Seated on the deck over the water, cooled by the
sea breezes, you can look across Pattaya Bay towards Bali Hai.
Joe Parlatti has been an important feature of Pattaya
dining having been on Walking Street for over 20 years. He has remained the
same enthusiastic restaurateur all that time, though he has put on a bit of
weight!
His origins are Verona, an area of which Joe is very proud. You will not
leave without Joe reminding you that Romeo and Juliet came from there!
The current address for Joe’s restaurant is on Walking Street on the ocean
side, after the big tree, and almost opposite the Hot Tuna Bar. It is about
200 meters before Bali Hai pier.
The venue has been enlarged by Joe over the years, but you still enter down
a narrow corridor flanked by the pasta cooks making the items fresh before
your eyes. You then enter the air-conditioned main dining area, complete
with pictures of Verona on the walls. Go through this and you are on the
deck over the water, but covered above, and cooled by the sea breezes. You
can look across Pattaya Bay towards Bali Hai. For us, this is our favorite
section, and even with the current temperatures it was just pleasantly warm.
Planeto Merlot 2003, which
was an excellent wine and at 15 percent, potent as well, was decanted in
front of us.
The restaurant reflects Joe Parlati himself, and has a
very friendly ambience. The staff cannot be more attentive, and even before
you have had the first sip of wine (Italian of course) you have begun to
relax.
There is a comprehensive menu, and open it and peruse, but our advice is not
to order from the menu, but to ask Joe what his recommendations are for the
evening! “You wanna fish? Or you wanna meat?” is the usual response. Joe
will then suggest something and you know that what you are going to get will
be specially cooked just for you!
In traditional fashion we began with an antipasto, but rather than the usual
cold cuts of different hams, Joe suggested he make one with different types
of cheese. “Why not?” was my reply.
It came on a large platter, with the first cheese item being a Tomino cheese
over warm spinach cooked with parmesan. What a taste sensation! The second
cheese on the platter was a warm Strachino cheese with a balsamico dressing,
very smooth and easy on the palate. The third cheese was a Ricotta cheese
almost fluffy portions with sweet mustard filling. Again a very different
Italian style. “An old recipe,” said The Don.
In the meantime, Joe had selected a Sicilian wine, a Planeto Merlot 2003,
which was an excellent wine and at 15 percent, potent as well. It was
decanted in front of us. Smooth with a delicate finish, I could have happily
stayed there and drank many bottles all night.
The cheese antipasto was
definitely Miss Terry’s pick of the night. Superb!
Our second course was a very interesting salmon dish with
penne pasta and warm salmon flamed in vodka, then all topped with smoked
salmon. Again, all the delicate tastes of the salmon, but rather filling
with the penne (but that never stops Joe).
We were then informed that we had to leave some room for the main course,
which was a steak in Gorgonzola cheese sauce with chanterelle mushrooms. And
what an explosion of tastes in this dish! Where the antipasto and the pasta
were smooth and delicate, Gorgonzola is a direct assault on the taste buds,
and a spectacular main dish. Definitely my pick of the night. Superb!
However, despite our entreaties, The Don was not finished with us yet. A
lemon cheesecake with two glasses of grappa (Limoncello) arrived at the
table. Excellent desserts, which I then followed with a cappuccino, as the
very final taste for the evening. Thank you Joe, as always.
It was another great Italian night, being looked after by
Joe Parlati, the Don himself. He always does make you an offer you can’t
refuse (like the grappa and cheesecake to finish). Highly recommended, as
always.
After our dinner we wandered across the street to the Hot Tuna bar for a
nightcap of rock and roll before heading home. A perfect evening.
Don Joe, Ristorante Italiano, 112/2 Moo 10, Walking Street, South Pattaya,
telephone 038 710 733, open 4 p.m. until midnight (last orders 11 p.m. as
Joe won’t be hurried).
