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By Marie Moon
Smooth jazz vibes spring from the walls, dancing
on the toes of happy diners before ascending to the heights of Angelini's
voluminous interior. Aperitifs in the bar at the third and highest
level of the restaurant overlooking the pulsing scene taking place
in the restaurant below and on the river beyond open a night at
this award-winning Italian restaurant with sophisticated flair.
The interior decor is a contemporary mix of contrasts; polished
wooden flooring is interspersed with the brilliant sheen of brass
and overhead lamps composed of red, green and blue glass burst in
colour upon clean white tablecloths. Angelini Italian Restaurant
in the Shangri-La Hotel has been voted Bangkok's best Italian restaurant
by readers of the Bangkok Dining & Entertainment Magazine for
a staggering five consecutive years.
As the quality of Italian dining in Bangkok has burgeoned over the
past few years, such an award is only presented to establishments
that offer more than simple Italian cuisine, rather the dining experience
must be distingueé and memorable. With an extensive range of sophisticated
dishes, a warm ambience created through congenial and professional
staff, an open kitchen and live jazz music, Angelini Italian Restaurant
has become the standard by which other venues are judged.
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While local Bangkok residents and members of the
expatriate community loyally reserve their Friday and Saturday night
tables at Anglelini's, the restaurant recognized a need to stir
up some daytime business. The Italian Antipasti buffet was traditionally
served on Sundays, but in an attempt to attract mid-week patronage
Angelini's decreed that every day be antipasti day! Thus each day
Chef Lanfranchini creates the smorgasbord of tasty Italian antipasti,
pasta, pasta sauces, condiments, garnishes and sweets to temp those
looking for a lunch venue with great food and a charming view.
I attended lunch, on a Monday and the restaurant was quiet. Four
or five tables of businessmen dotted the floor, their voices muted
by the capacity of the room and the Italian music overhead. Resting
at a table on the second gallery, Khun Rashana Pimolsindh, Director
of Communications, gave me a verbal rundown on the buffet items,
stopping at a few to explain her favourites. Chef Walter Lanfranchini
was another young and friendly face that approached me to speak
of his buffet with the modesty that Chefs muster to talk about their
creations. He described marinated roast beef stuffed with egg, delicately
rolled and cut into tender morsels, wonderful things with sun dried
tomatoes, salmon with white asparagus, a dozen different cold meats.
Charmed by the partiality the staff members seemed to have for this
buffet, I finally proceeded to the counter to see for myself, only
to be offered yet another description of each item by a keen waiter.
A little frustrated by this time I stayed his commentary and assured
him I could make do on my own.
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The range was indeed comprehensive and dramatically
presented. Tempting hors d'oeuvres and canap?és lined the bar leading
into the pasta counter where chefs eagerly await your selection
of pasta, sauce and condiments. A few minutes will see your steaming
pasta served just to your liking. The buffet continues on to all
those cold meats as promised and I indulged in these perhaps a little
too much for after appetizers, tagliatelle, bread and salami the
eating of dessert required some endurance. Mini cappuccino cups
had the consistency of mousse with the aromatic thrill of coffee,
the berry millefeuille was pastry done to perfection and Sicilian
style cannelloni was little too rich for me, but would delight chocolate
lovers.
The food was tasty, well prepared and thoughtfully combined to produce
a full mix of items with flavours variant enough to suits almost
all palates. By 1 o'clock, a few more tables were seated adding
to the others and all of a sudden, the restaurant was filling-up.
Communications Manager, Khun Sirirat Traisupa explained that the
restaurant often misses the inner-city lunch business, owing to
its location on the Chao Phraya River, but that "some days
it can get very busy."
At that, I surveyed the diners, the setting and the view. No, Angelini's
is not a place to duck into for a quick bite during another crazy
working day. The businessmen were lingering in what may have been
important power lunches, lunches that mean the difference between
buy or sell, join or divide and these lunches require venues that
are impressive but not overwhelming. With excellent food, wine and
service combined with a great view, consider Angelini's for your
next important lunch meeting.
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