That Italian Feeling

Looking to savour a little slice of Italy in the heart of Bangkok, we booked a table at La Tavola at Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel and were truly impressed with what we discovered. Unquestionably one of the best Italian restaurants in town, it scored top marks in our book in value for money, cuisine quality and presentation, ambience and friendliness.

 

A bright airy restaurant with modern decor and an open kitchen to one side, La Tavola specialises in seafood-based dishes but also makes excellent use of beef, pork and duck in items such as pasta, pizza and risotto. We highly recommend sharing a few dishes as this approach allows you to experience a richer, more varied meal.

 

Chef Salvatore Catania is the culinary visionary of classic Italian food and is able to bring a combination of northern and southern flavours to life. A hands-on chef who loves to talk with his customers, Chef Salvatore prides himself on creating luscious traditional dishes with quality ingredients that leave an everlasting memory.

 

As a keen bread maker myself, I’ve struggled to nail the detailed process behind the perfect sourdough mix, but Chef Salvatore was happy to share his knowledge and part with a few tips and tricks. With a crunchy outer shell and a soft fluffy inner crumb, sourdough bread has a distinctive yet nominal flavour making it the perfect vehicle for numerous starter dishes, especially served with garlic butter.

 

 

With some excellent suggestions from Chef Salvatore, we kicked off our meal with a modern take on the traditional bruschetta. Two slices of sourdough were topped with truffle stracciatella cheese, Parma ham and balsamic reduction, and fresh salmon and Scamorza cheese. Both were absolutely fantastic with a crisp and crunchy texture and a soft and light taste; neither Palma ham nor salmon taking control. We decided to pair the bruschetta started with a homemade pizza topped with a fresh tomato base, seared tuna, mozzarella cheese, rocket leaves and dripped balsamic sauce.

 

As we’d decided to share our meal, our main course was humongous; piping hot servings of Tagliatelle Bolognese; Pappardelle Paesana; Gnocchi al Tartufo; Crispy Duck salad with balsamic and sesame dressing; and Snow Fish with braised onions, fennel salad and Masala wine reduction. To ensure only the freshest ingredients are used, each day Chef Salvatore and his team make copious amounts of nonna-style homemade pasta with Italian flour, semolina and eggs.

 

For dessert, we highly recommend the delicious Panna Cotta infused with lavender and caramelised peach and the rich chocolate lava cake with maple walnut ice cream. If you’re happy to stick with the a la carte menu, you’ll find some excellent dishes or you can check the daily specials board. Under the watchful eye of Chef Salvatore, La Tavola runs regular promotions, so make sure to check with your waiter.

 

For more information and reservations, call +66 (0) 2125-5020.

 

 

Source: Punch Media Digital.