Italian by design

“I WASN’T born Italian but I have an Italian soul,” British chef Theo Randall tells Explore during the pre-opening party of Theo Mio – Italian Kitchen, his new restaurant at the InterContinental Bangkok. 

“And I love Italian food,” he adds with a grin.

Bangkok loves Italian food, too.

City-dwellers have long enjoyed feasting on pizza during a lazy “Sunday brunch” at home and regularly buy such delights as frozen Carbonara to pop in the microwave.

Theo Mio though promises way better tastes than the fast-food industry.

Located on the ground level of InterContinental Bangkok, the restaurant is easy walking distance from BTS Chidlom and Gaysorn Plaza shopping mall. It’s in the heart of Bangkok’s shopping district, and if Randall has his way, will quickly become a highlight of Bangkok’s dining scene.

The decor is contemporary with walls of glass and an open-kitchen concept, allowing diners to view the chef in action. It’s a great place to watch the world go by while your chef prepares roasted organic salmon fillet with slow-baked cherry tomato. Hams and salami hang from the ceiling jostling for space with bottles of wine and aged vinegar. 

Back home in England Randall is a celebrity chef though not of the Gordon Ramsay or Jamie Oliver ilk. He doesn’t talk much, and is a humble kind of a guy. He joined the team at The River Café back in 1989 and earned the restaurant its first Michelin Star. 

“I have a restaurant in London,” says Randall, referring to his eatery Theo Randall at the InterContinental on Park Lane. The restaurant was recognised as “Italian Restaurant of the Year” at the London Restaurant Awards and is a favourite with London gourmets.

 “What I am doing here in Bangkok reflects my restaurant in London,” Randall adds. “It’s all about the freshness and simplicity. It’s pretty much about less is more”.

“We will focus on seasonal menus and local ingredients,” Randall continues. “I’ve heard that Thailand produces a lot of vegetable and we’ll be using the best and freshest for our restaurant.”

Our taste buds are teased during the pre-opening party with Fritto Misto, Burrata e Peperoni Piemontese and Carpaccio di Manzo. For non-Italian speakers like me, every dish sounds like a name of a football player so I’m relieved to see that the menu also has English subtitles. And these appetisers – “antipasti” in Italian – are meant to share. Try the Burrata e Peperoni Piemontese if you like stuffed red pepper with fresh Italian cheese with aromatic herbs.

The next course is Cappelletti di Vitello – a pasta hand-made by the chef and stuffed with slow-cooked veal, porcini mushroom, butter and parsley. It’s chewy yet tender. It is also excellent with a glass of Speri Valpolicella Classico 2013, a red wine from Veneto in northern Italy. 

Theo Mio has a long list of fine wines for those interested in exploring Italy’s rich wine heritage. They are available by the bottle or by the glass. Chianti Ruffino, Sangiovese 2012, for example, is Bt2,500, while a glass of CDC Nero D’Avola 2013 is Bt410.

For the main course, I try roasted lamb rack – Costolette di Agnello (Bt1,500) – and thoroughly enjoy the rare pieces of Australian lamb with a lovely Mediterranean note that comes from the rosemary sauce. My dinner companion raves about her roasted snow fish, or Pesce Neve (Bt1,150). 

Randall offers vegetarian options at his London branch but these have yet to find their way to Bangkok. From my experience though, vegetarianism is a complicated, if not ambiguous, term. Some vegetarians eat eggs, others refuse all kinds of dairy produce. My girlfriend, who is vegetarian, likes cheese and I am sure she would enjoy the Trifolata (Bt475), a delectable pizza topped with mixed mushrooms, mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, parsley and truffle seasoning. 

Theo Mio is a fine Italian restaurant and while it is on the expensive side, it is aiming to cater to middle-class foodies. It’s not a restaurant I would frequent every Friday evening, but it’s a special place to celebrate a beautiful life (and hard-earned money) and enjoy a little fine dining once in awhile. 

  

IF YOU GO

< Theo Mio – Italian Kitchen by Theo Randall is at the InterContinental Bangkok. 

< Book a table at (02) 656 0444 extension 6273.