Thursday, February 12, 2009

Da Vinci Italian Restaurant (Phuket)

There are several Italian restaurants in the Naiharn Beach area. Some good and some are not worth mentioning. Thank goodness that one of the best ones is next to where we are in Naiharn (practically five minutes away by car). The name of the restaurant is Da Vinci.


The restaurant is very nicely decorated and it is all open air. The restaurant is split into two areas. The fine dinning area is where the tables have white table clothes. The other are area is the pizzeria area; its for people who just want to have a pizza or pasta.


The first dish was carpaccio of octopus (sorry for the quality of the photo, I know the dish does not look very appetizing from the photo, but believe me, its very good). I rarely get this dish, even in Bangkok. So, whenever Da Vinci has fresh octopus, we order this dish. The octopus was tender and tasty. With a spritz of lemon juice and olive oil. This dish was a great starter.


The next dish was beef carpaccio. Another nice dish. The beef very fresh and sliced perfectly. The basil, parmessan cheese and the beef were made for each other. Again a spritz of lemon and olive oil and this dish is very nice.


The next dish was a quatre saison pizza. I am sure I will have some friends who will disagree with me when I say that this has to be one of the best pizzas around. The dough is always cooked perfectly. Even the center of the dough is crispy and not limp like most pizzas (I really hate limp pizza dough). The toppings of cooked ham, mushrooms and artichoke heart are of good quality and they make a great combination for a pizza. Though, I think Da Vinci is a bit stingy on the artichoke hearts. Nevertheless; I always have to have a pizza at Da Vinci because they are really really good. Another nice aspect for the pizza is the very spicy olive oil Da Vinci has for you to drizzle on the pizza. Yummy.


The first wine we had was a Guffens Jean-Marie Enfin rouge 2005, (40% Grenache, 40% Syrah, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon). Inspired by the Luberon terroir, this wine's aromatic profile is thick and loaded with plum, herb, rose and tar. The acidity balanced, the inky red wine had light tannins and it had a substantial finish.


All the waitresses at Da Vinci are always dressed in sexy black outfits, they are most of the time attentive and they offer really good service. Here they are trying to open our wine.


The wood fire pizza oven. You will be surprised that the superb pizzas are made by a young Thai female pizza maker. It is fun watching her toss the pizza dough up in the air when she is preparing a pizza.


The first dish was had was penne with tomato and basil. A good basic first pasta dish. The penne cooked al dente, the tomato sauce was light and the basil added another flavour element.


The second pasta dish is one of my favourite dishes at the restaurant. It is speghetti with minced seafood. I do not find this dish often, even in Bangkok. So, if we do eat at Da Vinci, I always order this dish. The pasta is always cooked perfectly. But, its the seafood ragu that is great. Thick, hearty and full of flavour.


The next wine we had was a Sancerre 2006 from Domaine Vacheron. The cousins Vacheron, dubbed the “Kings of Sancerre” brought us a beautiful Sancerre Blanc with notes of lemon, sea, and stones providing a base for mouth-watering citrus flavors.

Wine enthusiast with their biodynamic vineyards, it’s no wonder that the Vacherons are able to produce such intense fruit, even in their simplest wines. This is fresh but concentrated, with currants and pink grapefruit enriched by a firm structure.


The first dessert was the basic tiramisu. This was a great dessert. It had all the balanced tastes and textures that I look for in a good tiramisu.


The second dessert was called the 'Pope's Hat' because when the desssert is prepared, the end product apparently looks like the Pope's hat. However, this dessert was not my cup of tea. I did not like the flavours but the texture was like a sponge cake, which I did not mind.


The outdoor dinning area.


The indoor dinning area.

Please click here for directions to Da Vinci Italian Restaurant

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