PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAThe name Grande Piatto is derived from the Italian grande (big) and piatto (plate); a reference to the abundant flavour and servings of Italian fare. Italian cuisine is something many Australian palates are fond of. Grande Piatto is not a traditionally themed restaurant but has more of a contemporary design and an innovative mix of traditional and modern-day recipes. Indeed our tastes are tending towards these dishes that are constantly reinvented and experimented with.
One of the dishes that owner/manager/chef Kihong Kim is particularly proud of is the scallopine al gamberi. This dish incorporates baby slices of veal pan-fried in a delicious brandy cream sauce with a selection of seasonal vegetables and garlic king prawns. Another favourite among guests is the crab meat lasagne of fresh sand crab layered with fresh sheets of lasagne, which is then baked and served with a lemon-based sauce. Grande Piatto also has daily blackboard specials that offer diners a creative and diverse range of meals. Currently, a very popular blackboard special on offer is the baked Moreton Bay bug served with a rosemary, parsley and Chardonnay sauce placed on top of baby clams, capers and chilli linguini. As this dish portrays there are some creative fusions at work in the kitchen here, blending traditional Italian-style meals with the fresh and very diverse array of ingredients we enjoy seasonally in Queensland.
Ben Upton