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The restaurant created by Domenico Locantore has changed location, moving from Thonglor to Ekkamai, two well-known neighborhoods in the Thai capital. After a good part of his working life traveling to different areas of the Planet, he settled in Bangkok and spread the word of Italian Cuisine, combining it with his personal artistic mood.
The restaurant created by Domenico Locantore has changed location, moving from Thonglor to Ekkamai, two well-known neighborhoods in the Thai capital. After a good part of his working life traveling to different areas of the Planet, he settled in Bangkok and spread the word of Italian Cuisine, combining it with his personal artistic mood.
Ekkamai is a very particular neighborhood of Bangkok, it seems a vast crossroads among the many “hearts” that beat in the urban fabric of the Thai megalopolis, Bangkok, “the city that never sleeps” as it is now universally known. Street foods vendors, take turns with various restaurants of different sizes and specialties, from Japanese to Korean to French to Italian cuisine, just to name a few. And then there are secret bars, coffee shops, tall skyscrapers where offices and residential centers reside.
Ekkamai also has the advantage of being neighborhood connected with the skytrain, an outdoor light rail that runs on elevated routes and quickly connects the movements of passengers who travel the vast Bangkok area by the thousands daily.
This is the new dimension where the “Sole Mio” restaurant founded and coordinated by Domenico Locantore is located today, and he welcomes you sunny into his upstairs office, topped on the ceiling by a huge shield with the colors of Torino, the team of his heart and his hometown.
You know“-says Domenico Locantore with his face often illuminated by his wry smile-”I have never had any particular preclusion in the declinations of Italian Cuisine in the world. When I was asked if I liked pizza with pineapple, I never denied myself aprioristically. I prefer to try for myself, taste, verify, then eventually choose following my personal tastes. If one of my customers asks me for Carbonara with cream, I make it for him without much fuss or denial. It is also true, however, that being an Italian dining establishment, in a way, I -somewhat like all expatriate Italians doing Italian dining in Thailand- am a standard bearer, the banner of Italian Cuisine.
Has being aware of this aspect helped you in directing the way you do Italian dining in Bangkok?
I try to present Italian Cuisine in its essentiality, trying as much as possible to stick to its original spirit, with a simple approach and without unnecessary frills. The osso buco with polenta, the fresh handmade pasta, the pizzas made with safe and reliable quality ingredients, the herbs, the aromas, the basil, the arugula, the fruit of cultivation carried out in Thai territory, to obtain fragrances and freshness that could not be obtained otherwise, all this is the world of “Sole Mio” .
Does the clientele of “Sole Mio” have special characteristics?
The Thai customer who seeks Italian Cuisine is affluent, educated, traveler, curious, open to the world, in a sense hungry for Culture even before food. Italian Cuisine is the meeting point between these two aspects, from his point of view and from my personal experience. One must keep in mind that Thai Cuisine is also very diverse, colorful, full of flavors and influences that, over Time, have represented the various outside cultural currents, primarily Chinese culinary culture, as well as neighboring Malaysia, etc. But at the same time, it has its own distinct identity in the rich offerings it provides to its admirers. At the popular level, Thai Cuisine, especially through its family restaurants and street vendors, is affordable for all budgets.
A different matter, however, is that in regard to the international clientele, those who particularly frequent “Sole Mio” as regular customers or as tourists passing through Bangkok. In this case, these are customers who are familiar with Italian Cuisine and therefore make particularly shrewd choices. A prime example, from this point of view, is the Japanese clientele, who know Italian Cuisine and wines well and therefore expect to taste what they already know well. In recent years, the presence of Indian clientele has been expanding step by step especially in Bangkok, with its distinct soul linked to business, business, and commerce.
Sole Mio has maintained another typical element of yours, the stage for shows and live music, hasn't it?
Yes, music and show business have always had space in my personal life, ever since I was a boy and played international rock and pop. Since I have been involved in catering, I have made sure to find space again for Music in my current life. That is why I pay special attention to a space for musicians but also for actors and other artistic forms of expression. Live Music brings cheerfulness and light into the restaurant and I myself often intervene by putting myself on guitar or singing and duetting with good musicians who take turns with me on stage.
Sole Mio, 62 Soi Charoenjai Ekkamai Soi 12, Klongtan Nua, Wattana, Bangkok, Thailand 089 777 9450