Savouries that are made for sharing

AFTER DELIGHTING gourmets by bringing celebrated London restaurant Signor Sassi to the Anantara Sathorn Bangkok, business tycoon Apichai Taechaubol of JC Kevin Development, is now introducing foodies to the cicchetti, the Venetian tradition of small dishes made for sharing, to the new Groove zone of CentralWorld.

Named Cicchetti in honour of its concept, the new chic eatery is the first overseas outlet of the popular London and Manchester eateries run by the Italian-owned, UK-based San Carlo Restaurants Group – the same team behind the success of Signor Sassi. 

Decorated to resemble Cicchetti in London’s Piccadilly, the Bangkok outlet is furnished with classic marble-topped tables and rendered contemporary with yellow chairs and grey divans. An open kitchen allows diners to gaze at the culinary teams as they prepare the finest foods and Canadian lobsters swim around in a tank as if to underline that the seafood here is fresh not frozen. 

“Cicchetti refers to small dishes typically served in the bacari of Venice. The quantity is smaller than usual Italian fare allowing you to have a variety of foods and tastes. Pizza, for instance, doesn’t come on a large, round plate but is the right size for two diners. Thais would probably disagree as I am realising that our smaller size is still a big portion for them,” says manager Berti Marco with a smile.

Most ingredients are imported – the seafood comes from Italy and France, the meat from New Zealand and Australia, the lobster from Canada and fresh vegetables and herbs also from Italy.

A perfect start is Burrata (Bt380), the milky and creamy mozzarella cheese from Italy’s southern region of Puglia that’s topped with black truffle shavings and served on a bed of fresh rucola – Italian rocket – with parma ham on the side. 

Equally tasty is the Duck Salad (Bt240), which is pan-fried and cooked with pancetta and sweet-and-crisp Melinda apple slices from Trentino in the north of Italy and served on a bed of rocket with balsamic vinegar dressing.

A common street food in Naples is Pizza Fritta or deep-fried pizza with a variety of fillings. At Cicchetti, two layers of pizza dough are filled with mozzarella cheese and ham and baked before being deep-fried until crispy and fluffy. Priced at Bt150, the melting cheese oozes like lava when the dough is torn apart and is perfect to eat with tomato sauce made from Sicilian tomatoes that give it a sweet, earthy taste.

Signor Sassi’s celebrated and generous Spaghetti Lobster (Bt690) is downsized for Cicchetti but will still easily feed two. The Canadian lobster is fresh and juicy, the perfect partner for the al dente spaghetti in delectable tomato sauce. 

Also worth trying is Black Truffle Risotto (Bt590). The black ink cuttlefish sauce is topped with black truffle shaving and tends to give you a dramatic black mouth but the taste is so glorious that you won’t care. 

The main courses include Coniglio (Bt595), rabbit marinated in white sauce and olive oil then pan-fried with garlic and Agnello al Fieno, New Zealand lamb rack marinated in white wine and hay for a natural aroma and served with madera sauce.

Finish a meal with a slice of Three Layers of Chocolate and Mix Fruit cake or refresh your mouth with Rose Ice Cream (Bt60 a scoop) flavoured with lovely scented rose petals. 

Cicchetti also offers six-course set menus from Bt1,590 to Bt1,990 and an extensive list of Italian wines priced from Bt390 to Bt3,500 a bottle or Bt200 by the glass. 

 

JUST LIKE HEAVEN

>>Cicchetti is on the first floor of Groove zone at CentralWorld. It is open daily from 11am to 11.30pm. Call (02) 251 6551-4.