The Giaconda Dining Room

Friday, August 14, 2009 - Dish Uno is Boneless (almost!) & Crisped Pigs Trotters; Eggs Mayonnaise. The crispy crust is like a thin roof barely sheltering what is the creamiest and (almost!) boneless blobs of buttery meat and fat, with full marbling flavours, the subtle complexity is a rustic dish executed in style. Layered on top of a simple egg, green and new potato medley with just the a tinge of zing in the dressing, it was elegantly simple, and a joy to eat. I ordered a glass of red: the Abruzzo to be exact. It carried bittersweet chocolate flavours, and a purity akin to say brown sugar; the easy drinking wine was surprisingly smooth and it fitted in with the Giaconda theme.

Friday, March 06, 2009 - Braised tripe is served in a shallow terracotta dish dotted amongst rigatoni, slices of chorizo and butter beans. This is offal the way I like it, in a more manageable proportion and mixed in with other goodies. The dish has a slight kick from a scattering of paprika and the chorizo and it is rich and warming...MTV boyfriend is enraptured with his creme brulee which is infused with a subtle lemon flavour underneath the caramelised top. He declares it the best creme brulee he has ever had.

Sunday, December 28, 2008 - As Merrony broke his arm in an accident, Giaconda had to close for a while, so on its reopening in late November, only the unique ‘One Armed Chef’ Menu was available (the regular Two Armed Chef Menu will return at the start of January 2009). I have to admit, this menu sounded quite appealing. It’s a much simplified version that is manageable with one good arm...