Mother and daughter Wanna and Boonyapha Bencharongkul enjoy a salubrious meal at La Tavola to celebrate Mother’s Day, reports Kalthira Koompirochana
A blend of authentic Italian cuisine and contemporary décor, La Tavola provides an upscale, but casual dining experience at Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel. Located on the third floor, the venue offers uncomplicated traditional Italian fare focused on Tuscan cuisine. In celebration of Mother’s Day this month, we’ve invited mum and daughter Wanna and Boonyapha Bencharongkul to dine with us.
Upon entering the restaurant the sight of a sleek bar and beyond that a huge glass wine cellar alerts diners that this place is all about contemporary sophistication. Adding to the savvy charm of the restaurant is Italian chef Fabio Polidori. Having lived in the area between Tuscany and Umbria, he specialises in that region’s cuisine, but with a twist of modernity. He accomplishes this by retaining the authenticity of ingredients commonly used in Italian food such as imported olive oil and meats while opting for locally grown produce to ensure freshness.
Our two beautiful guests are similar in striking ways, including amazingly slim figures maintained through eating healthy food. A strict regimen is also the key to staying trim for Wanna, or Na. “I work out every other day at home with a personal trainer,” she says. Boonyapha, or Pette, read art history at Bristol University and is currently doing a master’s degree in international business management at Chulalongkorn University. Although very busy, this socialite cherishes dining out with her mother.
A prelude to other mouthwatering dishes to come is seared sesame tuna that is perfectly cooked on the outside, but remains deliciously raw at the centre. Served atop mashed cannellini beans imported from Italy, the tuna is marvelously fresh. Another appetiser, beet salad, arrives and the pair seems to enjoy this one even more. Health-minded Na finds the salad with baby spinach, crunchy toasted walnuts and dried ricotta cheese to be the meal’s most delectable treat.
An Italian meal would not be complete without pasta, tonight’s being pappardelle in a cream sauce mixed with porcini mushroom and cep crumbs, or dried and ground porcini mushrooms. Pette says, “Normally, I don’t order anything with cream or oil, but this dish is not too rich.” Her mum adds, “It’s truly delectable.” Regarding the next dish, a delightful seared sea bass with potato puree flavoured with hazelnut and basil pesto presented underneath, Pette says, “The sea bass’s moderate saltiness makes it a scrumptious dish.”
With Pette’s older sister Suparat married and mother and daughter Wanna and
Boonyapha Bencharongkul enjoy a salubrious meal at La Tavola to celebrate Mother’s Day, reports Kalthira Koompirochana residing in Hong Kong and her younger brother, Kanachai, studying architecture in London, Pette is the only child of Na and Boonchai Bencharongkul living in Thailand. For Mother’s Day two years ago Pette, who plays the piano, composed a song with lyrics by Kanachai. “When they performed the song,” Na recalls, “I was so overwhelmed I cried.” The kids aren’t saying how they’ll surprise their mum this year, but it’s certain to bring her more tears of joy.
Thailand Tatler magazine
