Jamie’s Italian expands to Thailand

Thailand’s first Jamie’s Italian restaurant has opened at the newly ­renovated Siam Discovery in Bangkok.

It is being run by Hotel Properties in partnership with the mall operator, Siam Piwat.

Jamie’s Italian began as a joint venture between UK celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and his mentor, Italian chef and restaurateur Gennaro Contaldo. The first restaurant opened in Oxford in 2008 and there are now 42 outlets in the UK and more than 25 internationally, including in Australia and Singapore.

As with all Jamie’s Italian outlets, the Siam Discovery restaurant is committed to sourcing free-range, higher-welfare meat, and sustainable and ethically produced ingredients. All the recipes are Italian classics with a Jamie Oliver twist, including pasta made on site every day.

The restaurant is working with Thai farmers and suppliers.

Menu highlights at Jamie’s Italian Siam Discovery include antipasti planks, a sharing dish served on wooden boards supported by tins of tomatoes and offering a selection of meats, cheeses, vegetables and pickles.

Oliver’s cook books and the restaurant’s signature napkins are on sale, as well as gifts.

With 184 covers, the restaurant features rustic, reclaimed timber refectory tables, zinc tables and vintage upholstered lounge chairs, with monochromatic and hand­-painted floral tile flooring. The dining area is illuminated with brass spotlights, vintage enamel shades and a textured-glass chandelier.

Guests can view the open kitchen, watch their antipasti planks being made at the antipasti counter in the main dining room, or relax at Jamie’s Bar.