Via Emilia Italian Restaurant in Bangkok: A Review
If you're strolling along Via Indipendenza in downtown Bologna, walk to the end of it, and continue for just over 11,000 kilometers, you'll find yourself at the Via Emilia restaurant in Bangkok with the distinct feeling of never having left home.
It's all thanks to Andrea Bernardi, born in Viserba, who moved to Thailand 16 years ago and managed the Il Bolognese restaurant in Bangkok for a long time, leading it to success. A year and a half ago, he decided to open Via Emilia, where he offers traditional Emilia-Romagna dishes without any concessions or contaminations with local flavors. A simple yet successful idea, given that the restaurant is frequented not only by Italians, but by a myriad of people drawn to the opulence of Italian cuisine.
The menu
The menu features the region's most popular dishes, including the ever-popular wood-fired pizza, often complemented by Emilian flavors such as Parma ham and coppa piacentina.
The dishes
The must-try dishes are, of course, the first courses, among which stuffed pasta and tagliatelle stand out. Tortellini, available in broth or with parmesan cream, are generously sized, bordering on the norm, encased in a firm, springy pasta that feels good to the bite, while the fragrant cured meat filling reveals the care taken in selecting the ingredients. Tagliatelle with ragù could compete with any Bolognese trattoria and have a good chance of winning. Firm and just the right thickness, they are wrapped in a flavorful ragù that reveals the aromas of the meat and the classic mirepoix, enhanced by the softness of the flavor that betrays slow cooking. Naturally, all the fresh pasta is handmade by Burmese pasta makers in the kitchen, who have mastered the art of Bolognese "arzodore" (pasta cutters).
Among the main courses, you can also find some home-grown dishes unfairly overlooked by local restaurants, such as the uccelletti scappati: simple pork rolls stuffed with ham and cheese, cooked in a pan. Alternatively, you can try the crispy breaded and fried lamb chops, simple but incredibly satisfying (the only slight disappointment is the mash, which could have been a little softer). Other classics are also available, such as the cotoletta alla bolognese and a nice selection of blue fish dishes, from mixed grill to brodetto to stuffed calamari.
Even when it comes to traditional desserts, the caramelized toffee (the Bolognese version of crème caramel) doesn't disappoint. Served in slices, it's enviably light. Soft and not at all sticky on the palate, it's a true piece of tradition when topped with an unusual but much-appreciated spoonful of dulce del leche. The staff is all extremely friendly (which is the norm in Thailand), and it's a pleasure to chat with the restaurant owner, who has an infectiously friendly, Romagna-inspired personality.
Coffee and sambuca to finish, and the bill is more or less the same as we would have expected under the porticoes, around 45 euros per person. While Bangkok offers excellent local cuisine, and we always recommend trying the local fare, when you feel lost in that chaotic city and have a craving for piadina or a plate of cappelletti, now you know where to go.
Opinion
Via Emilia is a restaurant serving Emilian specialties in Bangkok, considered by some to be the best Italian cuisine in the city—and that's hardly surprising, considering it could easily compete with many restaurants under the towers of Bologna. A true Italian gastronomic embassy in Thailand.
AGAINST
- Some (few) dishes could be improved with small adjustments.
