Livanto Thai and European Cuisine

Staying at the Hua Hin Hilton, we ventured out on our first day and came across a restaurant that caught our eye as it not only featured Thai & European cuisine but it had a very upscale look, and as we reviewed their posted menu, prices were very reasonable so we chose to dine there for dinner. Situated on popular Damnernkasem Road, the restaurant is set back just enough to free it from any noises of city traffic with patrons entering the restaurant to find a lovely terrace area that is a popular spot for guests in the evening as well as lunchtime when many will stop by for a snack or sandwich and enjoy the use of the restaurant's Free wi-fi.

My wife, a friend, and myself arrived at the restaurant about 5:30 for dinner to avoid any crowd and we were quickly greeted by some very friendly staff. I was particularly impressed as all the staff we passed on the way to our table were quick to welcome us with a smile, making us feel very comfortable. Once inside, the left side of the restaurant offers a long counter with a dessert case, another where many of the wines are displayed and a new illy coffee maker. We selected to sit at a table close to the wall on the right side of the restaurant. Tables are covered with black linen and the contrast with white chairs is very classic. Cutlery & glassware is contemporary and add to the upscale experience while the second floor adds seating for an additional 40 persons and is a perfect spot for meetings or birthdays.

We first opened the wine menu to find a list of at least 28 red wines with varietals from France, Australia, South Africa, Italy, Chili, and a couple from Argentina, New Zealand, Thailand, and America while we chose one of the two house wines from South Africa, the "Goiya Olifants River Shiraz" 2006. We found our glasses of wine to be a nice choice and decided to order a bottle of the wine which was priced at only 850 baht.

The drinks also include a choice of about 20 cocktails, some great imported beers, and a full choice of alcoholic beverages. Considered by many as the best around, they also offer hot, cold, frappe, and Irish coffee from illy along with the popular tea from Germany, Ronnefeldt teavelope & teacaddy selections.

Opening the menu to the first page, there is a choice of about 7 or 8 sandwiches and snacks and moves on to a selection of 5 soups. One of the favorites is the Cream Seafood Soup, a homemade variety packed with fresh seafood. There are also some great salads, including the Caesar Salad that is full of chicken and bacon, along with Shrimp Cocktail. We decided to start with appetizers from a list of about 8 choices. My wife and her girlfriend chose to share the Tod Mun Kung, the deep-fried shrimp cakes served with sweet & sour sauce as an appetizer which offers three rings of fresh shrimp dipped in a golden batter while I selected the Fried Chicken Cheese Balls with tarter sauce.

Main courses start with two pages of spaghetti, fettucini, or penne with a choice of different toppings such as, Salmon Cream Sauce, or Spaghetti Seafood Thai-style. We chose a dish of the spicy Green Curry with Cream Sauce with perfectly prepared al dente pasta and then we moved on to the steak selections. Steaks include an Australian Rib-eye or Australian Tenderloin as well as my choice, the NZ Tenderloin which comes with either baked potato or fries and a peppercorn steak sauce along with red and yellow capsicum, and asparagus spears. We also chose to share the fresh Snow-Fish Fillet that came with spaghetti and french fries which was tender and obviously very fresh. Fish selections also offer a delicious Salmon Steak and Sea Bass Fillet while seafood offers scallops, mussels with cream sauce, baked clams with garlic, and deep-fried fillet of sea bass. The choice of Thai food includes about 25 selections and we chose the Fried Chicken with Cashew Nut with heaps of fresh chicken.

The food we shared was a good value with quality and freshness and we chose to end the meal with dessert. From a choice of homemade Italian Ice cream, Tiramisu, Blueberry Cheesecake, Brownie and a Caramel Custard, it wasn't easy but we shared the Tiramisu with a scoop of Rum Raisin and Coffee Macadamia Ice Cream before ending the evening with a Cappucino. Livanto is truly a great experience and it is certainly recommended. Don't forget there is Free wi-fi and this is great for checking email at lunchtime with a sandwich or snack.

• Fried Chicken Cheese Balls, Deep-fried Shrimp Cake
• Cream Seafood Soup, Caesar Salad, Shrimp Cocktail
• Spaghetti Seafood Thai-style, Salmon Spaghetti in cream sauce
• Scallops, Mussels, Baked Clams with Garlic
• Australian Rib-Eye & Tenderloin Steaks