Breakfast @ Grappa’s, 19/10/2008
For breakfast today morning, I had an absolutely humongous proverbial pie of humble. Thank you Dirk Kuyt.
On a more serious note, my mum came back to Hong Kong today, so my dad and I went to pick her up at the airport around 9.00 AM. Having woken up at 7.00 in the morning to get there on time, I was absolutely starving and mentioned this to my dad, who simply responded by saying, “We’ll eat when your mother arrives.”
As such, never have I been so pleased to see my mum trickle out of the arrival hall (I was almost wishing for her to run the final 20 yards with her luggage). This way, I could finally appease that grumbling stomach of mine. But now the hard part – where to eat. McDonald’s was a mere stone’s throw away, Mix closer still, but my dad decided, for some unknown reason, to venture to the departures hall to get some grub. So, like a porter or bellboy (all that was missing was a dainty hat) carrying all of my mum’s exceedingly overweight luggage, we sped our way through to the departures hall. And, just as a porter or bellboy, the weight upon me was enforced. Unlike a porter or bellboy however, I received no pay or generous tip, or for that matter, a word of thanks.
On the lower floor, choice is sparse. There was Pacific Coffee, but my dad explained he wasn’t in the mood for cafes. Given which, it seemed odd the first place he headed for was a cafe named Cafe Ritazza, which was neatly tucked away along in a corner with Popeye’s Fast Food stalls. My dad seemed quite interested in Cafe Ritazza, until he headed close and saw quite possibly the most disgustingly presented and organised sandwiches ever. There was nothing wrong with the ingredients, and the submarines weren’t sloppy, yet at the same time there was nothing particularly enticing – cheese and tomato? For $40? Think Delifrance, but twice as expensive and half as appetising (which says more about Cafe Ritazza than Delifrance)
So we headed upstairs, where our remaining choices were Hereford Beefstow and Grappa’s. Grappa’s, being first in line, was the one we had a look at first. Although it’s Pacific Place and Tai Koo Place counterparts are somewhat authentic Italian, the breakfast (and for that matter lunch – I’ve had lunch here several times) is most certainly not.
The waiter ushered us to a corner table by the edge, next to instruments such as a cello and a piano, although I don’t imagine these are ever used. Upon first impression, the waiter seemed to be in a bit of a rush, hurriedly shuffling the chairs for us to sit, and before we’d even sat comfortably, shoving the breakfast menu in our face. Had it been a fast food restaurant, such service would be expected, or had the restaurant been overflowing with restaurateurs, such service would be understandable (but never excusable). Of course, it was neither.
Having barely had enough time to take a look at the menu, another waitress hopped her way over to our table to ask us what we’d like to drink. I ordered English Breakfast tea (the choice was between English Breakfast and Earl Grey), whereas my dad had some black coffee and my mum a glass of orange juice. The waitress hopped off again just as we’d barely finished our order, which left me wondering whether the staff at the restaurant was being paid based on how quickly they could navigate between customers and the counter.
Eventually, after much consideration (think decision making and women), we’d decided on what we’d all like to eat. I went in for the eggs benedict on English muffin, my dad for the eggs and bacon, and my mum simply for eggs and toast. We also ordered an extra of buttered croissants to relish.
Our drinks arrived first – mine was a pot of tea which was an unexpectedly pleasant surprise. I declined on the offer to try my mum’s orange juice for the simple reason that tea and orange juice just do not go hand in hand.
Food arrived soon after amidst some confusion. In restaurants such as these, everyone’s food normally arrives together so the family or those present may start their meals at the same time. My food arrived as did my mum’s, but my dad was kept waiting for a few minutes still. When he enquired as he thought there had been a mix up, the food arrived eventually.
Of course, this wasn’t the chronological order in which things happened. What actually happened was that my food arrived, and mulling over my tea was merely serving to increase my appetite, not satisfy it. Hence, I dug in straight away and barely noticed the commotion around the airport, much less my dad’s dissatisfaction at the poor service.
The poached eggs were well prepared, although I do not prefer them as runny as were served, but that is a matter of personal choice. The hollandaise sauce was very creamy and of a rich texture, but served in a correct proportion so as to not overpower the ensemble. The ham was adequate, but nothing to bang the drum about. The muffin was well buttered and lightly fluffy but maintained the crispness that is a signature of well prepared English muffins. On the whole, this was one of the better (world-class hotels notwithstanding) eggs benedicts I’ve ever had.
Being as hungry as I was, I also gobbled up my hash brown without truly savouring its taste, and also offered to finish an egg each from my mum’s and dad’s plates. Whilst nabbing their sunny-side-ups, I also managed to steal with it 4 slices of bacon from my dad’s plate, my excuse being that with his heart and cholesterol problems, I’m only doing what a caring son would do. The bacon was lightly crispy and mostly chewy (i.e., better than Flying Pan’s but not a patch on Bulldog’s or my own), perhaps even slightly too chewy. It was no surprise then that I offered to finish up my dad’s remaining hash brown, but he declined the kind, caring and thinking of his health, ” You gonna eat that?”.
It was almost as if breakfast were over too quickly. Having been used to lazing breakfast at Tott’s, Excelsior and the Verandah, Repulse Bay, this almost seemed like fast food – good food at value prices. My interpretation of breakfast having the ‘fast food’ feel wasn’t too far off. No sooner had I laid my fork and knife correctly to signal the end of a course or meal, a waiter whisked away my plate merely mumbling what I assumed was “You finished?” As if it were a competition with bonuses being offered, the next waiter, who already had his eyes fixated upon our table, didn’t even wait for my mum to position her cutlery correctly (not that she doesn’t need reminding sometimes) before mumbling the vague and seemingly rude question and whisking her plates away.
It wasn’t until after we’d left that I realised we’d been overcharged for our meal. Whilst we hadn’t proceeded to order in that manner, the drinks should have come as part of the breakfast set-meal we ordered, but we’d been charged extra for them. Of course, any budding restaurant manager worth his salt, or for that matter the hopping waitress that took our order, would and should have the common sense to combine the two seperate orders into one. Or am I placing my expectations too high?
All in all, excellent food with some of the most horrendous service I’d have the misfortune to experience, basically all the Grappa’s outlets summed up – the excellent Grappa’s Ristorante in Pacific Place being the exception to the rule.
Food: 8/10
Ambience: 6/10
Service: 1/10
Overall: 5/10
Cost: $340 for 3 with tip and being overcharged.
Recommended: Only if you’re in the area and would like a nice continental breakfast
Would I visit again?: Only for the food, and I’ll make sure to check and tally the bill
Grappa’s Chek Lap Kok
Mezzanine Departure L8,
Passenger Terminal Bldg.,
H.K. International AirportLantau Island, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2136 0698
http://www.elgrande.com.hk/outlets/HongKong/GrappasAirport/page1/
Grappa's relaxing yet business-lunch-like atmosphere at Hong Kong International Airport
