Rossano's

Our friends from Switzerland were missing European food so we took them to have Italian food at Rossano's (which was near their hotel). Mr. Rossano used to own the very popular Italian restaurant called L'Opera on Sukhumvit soi 39. He sold that and opened Rossano's.

Rossano's is also a very popular restaurant. No matter what day of the week you go; there are always tons of people eating there.


The restaurant is in an old house. The decor is not the best in town but it is homey & cozy. The main colours are golds, browns and blacks with hints of yellow & orange...like the autumn colours of Tuscany.


We were given the table next to the window that allowed us to see all the action in the kitchen which was very nice.


The first starter was Tuna tartare. The tuna was fresh and the right amount of ingredients & spices were added to the tartare. The tartare tasted very nice. A nice balance of acidity and tangy.


The second starter was Crab salad. The crab salad was nicely presented. There was tons of crab in this dish (which is a great thing). The sauce was light and added the right acidity, tangy and sour flavours to the dish.


The third starter was Deep fried calamari. As everyone knows by now; I am a sucker for deep fried foods. So it was obvious that we had to try the fried calamari. The calamari was deep fried to a light golden brown. The calamari was very crispy on the outside, slightly chewy but tender. With a squeeze of lemon; the dish was lovely.


The first main dish was Osso bucco. The veal shank was cooked to perfection; the meat fell off the bone. The meat was so tender & juicy. One of the 'test' we do at an Italian restaurant is to have an osso bucco. Since this dish is practically in every Italian restaurant in town; its easy to compare & have a barometer on how this dish is presented & taste.


The next main dish was Fillet mignon. The meat was so tender & juicy. It was grilled as ordered (medium rare). The meat did not even need a sauce because it tasted so good on its own.


The next main dish was Veal Milanese. When the dish arrived; I was amazed at the size of the thing. The portion was enormous! The veal was deep fried to a golden brown and was slightly crispy on the outside. The veal was tender but the veal was on the dry side. However; it was still a really nice dish.


The next main dish was Veal liver. The veal was very fresh and it tasted very nice. The sauce was tasteful and it enhanced the dish instead of overpowering it. A hearty dish and big portion.


Overall; the food is very good. Hearty & simple home cooking Italian food. The ingredients are fresh & of good quality. The service is friendly and amazingly attentive. Rossano has staff that has been with him for I think more than 20 years. The restaurant manager of Rossano's (a lovely Thai woman) used to work for L'Opera and knows us very well because we used to go to L'Opera once a week. So, Rossano's is one of those lovely neighbor restaurants that you enjoy going to because the place is inviting, food is good and the staff know you.

When it comes to price...Rossano's is not cheap but it is not expensive. The total bill was 7,500 baht, including a bottle of wine (we split the bill). I think all Italian restaurants in town have pretty much the same prices (price fixing???).

For some reason Italian restaurant prices in Bangkok cost as much as eating in an Italian restaurants in Europe...but that is another story for another time to get into. We actually had this discussion with our Swiss friend. Anyway, the prices at Rossano's are in line with the Italian restaurants in town and we willing to pay for it because the combination of good food, great service and nice ambiance. I can't wait to try their pizzas!

167 Sukhumvit 21 (Asoke)
Bangkok, 10110
Tel.: 02-260-1861, 02-661-7449