BUON CIBO, BUON VINO, BUONI AMICI!
The Ismaya group continues to expand its business with the opening of a new venture, an Italian restaurant called GIA. Everyone would agree that, despite the simplicity of the name, GIA sounds classy and elegant, especially when pronounced with a fine Italian accent.
Located on the ground floor of Sampoerna Strategic Square Tower, GIA presents a beautiful mixture of modern design and Italian mid-century architecture, which was inspired by one of numerous great Italian architectural icons, Gio Ponti. Entering GIA, diners are shown a magnificent view of classic towering space adorned with a gorgeous combination of white and black marble and dark wooden ceilings. This amazing interior was designed by two top Australian designers, Paul Hecker and Hamish Guthrie. Diners will also see unique lamp designs, with the bubble-like lamp one of the most intriguing at GIA.
This spacious dining area is divided into two sections: one is located close to the bar. There is also a tiny lounge with, of course, stunning design. GIA is a great place to socialize and hang out. Whether you are coming with a small or large group of people, GIA will always have a place for diners.The chefs at GIA endeavour to serve the most exquisite Italian dishes that combine traditional Italian cuisine with a contemporary touch. Tasting food created by a respectable Italian chef, Tommaso Gonfiantini, will obviously leave a long-lasting impression. Not long after making guests comfortable at the table of their choice, GIA welcomes them with complimentary bread.
The bread itself is one-of-a-kind in that half of it is black and the other is white (or yellow, as some people prefer). The black side is filled with parmesan garlic and the white side is filled with onion and black olive. It does not matter which side the diners start eating from, since both sides taste amazing. This welcoming bread is served with olive dust as the dressing. Moving on to the main course, there is a great selection of iconic Italian dishes that will make the taste buds drool just from their descriptions in the menu. Some of the most popular dishes at GIA include bottarga, caserecce and bistecca. All these Italian names certainly sound strange to the ears of Indonesian people. Concisely described, bottarga is a dish made from tuna or grey mullet fish accompanied by Sicilian crumbs, cherry tomatoes and parsley. This dish is a perfect choice for fish lovers. As attractive and delicious as bottarga is, caserecce is a kind of chewy pasta with flavourful and spicy seasonings. As for the last one, bistecca is a grilled sirloin steak that comes with Italian dressings. Having enjoyed the main course, exquisite, creamy and sweet desserts will complete the excellent dining experience. Some of the signature desserts at GIA are Cannoli Siciliani, Valrhona Chocolate Symphony and the traditional tiramisu.
Fine wine is inseparable from Italian cuisine. Wine is a loyal partner to the dishes and is very much liked by the Italians. GIA has an impressive list of fine wines as accompaniments. There are also a wide selection of rare liquors and unique cocktails served at GIA.
(www.ismaya.com/gia)
