Da Vinci Restaurant – Nai Harn
It was Gail’s birthday yesterday – 29 again – and we decided to revisit the Da Vinci restaurant in Nai Harn.
The first and only time we’ve eaten at Da Vinci previously was about a year ago when we were staying in Chalong. Now we’re in Kamala, it’s almost an hour’s drive and therefore has to be worth it! Last time, we were very impressed with the place – not just the food, which we reckoned was the best Italian food we’ve had outside Italy, anywhere, but also the general ambience of the place – relaxed, good service, the balmy evening breezes of the al fresco dining, good Italian music – magical.
So how did the place perform a year on? – an acid test, particularly in Thailand where things have a habit of slipping.
I’m pleased to report that Da Vinci was every bit as good as on our first visit. The food was superb and all the other boxes listed above received ticks in the right places as well. It was quieter than our last visit – it was a Sunday evening and the season is winding down a bit. But that made no difference, the restaurant still had the same ambience. The waitresses are as before: young, attractive Thai girls who have been well-chosen and well-trained; they were attentive without being intrusive, and very charming.
The food? We’d had lunch elsewhere so we weren’t going for the full monty. We started by sharing a rocket salad with parmesan cheese – generous portion and very fresh. Don’t know what their source is, but it’s good.
Gail then had one of the specials: Rolled beef tenderloin with sauteed potatoes and carrots – very tender beef and delicious. I had Saltimbocca Da Vinci which was three pork slices each cooked with parma ham and brie – melt in the mouth! It came with sauteed potatoes and broccoli. Again delicious. Top marks for taste and presentation.
For pud, we each had our favourite pannacotta with passion fruit. I always reckon pannacotta is a good test of a chef, having had a few burnt ones elsewhere, and these were perfect.
Wine can be expensive in Thailand so we stuck to a glass each of the house white to start with – Matte Bianco, an Italian blend that was slightly smoky but tasty; the alternative was a Jacob’s Creek chardonney. We then tried glass each of a Jacob’s Creek shiraz/cabernet blend which was excellent with our choices of main course.
The price overall, including a bottle of sparkling water and a 7% VAT charge , but no service charge, was THB 2795. Expensive compared with eating out in the local Thai restaurants, but as value for money, it was superb. And hey, it was a special occasion – your wife is only 29 once a year!
Da Vinci has an English and Italian management, while the head chef, John, is Thai. The combination works perfectly. The English manager, Mark, called by the table concerned that a toad hopping along under the table might be a bother! – all part of the ambience was our view!
I’m very glad we made the two hour round trip – we’ll do it again for special occasions, for sure. I’ve also revised my opinion on how Da Vinci compares with the rest. It’s not only the best Italian restaurant we’ve eaten in outside Italy, it beats most restaurants in Italy (that we’ve tried) too!
I didn’t take any photos, but there are plenty on their site
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The previous post was about pampering through various forms of massage, a passive experience that you just lie back and enjoy! If you want to improve your physical well-being you may wish to take a more active role. For me, the perfect way to do this is through Pilates.