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By Marie Moon
It was approaching 7pm when I met my guest Khun Ann for the evening
to go to Spasso situated in The Grand Hyatt Erawan in Bangkok. A
restaurant famous for serving fine Italian cuisine. As we walked
away from the busy street both of us were greeted at the glass doorway
by a delightful lady who beckoned us in. The cool wave of the air
conditioning and the gentle music immediately soothed us - as it
had been rather hot and noisy outside.
I was struck by the hardwood floors, dimmed lighting and the eclectic
mix of black and white framed photography on the walls. I was told
later than this imagery is "very Spasso" and has helped
make the restaurants 10th anniversary a huge success. The basic
ingredients that have kept it alive for over a decade are still
in place; the superb Italian Food, great entertainment, and the
emphasis on accentuating the personal touch.
I sat with my guest at the circular table and we were welcomed
by the waiters whose service appeared on my first impression to
be first class. Looking around I could see that the crowd was quite
a mix between Thais and ex-pats, as to who were the tourists, I
could not tell.
For an appetizer I ordered, Smoked Salmon with salad and sun dried
tomatoes, while Khun Ann, my guest, decided upon one of the signature
dishes of Spasso, Beef Carpaccio.
The waiting time for the dishes was not long at all; time had passed
very quickly among the hum and buzz of the crowd, vibrating with
the faint classical music being piped through the room. Needless
to say both of the dishes were delightful, and we both agreed that
we were glad that we had brought an appetite to the restaurant as
the portions were generous.
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Before ordering our main courses we were introduced to Khun Pam
- the Marketing Manager of the restaurant, she mentioned that throughout
the day Spasso caters for "many varied tastes," and "has
an ever changing clientele." The buffet lunch - which is preferred
for business executive luncheons, has a "new choice of main
course each day" and as Khun Pam stated "has proven popular
and remains so over the years." From 10pm Spasso becomes a
"high energy music venue" which caters for the hip 30
something crowd of Bangkok. Those in their 20's will be glad to
hear that this is non-restrictive, it is just that the 30 something
crowd have made it their own. Snacks are available at night time
and the pouring of cocktails and dancing continues until 2am.
For a main course I ordered Red snapper, roasted with spinach,
spicy tomato and seafood broth - a personal favourite of mine. Khun
Ann followed suite with a seafood dish but chose Snow fish, poached
with roasted peppers, prawns and watercress. We both mentioned that
we would sample each other's dishes and waited with anticipation
for the delights to arrive. I had almost plucked for a pizza, having
spotted the authentic wood fired clay oven situated not too far
from our table. These are very popular with customers, but at the
last minute the seafood dish won the day.
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Resident Chef Stefano Di Salvo brought the food to our table with
flair and elegance suited to a man who has been in the profession
a long time. He was particularly delighted that Khun Ann had decided
upon the Snow Fish as this is another signature dish of Spasso.
The presentation of the food was simply first class and the taste…
well the red snapper practically melted in my mouth; I was also
impressed with the snow fish which Khun Ann had agreed to let me
try. A waiter was on hand to recommend suitable wines, for a red
there was Chardonnay delle venezia, fabiano, and for a white he
suggested Valpolicella classico, fabiano.
Time passed by quickly and our appetites felt rather satisfied
with the generous portions but we decided to have some fine Italian
ice cream and coffee to round off the evening. The dessert and drinks
menus are as extensive, offering some of the finest selections of
Italian cuisine in the Bangkok metropolis. As we sat and idly chatted
in the soothing environment until we had finished the last of our
drinks we could see the wave of dancing and high jinks crowd beginning
to make their way; for Spasso was now becoming the hot venue of
a Bangkok night.
As we walked away satisfied with the cuisine of the night, I remarked
to my guest that it really was a touch of Italy right in the heart
of Bangkok.
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