The 5 star Anantara Resort Hotel Chain was conceived and built by legendary businessman Bill Heinecke. The very first Anantara opened in 2001 and now 40 of his luxurious resorts can be found in countries as diverse as Mozambique, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Zambia and 7 other exotic countries.
It is at the very first Anantara, here in Hua Hin, where we had the pleasure of dining at their signature restaurant Baan Thalia. The restaurant, as well as most of the hotel and gardens were designed by the famous Bangkok based architect Bill Bensley. The restaurant is cozy and has the feel of exclusivity.
This was our second visit back to Baan Thalia, the first being in early 2014. We wanted to dine once again, one because it was so delicious the first time, and two because we wanted to try some of the dishes inspired by the well-known Chef Eraldo Colazzo from Italy. Chef Eraldo has a diploma from the Cordon Bleu Culinary Academy in Florence and has worked at many Michelin star rated restaurants around the globe. He worked and learned under Chef Gualtiero Marchesi, considered the father of modern Italian cuisine. Chef Eraldo was recently a guest chef at Baan Thalia and a few of his signature dishes are celebrated on their menu.
A dining pleasure lost over time was the appearance of a bread basket while waiting for your meal to arrive. Thankfully Baan Thalia is one of the very few restaurants I know of that continues the tradition and here they serve assorted warm breads with wonderful condiments.
Our starter was a Cesar salad which is a favorite of mine and was delightful. The romaine lettuce was crunchy with a bit of bitter flavor. The dressing had a bite of garlic, and the aroma and flavor of anchovy. Thin sliced toasted garlic bread and a slice of parmigiana topped the dish which was wonderfully garnished.
We then started with a few of Chef Eraldo’s creations, the first being the “Sea Big Bang” with prawns, clams, squid and scallops. In an earlier conversation Chef Eraldo told me how he makes this dish. He said he quickly blanches the seafood in water, dry martini, cloves and a touch of salt. He then lays each piece separately on a bed of sauce made with mayonnaise and lobster reduction. He then dresses the dish with drops of basil pesto, chili tomato sauce, squid ink, extra virgin olive oil and ground white pepper. He said it was important that the ingredients not be mixed together but be visibly separated to recall the deconstructed style of nouvelle cuisine. The flavors were plentiful and the presentation visually memorable.
Next came “Spaghetti Sofia Loren”. Chef Eraldo tells the story of how he was working in a restaurant in America when a waiter hurriedly came up to him and said “Chef, there is a guest who wants to speak with you”. Upon greeting the table, he instantly recognized the internationally famous Italian beauty Sophia Loren. Sophia told him that she would like some pasta but everything on the menu looked to heavy, she asked if she could have something light. He went back to the Kitchen and created his “Spaghetti Sofia Loren”. She raved about it and it has been one of his signature dishes ever since. The dish combines Spaghetti Prawns, Cherry Tomatoes Rocket leaves and Buffalo Mozzarella. His secret ingredient, not listed on the menu is Gin. This was the second time I’ve had this dish and it was as good as I remembered.
Next to arrive was Chef Eraldo’s Polo “Saltimbocca”, a chicken fillet, sautéed with Sage and Ham in a Marsalla wine sauce. The word “Saltimbocca” is Italian and means “jumps in mouth”. It is very popular in Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Greece however it’s usually made with veal but chicken works just as well. The ham makes the chicken meat pleasantly salty and the sauce, created by the combination of wine, flour and butter, keeps the meat succulent and moist. The real star of this dish though is the sage: a small leaf placed on each slice of meat creates a unique and unmistakable flavor!
The final dish of the evening was a Wagyu beef tenderloin. Wagyu beef comes from several breeds of cattle that are known for their genetic predisposition to intense marbling thus giving the beef more flavor. This was the case for the perfectly done piece of meat that was lightly seasoned and garnished.
The Anantara’s Executive Chef Hans Peter Held once again prepared a sensational meal preparing several of his own dishes along with several of Chef Eraldo’s. If you haven’t been, or haven’t been lately, be sure to book a table at Baan Thalia soon.
Baan Thalia
@ Anantara Hua Hin Resort & Spa
43/1 Phetkasem Beach Road
Tel: 032 520 250