Pizza Aroy Pizzeria da Luigi

It doesn't get any more convenient, as this homestyle pizzeria is located just a hop from the Asok / Sukhumvit Intersection where both BTS and MRT have a stop. Not more than a couple minute walk to Sukhumvit 25 and the restaurant is only a few steps up the soi on the right side. The outside has a courtyard/beer garden atmosphere where diners often enjoy lunch and sit and read a book or relax for hours.

The inside of the restaurant is just as relaxing with its yellow walls and Italian decorations, it has the feel of your typical Italian eatery but there is nothing typical about the proprietor, Luigi, and his insistance on using only the most quality ingredients available. The word quality is a cliche often used by many restaurants but few things are delivered as he and his wife, Marta, scour the area markets every 2 or 3 days for the freshest seafood, vegetables and fruits.

I brought three friends with me for this review and to enjoy dinner. The menu did have some surprises, such as, opening at 7AM with a nice choice of breakfast and a popular "build your own" on offer, where you can select from numerous different items, such as cooking style of eggs, ham, bacon, potatoes, tomatoes, etc at a very reasonable price plus a set lunch at only 299 baht.

To start off the evening, from an adequate list of at least 35 Italian red wines, our host, Luigi, recommended a bottle of Villa Girardi, Amarone 2005. He explained, "the principal vine of the Amarone is the dark Corvina. This grape provides body, texture, and flavor while the Rondinella adds color and the Molinara supplies smoothness. Since Amarone is a blend and is made from dry grapes, the tannins in Amarone are soft, making it agreeable and palatable in its youth, although it is capable of aging a decade or more". The wine was excellent with a deep garnet color and cassis dominating the nose. It was rich and smooth with dark fruit and a long smooth finish.

Our meal started with a couple appetizers from a choice of twelve; first, the Italian style Beef Carpaccio with tender raw Australian raised Kobe beef with garlic and anchovies which was melt-in-your-mouth delicious along with a Porchetta Salad of roast pork and rosemary with lettuce, honey tomatoes, carrot, and red savoy. We then chose to share another dish which is actually a seafood entree, the Gamberi Aroy, a dish of marinated prawns in lemon and butter and wrapped in bacon. The prawns are grilled, dipped in Japanese bread crumbs and fried until golden brown. We couldn't get enough!

There are at least 8 soups including Minestrone, French Onion, and Broccoli and a choice of salads but it was time for our main courses and there were more than 20 pasta dishes, lasagna and ravioli, a dozen meat selections, some seafood and 22 pizzas to choose from.

We started with the Seafood Pizza, loaded with seafood with the crust just as it should have been, the pie was perfect. We also selected the Vongole Bianco, a pasta dish with your choice of white wine or tomato tossed with clams, garlic, x-virgin olive oil and parsley. Guests may order their choice of pasta with either spaghetti, fettucini, or gnocci. We then ordered the house specialty, and it didn't take long to find out why it was so popular. This dish is prepared in a clay pot and is loaded with a medley of seafood, including king prawns, prawns, clams, and mussels tossed in white wine & rich tomato sauce on fettuccine or spaghetti. The pot is then covered with pizza bread and baked to perfection for a fabulous dish. The final item that we chose was a Pesto Pizza prepared with Stracchino cheese, that went well with our single glass of the house Chardonnay.

Some other meat favorites include the Scaloppine in at least 3 versions of this perfectly thin-sliced pork fillet. Chicken breast, pan-fried in a creamy mushroom and Garganzola sauce is delicious. For those carnivores that can't get enough beef, the Saltimbocca alla Romana, or tender beef slices in a white wine sauce with parma ham and sage should not be missed. For even heartier appetites, there are Australian Hokubee Beef Rib-Eye Steaks served in either a red wine sauce or in a creamy mushroom sauce. And for those that prefer seafood, the Pan-fried Fish in a special orange sauce with black and green olives is superb while it is also available in a spicy sauce with capers, olives, oregano and tomato.

Well this brings us to the last item of the night and that is dessert. While most of us didn't think we had room for another bite, we found a way to share an order of traditional-style creamy Tiramisu and an order of the Apple Pie with Strawberry Ice Cream. The apple pie was more like a homemade crumb cake from my mother's kitchen. If you like homemade and if you like Italian, you'll love Pizza Aroy

Pizzas are all delicious, such as, seafood, pesto, Aroy or hawaiian

Don't miss the signature house seafood special tossed in white wine and tomato
sauce on pasta and covered in pizza bread in a clay pot and baked to perfection.

Pan-fried chicken breast in creamy mushroom & Garganzola sauce

Gamberi Aroy - marinated prawns in lemon & butter, wrapped in bacon, grilled & fried.