Thursday, February 3, 2011

Today is the 1st day of the lunar new year. Due to the special occasion and to some extent, repeated servings of the same dishes for our past 2 meals, my Dad suggested going to Gianni for dinner tonight. I made a reservation for 5 in the afternoon, just to be safe. Was glad we made the reservation, as it was fully booked on both floors. I know it sounds weird to have Italian cuisine on the first day of Chinese New Year, but well our family is kinda different from the norm :P
 


A nice and cosy ambience, perfect place for a romantic dining experience with your partner, or a special gathering for families and friends.

As usual before the dinner begins, they will serve us slices of bread, to be dipped with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I love it. Their bread is soft, fresh and kinda chewy, which gives it that extra bite and not soggy when you dip it with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.


Next up, the mushroom soup. That's one of the better mushroom soup that I've tried in Johor Bahru, instead of the so-usual mixture of campbell soup and some mushroom bits. This, you can see is the real stuff.


There's also the Risotto with Chicken Thigh. I have no complaints about the risotto but the chicken thigh is overcooked and the texture gets a bit tough . Not a fan of the basil leaves paste (the little poop of thingy on top the chicken thigh) as well so I would have to skip this on my next visit.


My mum ordered the Filetto Pesce, or the Cod fish fillet with spinach. I'm not really a fan of cod fish so I wouldn't comment much about it. The spinach is excellent, soft and moist and literally melts in your mouth.



My brother ordered the Pollo Cacciatore. I know its a mouthful, but basically its chicken thigh with I-dunno-what sauce. Forgot to try it just now, but I'm sure he had a delightful smile on his face after the meal.


I ordered the Risotto with scallops and asparagus. My Dad commented it's good on his last visit, so I decided to give it a try. The scallops are definitely big, but the picture shown here doesn't give it much credit. There's plentiful of them, about 7-8 pieces but let's not forget I'm paying it for around RM50+.



My brother's gf ordered the Spaghetti Frutti De Mare. The word Frutti got me kinda puzzled over here. Trying to be smart, I thought to myself "What has fruits have to do with the pasta over here ?". A quick search on Google reveals otherwise, Frutti De Mare actually refers to seafood in Italian or Fruits of the Sea. The seafood servings are generous as you can see in the picture.



Fettucine with bolognese sauce. The dish is on the dry side but would do well with more bolognese sauce.



Pizza with ham and mushrooms. As always, the crust is thin and crispy with toppings spreaded generously. Something extra which you would like to order for it to go round the table.





Last to arrive, my Dad opted to order the Special of the day: Tagliatelle with button mushroom. Tagliatelle looks similar to fettucini and seriously if you ask me, I wouldn't know what's the difference between the 2 of them. I googled and in conclusion, both tagliatelle and fettucini originate from different parts of Italy and the former are fairly thinner than latter. The accompanying thick sauce is filled with the aroma of funghi, something like the mushroom soup mixed with the tagliatelle, but creamier in nature. You'll get what I mean.


Food: 9/10
Price: 6/10
Service: 7/10
Conclusion: Overall, it is a wonderful experience to have dine at Gianni and one would regret not trying it. Price is abit on the steep side, considering the earning power of the majority of locals in Johor Bahru. Service wise, the staffs could have been more attentive when attending to customers as they arrive but this will not undermine the experience I've had. The food is simply irresistable for me. Highly recommended !

On a side note, if you love Gianni's then you should not miss out on their sister restaurant - Sweetwater.






Address:
110, Jalan Serampang,
Taman Pelangi,
80400 Johor Bahru, Johor
Tel: 07-3312230

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