Gianni’s Restaurant and Wine Bar

Gianni’s Restaurant and Wine Bar in Brisbane, run by head chef Javier Codina, is a popular restaurant that just recently won a Hostplus award for Best Fine Dining in Queensland.  So we were pretty happy when we received an invitation to dine there for a four course dinner designed by Codina himself.

It seems a bit odd that a place with an Italian name is run by a Spanish chef but Google tells me that Gianni is actually the name of the owner.  The restaurant itself not only has a reputation for fine Spanish and French style cuisine, it also known for its superbly well-stocked wine bar.  Upon arrival, we checked out the wine list and it was like a goddamn book.

The Spanish tapas was an awesome start to the night.

Piquillo pepper stuffed with tuna salad, Mango gazpacho and Mooloolaba prawn, Montadito with Escalibada, Manchego cheese with mandarin paste, Chicken fritter and Romesco sauce

The prawn washed down with a shot of mango gazpacho was a treat and I particularly liked the tuna stuffed pepper.  As a tapas platter of five, there was a variety of interesting tastes and textures to enjoy.  A perfect start.

Salted cod “Armengol” in salsa verde and green peas

Not to sound like a complete mongoloid but the salted cod is pretty damn salty.  The taste was strong enough to override any of the peas, the drizzle of oil or the complimenting wine.  I didn’t mind this course but I think it could’ve used something else on the side to offset the strong and lingering aftertaste of the cod.

Slow-roasted lamb in “Adobo” with Mojo potatoes and port wine

Now we’re talking.  This two-hour slow cooked roast lamb was the business.  This shit fell apart on your fork and it tasted delicious when soaked up in the port wine.  Also, I don’t know what Mojo potatoes are or why they are green but it was also super-tasty.  An awesome, awesome main course.

Trifle of Crema Catalana, oranges and Moscatel jelly

This dessert sounds like it should be delicious on paper but someone in the kitchen went nuts on the lemon zest which make the whole thing way too sour and tangy for my liking.  I didn’t even finish it.  A bit of a disappointing end to the night.

Overall, I really liked the tapas and lamb, was indifferent to the salty cod of doom and really disliked the dessert which made me 2 for 4 overall.  The restaurant was packed out but still had a pleasant and relaxing atmosphere.  Despite the crowd on hand, our table of six had plenty of breathing space and the waiters were very helpful and had no problems checking one of the courses for Jen’s allergy to cloves and they also ammended the bill without a hassle when there was an erroneous glass of Dom charged to our table.