi, pomodorini, acciughe, basilica, barallo (burrata cheese, warm mediterranean red prawns, roasted tomatoes, anchovy basil and biscuit)
hubby’s primi piatti: acquerello risotto, sicilian blue lobster, amalfi lemon, tarallo biscuit
daughters primi piatti: recco trofie pasta, mediterranean red prawns,baby squids, basil cream
my primi piatti: tagliatelle casarecce (homemade tagliatelle), tuscan pork sausage, seasonal mushrooms and roasted cherry tomatoes
Our fish was fresh and cooked perfectly.
secondi piatti to share: merluzzo. roasted cod fillet medallions, nocerino tomato tartar, cetara anchovies cream sauce
Our beef was so tender and the sauce so subtle. The little bites of potatoes wrapped in thinly sliced zucchini, eggplant and yellow pepper were the vegetable choices to compliment the beef.
secondi piatti to share: filetto di manzo. roasted australian beef tenderloin, roasted seasonal vegetables
You know a restaurant puts a premium on quality when its menu changes seasonally. It can be irritating to go for what you craved for, but the staff of Grissini explained their policy to us. They said that when ingredients are not in season, they change the menu to make use and take advantage of what is abundant on certain months. I mention this because I came to Grissini to have lasagne done the traditional way. The way I saw it on an instagram post! Ha ha. Yet, I am glad they did not have it and I was able to try new flavours that were in season. There really is a big difference. Everything just tastes so fresh and clean.
We did not have room for dessert but Grissini’s excellent staff refused to make us leave without something sweet to end the night. They sent us fresh raspberry sorbet and none of us complained! It was the perfect finish to a great meal.
GRISSINI: 2/F, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai.
Phone: +852 2584 7722