Today at iO Italian Osteria my taste buds were on high alert as the incredible passionate chef Anna creatively prepared the most delicious tastiest authentic Italian food outside of Italy. As we walked into iO Italian Osteria, the ambiance was open and welcoming.
It seemed like I was walking into Nonna’s kitchen. Well, we were pretty close to thinking that! The chef Anna, her mom (Nonna) makes some of the sweet desserts in Italy and sends it to Thailand all homemade and fresh. We had the honour of trying the dishes on the menu, and some were made on the spot for us.
Chef Anna’s passion spills over into the delicious dishes she made and they came in a consequential order of the pictures posted! Actually, before the dinner dishes arrived, the homemade breadsticks and bread graced our table with a small side of balsamic vinaigrette & olive oil! Hence, let the feasting begin!
First was the Porchetta (Italian pronunciation: [porˈketta]) is a savoury, fatty, and moist boneless pork roast of Italian culinary tradition. The carcass is deboned, arranged carefully stuffed with secret Thai herbs to infuse the flavor right in the meat. This serving had the most delicious crackling pork belly hugging the outside of the roast which gave it an incredible crunch! As a result of long prep, this dish tasted like it was out of this world.
Along with the porchetta, another heavenly side of grilled mozzarella, straw mushrooms with endive to compliment the pork dish. Who knew you can grill mozzarella? Most noteworthy, after trying this very unique dish, my compliments to the chef!
The grilled Barchetta eggplant was a mellow aroma and a very good vegetarian option. Furthermore, an excellent starter before a big feast.
iO Italian Osteria’s mixed seafood platter (small size, I cannot imagine the large size) came with loads of grilled scallops, squid, sea bass, prawns and ahi tuna on a bed of lettuce, shallots, grilled zucchini and a very mild dressing with 2 fresh lemon wedges. Besides the Aubergine, one of the more popular dishes on the menu for its simplicity and a bang for your buck!
Raviolacci with slow-cooked beef filling in a marsala wine sauce, I seriously cannot stop raving about this dish. Made with slow-cooked beef (approx. 6 hours to cook the beef) then stuffed perfectly into round ravioli shaped pasta, the pasta was wonderfully prepared and the bread to wipe up the last full-flavoured mostly in marsala sauce.
The cannoli was to DIE for, so heavenly and the other desserts we had were divine besides, what do you have to lose? Most definitely order the dessert after, worth the calories! YUM!
All the ingredients at iO Italian Osteria were top quality, I have been to this place several times prior to writing this review, and every time, the kitchen served up the most tasteful and delectable dishes every time. Above all, the service was attentive to all our needs and more.
I highly recommend iO Italian Osteria to anyone who wants a taste of Italy never having traveled there and for who has been to Italy to come here. For the reason that you can reminisce about the delectable flavours of home!
Thank you to Chef Anna, the entire staff at iO Italian Osteria. I will definitely be back! Why is iO Italian Osteria so awesome? Go and find out!
Thank you for reading and stay tuned for the next review!
With Love,
FauZia