The true convivial spirit of Italian food
It all began with a woman’s passion to create and share Italian food with the world.
“I want to share with people the food from all of Italy,” said Chef Anna Borrasi, COO and Head Chef at iO Italian Osteria Restaurant.
“The next sensible location to me after Singapore is Thailand. It’s only a couple hours away which means I can fly to and from the locations if needed,” she added.
The first restaurant was established in Singapore. It has grown and prospered under Chef Anna’s care. So much so that she now turned the branch over to her son and opened two more branches in Thailand; Bangkok and Pattaya.
To her, the career path has laid itself out long before she took up the kitchen knife.
“My father was a successful restaurateur. Growing up, he tried to make me choose a different path. I went through university and got a degree in teaching, for which I never care to use. I love what I’m doing and I’ll not have it any other way.”
The iO Italian Osteria Bangkok is located at the Groove, CentralWorld on the ground floor. The comfortable space is decorated in a sensible and contemporary style with an open kitchen and some grocery items for diners to take home out front.
The second branch is located in Terminal 21 Pattaya where Chef Anna would visit weekly to oversee the operation and update the menus.
Every Friday, the restaurant presents an assortment of Chef’s Specials. The word is That these menus haven’t repeated since the restaurant was established.
The first menu was a large (very large since there are 4 of us) serving of savory Porchetta (B180). The meat was beautifully cooked and golden, perfectly crispy on the outside and moist and juicy on the inside. Each bite produced the satisfying ‘crunch’ and the salty flavor mixed with the aromas of the herbs within.
This followed closely by a plate of Sardines 3 Ways (B680) – using fresh sardines from the Mediterranean sea, she said she likes to work with the ingredients in a few different ways to keep things interesting.
The sardines were cooked with sweet cherry tomatoes Puglia-style, beautifully aromatic with a very satisfying mouthfeel; followed by the savory Mackerel served with cream of burrata and balsamic caviar on top; and the northern Italian style where the sardines are cook and served with raisins.
Chef Anna is a no-nonsense lady (I started calling her Chef Mama soon after we had a chance to chat for a few minutes).
As I was busy taking pictures of the food in as many angles possible (as one does), Chef Anna popped out from the kitchen to make sure things are in order. She watched me taking pictures of her food for a minute before saying quietly, “The food would taste best when it’s warm.”
I took the hint and quickly sat down and started eating. Satisfied, she walked off to make more marvelous dishes to feed us.
These include a plate of sumptuous Bacon roll (B210) that is juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside.
Strozzapreti (priest-choker or priest-strangler in Italian) (B480)
Handmade pasta with artichoke Elongated form of cavatelli (hand-rolled pasta) Legends of the name: the anticlerical sentiment of the region (typical of the Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Marche, and Umbria) where gluttonous priests loved savory pasta that they ate too quickly and choked themselves to death. The pasta came covered in a delicate net on top which we cracked with the spoon. The pasta was served al dente with a savory sauce, chopped lamb and artichoke.
Next up, the Taglierini made with soft codfish and the oh-so-soft lardo di colonnata (B520). The pasta and meat provided soft yet fulfilling mouthfeel while being full of flavors.
Then came the Tre pizza gourmet (B350) – 3 slices of different types of cured hams, cheeses and toppings. The most surprising (and now my new favorite) is the pumpkin cream topping on the fluffy pizza dough with a crunchy crust. The pizza dough here is made with a special recipe with a higher water ratio making it more difficult to hold shape while making but resulted in the soft and light consistency, unique only to iO Italian Osteria.
We’ve all had a very generous meal so far but it is not over yet.
To finish the evening’s dining experience, Chef Anna offered us the Dessert plate (B420). This beautiful conclusion came in a combination of 4 most popular by customers’ demands desserts – the rich and creamy Pistachio Tiramisu, the Sacher cake, the Pastiera Cake and the Rocher tarte.
iO Italian Osteria appears like another Italian restaurant on the outside, but I can attest (from first-hand experience) that each and every dish exudes Italian delicacies, from its rustic atmosphere to the handcrafted house wines.
iO Italian Osteria Bangkok
G117 Rama I Road (The Groove, Groud Fl)
Tel: 02 117 3826
io-osteria.com
Open daily 11am-12am
