Grissini (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★☆☆☆☆

Our meeting near Wan Chai ran a bit long so the thought to grab lunch in central or anywhere further away vanished. A few years ago, my usual go-to spot for lunch in Wan Chai would have been Roganic, but that ship sailed when they moved to Causeway Bay a couple of years ago. I figured it was time to find a new favorite.

One thing led to another, and I ended up at Grissini — a place I hadn’t visited for years. The food has always been decent but the service never really matched the billing, especially considering it’s a hotel restaurant.

After getting settled down for a while, my server finally came up and asked about my water preference. I told her, “Iced water, please.” Instead of moving on, she kept repeating the same question: “Still or sparkling?” Like a broken record. I repeated a couple of times that I just wanted “normal” water. In hindsight, I probably should have said that tap water was perfectly fine.

Eventually, I gave in and went with still. My water arrived eventually… with no ice (just great!).

Back for the food for a moment here.

As usual, I started with the restaurant’s signature grissini, the iconic long breadstick.

Vitello tonnato — The thin slices of lightly roasted milk fed veal were pretty tasty. The cloud of tuna sauce was a little excessive and over the top but not wanting to waste it, I decided to use the extra as a dipping sauce for my bread.

Linguina gamberi, alici, nduja — I dropped a few more bucks for the popular artisan linguine served with anchovy butter, nduja and Sicilian red prawn crudo.

The fresh linguine itself wasn’t bad but the combination of nduja and anchovy butter was too fiery and savory for the dish. There was no real room for the sweetness of the red prawn or the eggy linguine to come through and shine.

Tiramisu All' Amaretto — A trip to Grissini is never complete without trying their signature
Tiramisu all’amaretto. Their version strikes a nice balance of espresso, ladyfingers, mascarpone, and amaretto liqueur, and it stays beautifully pillowy. It’s probably my third favorite tiramisu in town right now, just behind Carna by Dario Cicchetti and Tosca di Angelo.

(Here's a list of my favorite tiramisu in town.)

All three dishes this afternoon were pretty decent but at this price point, the outcome was fully expected. 

Service, however, did not match expectations at all. After taking my water and food order, my server never came back to check on me again. It was Rugby Sevens week, and there were a couple of corporate dining groups sitting next to me, so she was clearly just focused on them. I was left topping up my own water for the entire afternoon. Bus staff saw me topping my own water too but yet none of them seemed to think it was worth stepping in (They were just there to clean the tables?).

Needless to say, this effectively marked my last-ever dining experience at Grissini.

Food Rating: 6.7/10
Price: $$$$
Address: 2/F Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Wanchai
Tel: +852 2584-7722
Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 2:30pm, 6:30pm - 10:30pm (Mon - Sat)

Lacuna 空栖 Spa 中航城店 (Shenzhen, CHINA) ❤❤❤❤

After getting all hung up about our first pickleball experience in Shenzhen for some time, we finally nailed it down this weekend. The court turned out to be pretty nice, and the best part is that it’s in the heart of Shenzhen just a very short walk from the subway station. Needless to say, we were already looking into our next game there.

I’ve already lined up an oil spa treatment after the game for all parties concerned. For convenience's sake, the spa was arranged close to our pickleball court to keep travel time to a minimum.

Situated at AVIC City Junshang Shopping Centre (中航城君尚購物中心), Lacuna (空棲) Spa offers spa treatments at reasonable prices. They have several locations across Shenzhen, most of them inside commercial buildings. This branch stood out for its convenient location inside a large shopping mall, which made it much easier to plan for dining and shopping after the treatment.

The spa was pretty small, with fewer than 10 private rooms. We checked in at reception first, and it didn’t take long before we found a package we liked.

The one I chose was a 50-minute oil massage priced at ¥209. After getting changed in my room, I lay down on the bed and waited for my therapist to arrive. Next came a five-minute sound-healing session, where I heard the therapist striking some kind of metal bowl. The resonant sound filled the room and came through to my ears. There was also a faint scent of flowers gently wafting onto my face to complement the sound.

At that point, I was so relaxed I was ready to fall asleep. 😴😴 Then the oil treatment began, with my therapist starting the countdown on the timer.

That was the last thing I remembered before I regained consciousness. ☺️☺️ It was a highly relaxing experience for both my body and mind. As my memory started coming back, I got my kid to pick up from school — thousands of miles away in Hong Kong.

Some snacks and a dessert soup before we settled our bills.

I’ve had a number of massage experiences in Shenzhen, and while this one wasn’t the most prestigious, it definitely represented the best value for money. Full marks to my therapist for applying just the right amount of pressure to my aching body — fatigue from the exercise. The technique, strength, and pressure points were all perfect. Happy times.

Rating: ❤❤❤❤

Price: ¥¥

Address: Shop L105, Level 1 AVIC City Junshang Shopping Centre, Futian district, Guangzhou, China

深圳市福田区华强北街道华富路1018号中航城君尚购物中心1层1号L105

Closest Metro Station: Huaquiangbei (华强北)

Tel: +86 15302794272

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 11:00pm daily

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/d0/vtMM

一樓半 Knock Cup One Avenue 卓悦中心店 (Shenzhen, CHINA) ★★★★☆

The food scene in Shenzhen is getting more exciting by the minute. I was scrolling through social media looking for ideas for where to have breakfast before my spa treatment in Futian.

Lo and behold, I stumbled upon a single, eye-catching dish that instantly got me hyped.

Located in One Avenue (卓悦中心), just across the street from where I’ll be having my spa treatment, 一樓半 Knock Cup is a modern bistro focused on fusion and charcoal-grilled dishes.

And the dish that really made my mouth water wasn’t a typical savory breakfast item. It was a Basque cheesecake!

Salted egg yolk black truffle Basque cheesecake (咸蛋黃黑松露巴斯克蛋糕) (¥45) — This was a little frosty and melty, like ice-cream.

Between two layers of truffled cream cheese, there was a thick slab of salted egg yolk “mousse” in the centre. It was finished with a rich, intense salted egg yolk ganache on top.

As I went through spoonful after spoonful, I realized there was another ingredient in the mix: duck meat. That added yet another texture to the savory-sweet dessert — very unique and innovative. No wonder it’s sparking a frenzy on social media these days.

This, by itself, is already worth a trip to Futian!

Food Rating: 7/10 (Based on the cheesecake only)

Price: ¥¥¥

Address:  Shop L151, East Zone, Level 1 One Avenue, Fuhua Road, Futian, Guangzhou, China

深圳市福田区福华路卓悦中心商场东区1层L151号铺

Closest Metro Station: Gangxia (岗厦)

Tel: +86 18588252694

Opening Hours: 11:30am - 12:00am daily

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/e8/JbMM