When Italian restauranteur Francesco Lenzi was considering a name for his second dining venue in Bangkok, the locally well-established chef-patron could have simply issued a sequel to Lenzi Tuscan Kitchen--his Michelin plate-rated debut venture which opened in 2014, or derived the name from the nearly eight-decade-old Lenzi family farm in Tuscany that supplies his quality-certified cured meats and cheeses.
But rather than showcase past accomplishments or rich family history in branding his new restaurant, chef Francesco chose to honour his late nonna (grandmother), whom he credits for inspiring his lifelong passion for food. And so the Tuscany native opened Nonna Nella last year to share this deeply authentic home-style cooking to a broader clientele.
The newly opened venue is ideally located at All Seasons Place on Wireless Road. Seated amid the quirky wall art, chic-industrial wood-and-steel motif and wall shelves packed with house-brand olive oil and sauces, we took in the bright, airy ambience while enthusiastically dispatching a Tagliere Classico (S-450B/M-800B) meat platter featuring a selection of artisanal cold cuts sourced from that long-running family farm in Tuscany.
The thin-sliced hams and salamis pair nicely with the exquisitely-crusted (that's no exaggeration!) house-made focaccia bread dipped in imported Italian butter adorned with a dusting dried olive flakes.
A starter dish not often if ever seen on local menus, Maiale Tonnato (450B) features a bed of thin-sliced pork loin topped with soft-boiled quail egg halves, anchovy and grape slices in a creamy-smooth puree tuna sauce.
Commenting on the authenticity of the dishes that come out of Nonna Nella's kitchen, her grandson and legacy bearer chef Francesco was not ambiguous in describing his approach: “Here we prepare [our food] the Italian way, not the international way”.
Case in point: we learned that real Carbonara sauce does not include cream. In fact, the sauce used for Spaghettini Alla Carbonara (400B) derives its characteristic smooth texture from blending of organic eggs with Pecorino Romano and 36-month Parmesan cheeses. A truly uncommon recipe right out grandma's kitchen, the namesake Rigatoni Nonna Nella (350B) features the tube-shaped shells with tender bites of fried eggplant and dried ricotta in tomato sauce.
Of course gourmet pizza is a big part of the menu, and the pies at Nonna's stand out as much for their preparation as for palate appeal.
The Bufala (450B) we sampled was a simple affair with tomato sauce, basil and fresh Buffalo Mozzarella cheese. Most noteworthy, the crust dough is allowed to rise for a full 72 hours rather than the usual overnight prep time, which gives the crust an appealing bite and impossibly light, easy to digest consistency.
Highlighting the restaurant's casual cred, a walk-up sandwich counter (open until 5pm) serves superb sandwiches (XXXB) made with fresh-baked focaccia and Italian ham.
A deli case display offers a superbly curated selection of cheeses and cold cuts for take-home, many hard to find varieties given IGP or DOP geographical authenticity and quality rating by Italy's industry-influencing Gambero Rosso food guide.
A devilishly tempting desserts menu (200-320B) includes Italian favourites Tiramisu and Panna Cotta, plus specials Strawberry custard sponge cake and traditional Sbriciolona crumble-cake.
For overall culinary expertise, apex-grade food quality, ambience and presentation, it's worth a visit for a taste of this grandma's cooking legacy.
Nonna Nella by Lenzi
- All Seasons Place, ground floor
- 83/20 Witthayu Rd
- Open daily: 11:30 AM - (kitchen closes) 10:00 PM
- Phone: 02 038 2184
- Reservations: http://nonna-nella.com
