In my last post, I mentioned the small Italian restaurant in Phuket called La Gaetana that Piyawat and I both enjoyed very much. When I got back to Bangkok I looked it up online, and I see that people have been raving about it for quite some time.
So what was so great about it? For starters, the moment you walk into the small shophouse-sized restaurant, you know you are in a special place. The decorations are vaguely home-style Italian, with lots of warm deep colors, and lots of quirky, unique details. The dining area has only 6 tables, so right away you know that chances are good that the food will be prepared with care.
We were waited on by the Italian owner and chief of the restaurant who did an excellent job explaining the specials of the day, the various appetizers and the wines. We ordered a carafe of the Italian house wine, but the table next to us ordered a bottle and we were treated to a grand sommelier show as the owner opened the bottle and decanted the wine for them with great flair. I think that his performance alone is a great reason to upgrade to a full bottle next time!
The food was excellent and the service was amazingly attentive, yet not overbearing. And for desert, the creme brulee (with another table show of caramelizing the sugar on top) was out of this world. Piyawat ordered the tiramisu, and the owner delivered it and signed his name in the powdered chocolate on the plate with a long cinnamon stick. While that might seem completely over the top, it really was quite fitting as his personality and high standards are stamped on every aspect of the restaurant.
So while Phuket might not be my favorite place in the world, I can hardly wait to go back to La Gaetana!
La Gaetana
352 Phuket Road
Muang Phuket Thailand 83000
Tel: 07-625-0523
Closed on Wednesday
Reservations Recommended
