Italian Tomato

405
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Bona fide fusion cuisine

When Italian meets Japanese, the cuisine becomes exciting. Italian Tomato, the decades old Italian restaurant and bakery chain with a Japanese twist, is renowned for its Italian + Japanese bona fide fusion cuisine in Japan, has also gained a certain popularity in Southern California with branches in food centers and supermarkets. Before I relocated to Bangkok, I used to visit an Italian Tomato cake shop at least once a month for her cakes, they are fluffy and soft, light and flavorsome, and it is the kind of cake I (exactly) like; but the food, is not on my 'like' list.

I always wish that Italian Tomato may (sooner or later) come to Thailand, and a long wait for more than a decade had become reality since last year. The first Italian Tomato cake shop has landed in Bangkok's Central World Plaza, followed by the Italian Tomato Restaurant & Cafe, a latest addition to the Central Plaza Ladprao.


gateau aux fraises THB 110++

chocolate cake THB 100++; fruit cake THB 110++

fruit cocktail tart THB 110++


bolograise THB 150++

tortilla chips (complimentary), chicken & mushroom salad THB 100++

curry rice with omelet THB 160++

Italian Tomato Restaurant and Cafe ***1/4
1/F Central Plaza Ladprao
Paholyothin Road
Jatujak, Bangkok 10900
Tel.: 02.541.1882

Open daily : 10 am - 9:30 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 700

Italian Tomato Cake Shop ****
7/F Central World Plaza
4 Rajmadri Road
Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel.: 02.646.1017

Open daily : 10 am - 10 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 300

Nuan Prang's

379
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Luxurious boat

At Ratchayothin intersection there are endless openings of Issan somtum joints and Ayutthaya boat noodle shops; most of them tend to offer cheap eats to students and residents in the area, with a minimal vibe (usually non-air-conditioned, of course).

Nuan Prang's Noodle Bar at Suzuki Avenue Ratchayothin (a.k.a. Major Avenue Ratchayothin), co-owned by a local TV star, is probably an evolution of Ayutthaya boat noodles in the area, with modern and beautiful decoration, clean and comfortable ambiance, and offers a diner a bowl of hygiene boat noodle soup with a fusion noodle menu, and a price. The cons are the quality of the meat (pork or beef) served with the noodle soup doesn't justify the bill I paid, and the broth was not awesome (as it should be for that price asked), even with a hint of the use of MSG.

For a high-so version of Ayutthaya boat noodle soup, so far my favorite is one at the Peninsula Plaza (next to the Four Seasons Hotel) - the Provence.





Nuan Prang's Noodle Bar ***
Suzuki Avenue Ratchayothin
Ratchadapisek Road
Ladyao, Bangkok 10900
Tel.: 02.930.2185

Open daily: 11 am - 9 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 400