As a restaurant reviewer, it is very uncommon for me to visit a particular dining outlet twice in 18 months. Even more uncommonly, my recent call to Luce was simply because of its special vegan menu (I am a meat lover), offered until the end of May and prepared by Tuscan head chef Edoardo Bonavolta, who has several years background in raw cuisine.
The upscale restaurant opened in 2012 and is located on the Eastin Grand Sathorn's 14th floor.
Luce — the upscale restaurant's third establishment worldwide — occupies a large glass facade next to the ever-packed infinity swimming pool on the 14th floor of the Eastin Grand Sathorn hotel.
The Bangkok location continues to highlight the sustainability concept held dear to Luce wine, a joint production between Italy's highly acclaimed Frescobaldi wine estate and Napa Valley's top wine master, Robert Mondavi.
Focusing on the use of fresh seasonal produce from small artisan growers, the special menu features a selection of strictly vegan food prepared at temperatures lower than 42C.
Starting off our meal, the bruschetta Cerignola (240 baht) looked and tasted so marvellous that it instantly impressed. It showcased raw flaxseed crackers with rich nutty "cheese" (a creamy puree of cashew nuts and pistachios), house-marinated Cerignola olives, semi-dried cherry tomatoes, finely sliced shallots and a basil topping. The bruschetta was lent a subtle Italian-style finish by Tuscan extra virgin olive oil.
The second treat, cantaloupe soup (200 baht), didn't initially sound tempting but proved heavenly to the eyes and the palate. Offered in a generous individual portion was a lukewarm, lime-green soup made with cantaloupe and baby yellow zucchini. The creamy, refreshing soup boasted a mild sweet touch of melon, was seasoned with oregano and flax breadcrumbs, and was drizzled with citrus oil.
Of the two main entrees we passed on portobello tagliata for pumpkin tagliolini (360 baht). The amazing flour-less pasta dish was as delightful to the taste buds as it was healthy.
Prepared purely with semi-dried Japanese pumpkin, thinly sliced to resemble ribbon pasta, the bright yellow tagliolini exhibited a pleasantly crunchy texture and mildly sweet taste, which intermingled well with the briny basil truffle pesto and luxurious earthy scent of the black truffle shavings.
I, perhaps unjustly, also took the evening as an opportunity to check if Luce was still a paradise for carnivores.
All three sinfully rich bestselling dishes we had from the regular menu proved to die for.
You can't miss having the restaurant's all-time popular ravioli carbonara with crispy pancetta (470 baht), featuring six pieces of home-made ravioli filled with minced bacon in rich Parmigiano cheese sauce. The Italian pasta, prepared thin and al dente, revealed a meaty filling with a creamy touch from fresh egg yolk, deliciously toning down the salty tang of the bacon and Parmesan cheese sauce.
An order of grilled Australian lamb chops (990 baht) was as praiseworthy.
The medium-well lamb chops showcased a succulent lean meat with a pistachio crust, served on sauteed young broccoloni and accompanied by green pea puree and Mortadella jus.
At lunchtime, Luce offers a value-for-money set menu, priced at 480 baht for two-courses and 650 baht for three.
The Straccetti-style beef rib-eye main course, a hefty salad-like portion of flash-grilled rib-eye steak strips tossed with garlic, fresh arugula, cherry tomatoes, grated Parmesan cheese and balsamic reduction, promises great satisfaction.
That night we sampled two desserts, one from the vegan menu and the other of the main list.
The vegan Chocolate Sin (220 baht), which looked brilliant, wasn't my preferred choice — the concoction of coconut cream, dark chocolate and nut crumbs seemed slightly off-base.
The Moscato parfait delight (290 baht), a delicate and creative unification of peach compote, fresh peach cubes, melon juice pearls, Moscato wine granita and glazed rose petal crisps, however, finished off the meal fantastically.
The restaurant's clientele consists mainly of casually dressed regulars and hotel guests.
Service was five-star efficient with a touch of Thai cordiality.
A sophisticated room for private dining.
Cantaloupe soup with flax breadcrumbs and a citrus oil drizzle.
Flour-less pumpkin tagliolini pasta with basil pesto and black truffle shavings.
Vegan bruschetta Cerignola.
Grilled Australian lamb chops with green pea puree and Mortadella jus.
