Italasia do it again! With another great Wine dinner this time at August Restaurant.
Discover Pattaya was delighted to attend a very special Leonardo da Vinci wine dinner, presented in collaboration with Italasia and the beautiful August Restaurant .Six expertly prepared courses paired with six delicious wines made an appealing proposition especially in this lovely location overlooking Lake Mabprachan.
We began with a beautifully delicate amuse-bouche consisting of an infused custard topped with sweet blue crab leg meat and subtle hints of curry paste. Accompanied by the extremely refreshing Mionetto Prestige Prosecco Brut DOC, we were off to a good start! Next came the quail roulade, served with lentils, crisp guanciale, smooth celeriac purée and a glossy Calvados brandy sauce. A dish packed with contrasting flavours, it was paired with the 2024 Frescobaldi Albizzia Chardonnay Toscana. Fresh and lively, with a clean mineral finish this worked particularly well with the richness of the guanciale and the sweetness of the Calvados sauce.
Then we were intrigued by the arrival of a venison tartare, served with spicy beetroot horseradish and roasted bone marrow. Alongside this was a pouring of the 2021 Leonardo Da Vinci I Capolavori Chianti Riserva which really showed how great Italian chiantis work so well with game dishes.Next the pasta course was a dramatic black ink ravioli filled with slow-cooked lamb ragu and covered in a luxurious chanterelle cream sauce. Melt in the mouth delicious! The 2020 Leonardo Da Vinci Monnalisa Toscana Rosso IGT was served alongside it. Full-bodied with tastes of dark berried fruit and oaky tones it was wonderfully smooth.
At this point, we were beginning to appreciate just how special and considered the dishes and wine pairings were for this event. The attentive staff then gave us all a refreshing sorbetto infused with Champagne, — exactly what was needed after a rich creamy pasta. Palates completely refreshed, it was time for a magnificent Westholme Striploin No. 8-9 Wagyu, served with Portobello mushrooms and a glossy red wine reduction. Beautifully cooked this was every bit as indulgent as you would hope from a Wagyu of this quality. It provided the real star pairing of the night with a glass of the 2017 Leonardo Da Vinci I Capolavori ‘San Giovanni Battista’ Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. The wine of the evening.with layers of ripe plum, leather and dried tobacco, leaving a long, savoury finish.It was one of those combinations where you take a bite of the beef, have a sip of the wine and immediately understand why the pairing works.
After all that richness, dessert could have been a challenge, but the chocolate and pistachio mousse provided a suitably indulgent finale. Smooth and creamy, with the deep flavour of chocolate balanced by the nuttiness of pistachio, it was a dessert that felt luxurious without being overwhelming. It was served with the most intriguing pairing of the evening, a red! The 2023 Leonardo Da Vinci 1502 UVE Portate a Cesena Sangiovese Appassimento. We were told that this is a best seller in Thailand due to its sweetness and in fairness this perfectly complemented the dessert and was a fitting end to a meal that had taken us through a wide range of flavours and textures.
Looking back on this wine dinner, what impressed us most wasn’t simply the quality of the individual dishes or wines, but the way they worked together. The relaxed setting of August Restaurant added to the experience with an elegance that was never overly formal, making it easy to sit back, enjoy the food, talk and learn about the wines. At 2,990 Baht per person for six courses and six accompanying Italian wines, we felt the evening offered excellent value, especially considering the quality of the ingredients, the presentation, the wine selection and the overall experience. For anyone in Pattaya who enjoys food, wine and the occasional excuse to dress up, August Restaurant is certainly worth putting on your list. Or if you simply can’t wait until the next wine dinner to try some of these fabulous wines yourself you can visit
Mauro Sciaccaluga from Italasia who has a showroom at North Pattaya and can be contacted by email: [email protected].
Write to him and he will be able to let you know when the next wine dinner is happening in the Pattaya area, or help you arrange your own if you have a restaurant and are keen to organise a wonderful event like this one for your own guests.
August restaurant is at Lake Mabprachan 11/26 Tanon phorn praphanimit. Telephone 094 4431911 Or contact by LINE https://lin.ee/1jMtMVo for bookings and don’t forget to ask about their amazing 3 course set lunch.