If you’ve ever dined at Acqua Restaurant in Kalim Bay, Phuket, you’re aware of what a gem the place is. Though getting on a plane when you’re craving some of its goodness is no longer a thing. Chef-patron Alessandro Frau has gone the extra step (almost two years, give or take) and opened Acqua Restaurant Bangkok on Soi Somkid.
“I decided to open in Bangkok because after 13 years in Phuket and post-Covid, the island became too seasonal and too small for what I want to do. We had to limit ourselves all the time. We wanted to be in the centre of the stage, which is Bangkok,” says chef Frau.
And being in the centre is just what Acqua Bangkok is all about. The 60-seat restaurant is more upscale and refined in its design, exteriors and interiors, compared to the Phuket flagship. The concept, according to chef Frau, is fine dining with an informal Italian approach (read: no tasting menus, as yet). It is breathtaking as soon as you enter the grounds and the large French windows with garden views from the inside gives you a hint of what the menu is like: exquisite, refined and luxurious.
The menu is extensive, offering a mix of Acqua’s well-known favourites and seasonal delights. Begin with an amuse bouche of shrimp with smoked mozzarella and tomato powder, Maritozzi or sweet bread in Italian, is usually eaten with Nutella or dried figs or fruit, but here it is served with mortadella foam and crushed pistachios from Bronte, a classic Italian combo. The third amuse bouche is a filo pastry shell topped with stracciatella and smoked caviar.
I love bread and do try to avoid the bread baskets at restaurants, but here you’d want to try the pane carasau or the crispy bread from Sardinia, which is very addictive. Other choices include ciabatta, focaccia and pane cafone from the south of Italy, often referred to as the “king of bread”. But enough of the bread, let’s dive straight into the seasonal starters. Oysters are one of my favourite things to slurp and if they are on a menu, they are in my mouth. The Ceviche of fresh scallops and Gillardeau oysters with soy sauce-marinated fish eggs (B1,500) is a thing of beauty and just not in looks. Though I could say the same about the Raw Sicilian red prawns or Rosso di Mazara with smoked mozzarella cream, Sardinian sea urchin and Siberian caviar (B1,250). Equally satiating and how could it not be — the red Sicilian prawn has a reputation of being one of the best in the world!
It isn’t my first time eating squid disguised as pasta but the Squid tagliatelle marinated with mint and extra virgin olive oil with Siberian caviar and cucamelon (B950) will make you forget about the other times you’ve eaten similar dishes. The squid is very thinly sliced to resemble tagliatelle and is marinated with olive oil and lemon. The temperature of the squid is important in this dish, which comes from the east coast of Italy. Refreshing and light, this is a dish perfect for the Bangkok weather.
The next dish is inspired by nervetti or the northern Italian salad of meat, cartilage and tendons, sliced thin, served chilled with vegetables. “Since nervetti isn’t really refined enough for Acqua, I have used smoked eel,” says the chef. Sardinian smoked eel, served with pickled vegetable, sweet and sour, in a white balsamico vinegar sauce and grilled crispy country bread topped with smoked mozzarella and Avruga caviar (B750) is now one of my favourite things to eat. It is exquisite to look at and even better to savour! What may be considered a simple dish, yet extravagant is the Spaghetti vongole and Sardinian sea urchin (B850). The sauce is made with sea urchins from Sardinia, while the fresh uni atop comes from Japan. I absolutely love uni and this dish made me so happy, carbs and all!
A fish I have acquired new-found love for is red mullet and at Acqua. Mediterranean red mullet is coated with a light aromatised breadcrumb crust and pan-fried (B1,450). It is served with a buffalo mozzarella sauce, Taggiasche olives, Italian tomato datterino, Sicilian capers and a generous shake, table-side and from a bouquet, of Pantelleria island oregano. The breadcrumbs give the fish extra crispness, while the olive oil from Liguira adds that extra tang, along with the cherry tomatoes. Yum, yum and then some!
Time for dessert and I am thanking the stars there apparently is a separate stomach for it. I just about have space for the Memories of “Fior di Latte” or milk semifreddo, foam, sauce and ice cream (B480). Fior di Latte is the famous soft serve ice cream in Italy. “This particular dessert has such good childhood memories for me. My mother used to take me to get this ice cream and the shop wasn’t close to where we lived. We had to drive to the coffee shop outside the city centre, which had this machine. The flavour of this ice cream is so embedded in my brain that I have recreated it to the T,” says chef Frau, excitedly. The ice cream has a bit of lemon zest for balance, and “if you had the same experience as I did as a child, when you eat this dessert, close your eyes and relive the memories,” he adds.
Insider’s tip: The restaurant has a private room and a large wine room, where dinners can be held. In the spacious grounds, chef Frau is also opening an Italian bakery and coffee shop. So stay tuned for more deliciousness! Call 093-612-7000, email acquabangkok@gmail.com or visit acquarestaurantbangkok.com.
