About Eatery – Eat, Drink, Love, and Play Like a Venetian!

My gal and I were recently invited to About Eatery (official Facebook page) for a chance to preview their upcoming promotion for February, “Eat Like a Venetian at About Eatery“. I wasn’t sure what the significance was for Venice and February but we were told that we would “eat, drink, love, and play like a Venetian“.

Yes, please.

During our visit, we were able to experience the special Venezian dishes added to the menu, imbibe on some incredible natural Veneto vintages, fall in love with tasty desserts honoring the world’s most famous lover, and enjoy some live performance Carnival festivities.

We definitely felt like we ate, drank, loved, and played like a Venetian which is why I’m happy to share the experience with you. If you want to enjoy an incredible Venetian dining experience in Bangkok then About Eatery is the place for you to go and February is the month to visit!

Let’s start with their tasty new menu additions…

Eat like a Venetian!

Venice is often referred to as the “Pearl of the Adriatic Sea“. So if you’re wondering what a Venetian diet looks like, look no further than the famous Venitian lagoon and the abundant seafood found around the surrounding Adriatic coastline.

This is why many of the new additions to the menu capturing the flavors of Venice are seafood-based. We learned this quickly when the first thing we got to try was a platter of cicchetti!

Italian “tapas”

Pronounced “chi-KET-tee”, cicchetti is the Venetian equivalent to what many celebrate in Spain as “tapas”. They are little bite-sized treats that are meant to excite your tastebuds for the meal to come. Our platter was filled with a bounty of treats showcasing the new cicchetti menu options.

These included Gamberone in Saor (red prawns marinated in pickled onion), a crab cake with arrabbiata sauce, Crostini Com Insalata Di Pesce (shredded seafood salad in aurora sauce), Polenta & Schie (soft polenta topped with baby shrimps in a lemon and parsley sauce), gratin razor clams, toasted bread topped with chicken liver and porcini mousse with black truffle, and a parma ham croquette. 

We were fortunate to be able to sit at the bar-style dining area which gave us a ringside view of the kitchen and to have Chef Lorenzo, a native son of Venice, explaining the platter of appetizers.

Other cicchetti highlights that can be found on their special menu are Sarde In Saor (fried sardines marinated in pickled onions, with pine seeds & raisins) and Squid Ink Polenta, Cozze Marinara.

Risotto

Our first dish was Risotto al Nero di Seppia, not a colorful dish, but on a white plate dusted with edible gold it made quite an impression. This risotto gets its deep dark coloring from squid ink which gives this creamy dish a slightly briny and earthy flavor. I’m a fan of squid and really enjoyed the chunks of marinated squid meat!

If you’re not a fan of squid, though, you can order risotto and dine like a Venetian with their special Risotto Agli Scampi (risotto with scampi, pumpkin, and scampi bisque).

Pasta

I’ve heard from many that About Eatery cooks up some incredible homemade pasta dishes. So I was very excited for the pasta dish to come out. This Gnocchetti ” Coriandoli ” with fava beans, parmesan and saffron fonduta, and black truffle shavings was fantastic. Fresh pasta is always going to be a winner with me, but my tongue was wrapped around the mystery of how Chef Lorenzo managed to take 3 standout flavors like parmesan, saffron, and truffle and balance them so perfectly together that you could enjoy the delicate intensity of all of them without any of them overpowering each other.

Thinking of it now I’m still in awe of this chef’s mastery of layering flavors to create incredible pasta dishes. Some of the other Venice-inspired pasta dishes to be found on their new menu are the Pasta E Fagioli (red bean soup with fresh pasta), Bigoli Al Nero (pasta made with squid ink), and Tagliolini Alla Grancevola (with spider crab in a mildly spicy tomato sauce).

Something more from the sea…

Our final main dish was this filet of sea bass grilled in rock salt, with a topinambur puree, olives, a Venetian vinaigrette drizzle. 

Beautifully presented, I first devoured this dish with my eyes before eating it with my fork…

If you want to enjoy something that didn’t spend its life in the water, but still dine like a Venetian, the Fegato Alla  Veneziana (veal liver in onion sauce with grilled polenta) is another Venice-inspired meal option on the special menu.

Drink like a Venetian!

Delivering on the promise that we’d “drink like Venetians“, was About Eatery’s sommelier and part-owner, Giulio. We were welcomed with one of Venice’s most signature drinks, an Aperol Spritz. Their celebratory cocktail menu contains a few Aperol Spritz cocktail options. Not a fan of the Aperol Spritz? No problem. Try another Venice specialty, the Bellini!

About Eatery’s kitchen may be famous for its pasta, but diners who enjoy wine also appreciate their expansive selection of natural biodynamic wines produced by small wine growers. During the meal, we received some generous pours of incredible Veneto vintages that complemented our dishes.

After the last main dish, our meal was capped off with a delicious Sgroppino, a “dessert cocktail” popular in Venice made with lemon sherbert, prosecco, vodka, and mint. It was just the thing to get us primed for some dessert and fall in love with Venetian sweets…

Love like a Venetian…

Venice is renowned for being a destination for those wanting a romantic getaway. It shouldn’t be a surprise to learn that it was also the playground of one of the world’s most famous (or infamous) lovers, Giacomo Girolamo Casanova aka ‘Casanova‘.  There’s just something about the city that gets the heart pumping with passion.

Maybe it’s more than just love in the air. Maybe it’s love and the wafting aromas from Venetian kitchens mingling together that make Venice a destination for lovers. One thing’s for sure, if you take a trip to Venice you’ll fall in love with their desserts! We certainly loved what About Eatery was dishing out…

Our meal finished with a sweet selection of Frittelle e Galani, Crema Fritta (little cubes of creamy fried custard), and a selection of Carnival dessert fritters. Also on their menu are Venice-inspired desserts Crema Rosada (a cross between a crème caramel and a panna cotta), and Tiramisu.

Want to have a romantic Venetian dining experience in Bangkok? Watch their official Facebook page for information about their Valentine’s Day event!

Love and play like a Venetian!

When folks think of Carnival they probably think of the revelry that happens in the Caribbean countries and Brazil. Here’s a fun fact, Venice has had an annual Carnival celebration since 1162. It originally began as a celebration of the Venice Republic’s victory over its enemy the Patriarch of Aquileia, Ulrico di Treven.

To celebrate the occasion and wrap up the month’s promotion, About Eatery is having a Masquerade Carnival Dinner Party on Monday, February 28, 2022, with a welcome drink starting at 6:30 pm. If you’re in Bangkok this is your one chance to EAT, DRINK, LOVE, and PLAY like a Venetian in one sitting!

Guests can expect a Venetian dinner menu (3,500 baht ++/ person), Veneto wine pairing ((1,500 baht ++/person), Carnival masks, decorations, and performers. Tickets are limited and pre-bookings are only accepted. You can book directly with them at info@abouteatery.com.

During our visit, we experienced a taste of the festivities planned for their Carnival dinner. It should be a fun night!

I’m hungry. Where is it?

Located on Sukhumvit 21 (Asok) Soi 3, About Eatery is found on the ground floor of the Ocean Tower II Building.

There’s ample seating for groups but if you’re dining solo, as a couple, or a small group of friends I highly recommend booking the bar-style seating surrounding the kitchen action. I think it’s the best seat in the house!

I want to hear from you!

Should you decide to experience About Eatery, I’d love to hear your feedback in the comment section below, directly to me, or via message on either the Chow Traveller Facebook page or Chow Traveller Instagram (and feel free to like/follow these pages if you want to learn about more foodie gems). However you choose to reach out, I’d love to hear from you!