A suave and sexy signor

Bangkok is home to many Italian restaurants, most of which serve fine, authentic cuisine and can count both Thais and expats among their regular customers. But when Apichai Taechaubol, executive chairman of industrial-estate firm Thai Factory Development, jumps aboard the restaurant bandwagon, diners can expect something beyond the ordinary.

A long-time fan of Signor Sassi in London, Apichai has decided to serve up this upscale eatery for Bangkok’s well-heeled diners. Perched on the 37th floor of Anantara Sathorn Bangkok, the glass-wrapped restaurant with panoramic backdrop of the city is the ideal vehicle for a first-class gastronomic voyage, while a candlelit dinner on the alfresco terrace could be the perfect setting for a signor and his signorina. One level up, groups are catered to with four function/private rooms for up to 16 persons.

The plush black-and-grey decor is dotted with mustard-shade chairs and white-linen tables, with carnival masks on the walls and shapely bottles of balsamic on the shelves lending a playful vibe. A walk-in wine vault offers more than 100 vintage Italian tipples, while live music is uncorked courtesy of a duo every Wednesday and Friday night. 

Signor Sassi in London’s high-so Knightsbridge boasts film stars, famous footballers, politicians and musicians among its regulars, so it’s no surprise to see Anthony Hopkins, Bon Jovi and Cristiano Ronaldo grinning down from the walls of Bangkok’s branch. Founded in 1984 by Carlo Di Stefano, the eatery is the top brand of the Italian family-owned San Carlo Restaurants Group, which opened its first overseas franchise in Kuwait. The Bangkok branch became the first Signor Sassi in Asia when it opened last month.

“My father is a not a chef but a restaurateur who knows very well how a good restaurant should be. He learned by experience,” says Marcello Di Stefano, the director of San Carlo Group. “He left his homeland of Sicily for London with just 10 pounds in his pocket. Our family didn’t have much money then, but my father worked very hard seven days a week to save money, and brought us to the best restaurants to try the great food.

 “A lot of Thai customers know Signor Sassi already, and we try to focus on what we do with high-quality products, [staying] true to Italian values and good service. Simplicity is the best [approach], no need to add too many flavours,” he says. 

The culinary team in Bangkok was brought over from London to maintain consistency in flavours, using the same imported ingredients. The menus in Knightsbridge and Bangkok are identical. We tried the best-selling starter – Avocado Bernado (Bt490) – and were not disappointed. Chilled lobster, scampi and prawns are slathered in mouth-watering cocktail sauce and ringed by thin slices of avocado. For warmer bites, the Mozzarella in Carrozza (Bt240) features Italy’s favourite cheese deep-fried in bread, with garlic and anchovy sauce cutting deliciously through the oiliness of the dish.

Di Stefano is especially proud of his grandmother’s recipe for Melanzana al Forno (Bt280). This vegetarian dish offers layers of baked aubergine interlaced with parmesan, mozzarella and tomato sauce.

“This is my comfort food that Grandma used to cook for every meal. The recipe was passed down to my auntie, and I wanted to preserve this typical Italian food.”

Signor Sassi’s celebrated signature is Spaghetti Lobster (Bt1,180), a dish piled so high there’s enough for three people to share. The Canadian lobster is a fresh, succulent partner for the al dente spaghetti in delectable tomato sauce. This dish deserves the hype.

“The spaghetti lobster was initially off the menu, but then many regulars began asking for it. Through word-of-mouth it quickly became a hit and today it is the best-selling dish at all our branches,” says Di Stefano.

Carnivores can sink their teeth into Tornedo Rossini (Bt980) – fillet steak on a crouton base topped with pate of foie gras in Madeira sauce – or Abbachio Ligure (Bt1,080) – baked rack of Australian lamb with red wine sauce and aromatic herbs. But plan ahead and save tummy room for dessert. Among the sweet temptations are a Tiramisu (Bt300) that packs a punch, and a creamy sweet-and-sour Strawberry Cheesecake (Bt280).

As well as dinner, the restaurant serves up business lunches (Bt450 |to Bt650). Midday munchers get a choice of eleven starters, seven |pasta courses and five mains. The Bt490 set, for example, includes crabmeat salad together with gnocchi in gorgonzola served in a parmesan basket. Or for a hard-to-resist Bt590, there’s prawn salad with saffron and new potatoes as starter and beef fillet with garlic cream sauce to follow. 

 

HIGH DINING 

Signor Sassi is on the 37th floor of Anantara Bangkok Sathorn on Narathiwat Ratchanakharin Road. It’s open daily for lunch from noon to 2.30pm, and for dinner from 6 to 11pm. Call (02) 210 9011 or visit “signorsassibkk” on Facebook.