L'Opera
53 Soi 39 Sukhumvit Road
Bangkok 10110
Tel: 02 258 5608

There are hundreds of Italian restaurants in Bangkok, however many Italians regard L’Opera with some reverence, partly because it is a venerable operation with over 20 years in existence and partly because they regard the food as being spot on. I shall draw my own conclusions but clearly to survive so long, and to still be so popular something has got to be right. I am sure the main reason is the owner who I saw on my recent visit; I did not speak to him but saw him in animated conversation with the manageress among others, clearly a man who is passionate about his operation. That normally leads to a place well worth visiting.
The outside of L'Opera is not auspicious; it is somewhat bleak and certainly not welcoming; I really wondered if I was in the right place. However once through the door that reservation was quickly dispelled. It was the smell more than the looks. There is a small bar and then down a level a restaurant with several display fridges issuing from them, that perfume of Italian charcuterie.
I was quickly settled at a table and soon had a bottle of Gavi di Gavi at 1,400 Baht in front of me and was able to get into the menu. The menu was long enough and typically Italian with a good, large specials section but what caught my eye was the Gastronomic menu at 1,280 Baht that stated 4 antipasta courses, 2 pasta and 1 main plus desert and coffee. That looked like a suitable challenge both for the chef and I, however I tried without success to find out what was on the proposed menu. Both the waitress and the manageress could not enlighten me or even give me a decent clue. I do not mind it when a chef says I will feed you; and that is what was being said here, but at least I like the option to say hey I do not like or I am allergic too… In the end I took the chance, On and I where off on a gastronomic adventure!
The first course was a small salad of rocket and strawberries with cheese and Parma ham around it. It had a balsamic dressing. It was very good, light; lots of flavour and a dressing freshened up the mouth.
Next came scallop with prawns wrapped around it on a bed of spinach with pesto sauce. For course three we had Italian sausage with mash potato and a mushroom sauce, with plenty of mushrooms, after which came two large mussels in a tomato sauce. Then pasta with a light tagliatelle version with mushrooms and fresh tomato which was good but the next dish of penne with a meat sauce (The sausage again I think) was a course to far, On had most defiantly begun to wilt. Part of the problem was there was no real intercourse break. At least two dishes did not arrive at the same time, but almost immediately after a dish was cleared another came. For the mains we had been asked what meat we wanted and I opted for lamb and got two nice chops suitably pink.
I had a pick at the pud plate and accepted a Grappa, as a much needed digestive!
All in all a good meal, the one problem was the timing. This would have been a great meal to start at 3 pm and finish at 10 pm! However I now understand why my out of town restaurant friend (who owns an excellent establishment himself,) always comes here when in town!