Italian magic, weekends only

PIYAWAN SANSOMBOON and her friend Siripen Prungvanichsiri work on different continents, but PaN Bake & Bistro in Bangkok is where their minds and shared passion meet every weekend.
Piyawan is based in Milan, Italy, as chief cook at LSG Sky Chefs, an airline catering firm, while Siripen works in marketing for TV Channel 3. And it’s at Siripen’s renovated home on Thetsaban Nimit Tai Soi 13 that PaN Bake & Bistro appears, as if by magic, every Saturday and Sunday. 
The bistro’s name, with its deliberate capital “n”, mingles their nicknames – Siripen is Pim and Piyawan is Nan. 
The menu is classic Italian. Thank Nan for that – she’s lived in Milan for two decades.

PaN Bake & Bistro is a homey eatery serving classic Italian dishes.

“I oversee the food preparation for Thai Airways, which does four flights a week between Rome and Paris,” she says. She also worked part-time in a Thai-food restaurant in London while studying business there. 
“And I eat Italian food every day and have Italian friends who are chefs, so I’ve learned all about the true tastes of the different regions of Italy. Thais love Italian cuisine because it also has garlic and chilli, and I add even more to please the Thai palate.” 
Warm and woody PaN Bake & Bistro seats 32 diners among antique European porcelain collected by Nan in flea markets around Europe.

“The idea here is ‘Italian home-made’,” she says. “I’ve trained the kitchen staff to cook the way I do, and I’m back in Bangkok four or five times a year to set up new menus. 
“We’re mainly known through word of mouth. Bangkok has a deep dining-out culture and people are very discerning – they appreciate great food and good value. Our place is homey and the food is homemade, with good ingredients. The average price for a full meal is only about Bt500 per person.”

Most of the Italian ingredients are found in Bangkok, which has many good suppliers, Nan says. And she brings back from Italy rarer ingredients like pink-red peppercorns and Grana cheese. 
Used in several pasta dishes, red peppercorns lend a light bite, but also a fruity and sweet aftertaste. Grana is a hard, mature cheese that Nan finds smoother in flavour than Parmesan, and she often uses it in pasta and sauces. 

Bacon, Crackling, Dry Chilli and Red Pepper Angel Hair

The bistro’s best-selling dish is Bacon, Crackling, Dry Chilli and Red Pepper Angel Hair (Bt195), which is topped with pink-red peppercorns and Parmesan. 
“Thais love pork crackling and I think it’s a perfect match with crispy bacon,” says Nan, who was originally a reporter for the Thai-language business newspapers Siam Post and Sue Turakij.

Carbonara Spaghetti

Her Carbonara Spaghetti (Bt215) has, instead of the usual cream sauce, egg yolk, cheese and crisp bacon. But if you yearn for creaminess, opt for the Cream Sauce with Bacon and Mushroom Spaghetti (Bt195).

Risoni with Thai Anchovy 

Nan uses risoni – tiny pasta that resembles rice grains, which Italians always have in soups and salads – in her Risoni with Thai Anchovy, Garlic and Dry Chilli (Bt195). This too comes with pork crackling, along with fresh vegetables. 
“Many customers ask for a rice dish, but I think risoni is a wonderful substitute that still retains the sense of Italian cuisine,” says Nan. 

Open Pork Burger

The Open Pork Burger (Bt215) is a thick pork patty, stir-fried onions, crispy pancetta and poached egg, and a dressing much like Thousand Island. Instead of the customary French fries, you get Italian-style roasted potatoes dusted with chopped parsley.

Roasted Chicken with Mixed Herbs

Roasted Chicken with Mixed Herbs (Bt195) features a thigh marinated with parsley, rosemary, salt and pepper and cooked until the skin is crispy. It’s then topped with fried garlic, pink-red peppercorns, chopped parsley and chillies. 
Pim, who learned to bake from books and online, is in charge of the sweets. 

Pan’s Warm Soft Cookie

Well worth trying is Pan’s Warm Soft Cookie (Bt135), which is stuffed with Nutella and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, Scone with Jam and Clotted Cream (Bt75), and carrot and red velvet cakes (Bt95 per slice).
Pim’s husband, a coffee aficionado, helps manage the drinks lists and recommends the drip-hot and cold-brew coffees.

AUTHENTICITY GUARANTEED
PaN Bake & Bistro is on Thetsaban Nimit Tai Soi 13 in Bangkok’s Prachachuen district. 
It’s open Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 10pm. 
Call (095) 519 0669 or see the “Pan Bake & Bistro” page on Facebook.