The splendid Italian cuisine at La Ta vola
Sitting down to the hearty fare of La Tavola
When it comes to the matter of tastebud pleasure, a restaurant’s buzzing business or the great attention it receives from media doesn’t always guarantee the guests’ contentment. Vice versa, a meal at an understated establishment doesn’t necessarily translate to a mundane dining experience.
Thus, one of my most impressive food-reviewing dinners in months was enjoyed last week at the long-reserved Italian restaurant of the Renaissance Ratchaprasong Hotel.
When La Tavola first opened in 2010, its kitchen was led by the restaurant’s Italian head chef. Over the past several months, however, the culinary calling of this Italian cuisine outlet is in the very good hands of the hotel’s executive chef Jose Martin Ruiz Borja.
Despite his Spanish nationality, Chef Jose, who has long been respected in Bangkok’s five-star gastronomic scene, insists that La Tavola remains true to its roots, serving up home-style Italian cuisine with a touch of modern sophistication.
Yet Jose said that his heart and soul are there in every single detail, as he conducts La Tavola’s cooking station every night.
The impeccably maintained 90-seat venue, equipped with its own glittering wine bar, was half-occupied by a casual crowd of Thai and international expats on the Tuesday evening when I visited.
Guests were treated to a basket of complementary Italian breads — focaccia and oven-grilled pizza bread — with classic condiments.
An order of La nostra Caprese salad (450 baht), exhibiting Apulia burrata that boasted its characteristically creamy taste and stretchy string texture, complemented with grilled vegetables and pesto dressing, offered a refreshing start to the meal.
The following white-asparagus-cream cappuccino (300 baht) continued to take us into blissful dining.
The piping-hot soup, sweetly scented with confit lemon zest, sumptuously revealed cubed morsels of white asparagus and chunky crab meat enhanced in both taste and texture by frothy Parmesan espuma and pop-in-the-mouth salmon roes from Holland.
It’s the season of white asparagus, and a platter of sautéed white asparagus, panfried scallops, Iberico ham and white truffle cream (400 baht) confirmed the chef’s adroitness in constructing a magnificent menu for the season.
Naturally sweet and supple scallops, with a slightly crusty brown exterior, came on a bed of soft white asparagus in an immaculate cream sauce made from Alba truffle, while crispy, hand-carved slices of the jamon Iberico lent to the mild-tasting delicacy a rich, salty finish. La Tavola’s collection of pasta proved more than just a run-of-the-mill fixture on the menu.
Homemade tagliolini with fresh Boston lobster and cherry tomatoes (990 baht), my favourite, was a hearty plate of the al dente ribbon-shaped pasta thoroughly glazed in rich, bisque-like sauce accompanied by some of the best-cooked lobster meat I’ve had.
Meanwhile, another bestseller, homemade ravioli with burrata cheese filling, Parmesan cream and black truffle shavings (400 baht), modestly showcased the subtlety of taste and superb quality of ingredients in every bite.
Those who look forward to sampling Jose’s legendary paella, which is only available on very special occasions, may not leave the restaurant in total disappointment after all. For that, as I personally think, La Tavola’s scrumptious seafood Acquerello risotto (480 baht) could well compensate the legitimate omission of Spain’s national rice dish.
Now that I’ve glorified La Tavola’s classic Italian fare, it’s time to tell you another truth. Chef Jose’s signature roasted suckling pig (600 baht) prepared with his Spanish cooking technique to showcase ultra thin and crispy skin and succulent meat of the cochinillo asado (Spain for roast piglet), was the real reason my Spanish food connoisseur friend and I came to La Tavola.
A decent-sized slap of pork underneath glossy, caramel-coloured skin arrived simply, on a plate accompanied by roasted fingerling potatoes and a brush of apple sauce.
I’d had no idea how extraordinarily brittle the pork skin was until it made a wonderful crackling sound when gently pressed with a knife.
For the crisp fine skin that complemented the not-too-mushy meat, each bite provided a distinctive heavenly mouthfeel, which, despite an offer of homemade garlic aioli and mustard sauce on the side, required no flavour enhancement.
The flavourful pork was perfectly enjoyed with its own thick gravy and the accompanied spuds rubbed and roasted with rosemary, garlic and olive oil.
Dessert choices ranged from traditional tiramisu, baked apple strudel and orange parfait. Try the popular yogurt pannacotta with red berries compote and chocolate crumble (325 baht), served hidden in a cotton-candy sphere.
Service by a team of brisk, efficient and amiable staff reflected the five-star quality of the brand.