Fet Mot, Yes, Datesamolay, No

The pop song title "That's Amore" is pronounced datesamolay in Thai and it means "you're dead."  To the Thai it's just a riff on their pronunciation of "that" which sounds like "dead." It's a stretch, I know.  People love to borrow things and make it their own, but only the foolhardy will try Thai style spaghetti sauce made with ketchup, which, incidentally, was originally Southeast Asian by way of Pittsburgh, thanks to Mr. Heinz. In any case, I totally agree with the Thai that real Italian food is beguiling and that "fresh mozzarella" deserves to enter the lexicon. But let's face it; fresh mozzarella is a mouthful and needs to be shortened so we can order it quicker. Because the median and final /sh/ sound is pronounced /t/ in Thai, fresh mozzarella morphs into fet mot.

So to celebrate an anniversary, specifically, one's 35th wedding anniversary, it should be with good Italian food and impeccable service. La Villa in Soi 53 meets expectations but I can't speak for the wine (it's a wine bar too) since I don't imbibe. We started with complimentary  house appetizers  that included the usual warm bread and chopped tomatoes, olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and some lightly pickled mystery vegetables dolloped into tasting spoons. They look like Chinese soup spoons to me and they might have been cheerfully appropriated too, like datesamolay. However, here's dinner.

Reading left to right: Salsiccia e Ruchetta  and Caprese 

We ate Thai style. It's customary at Western restaurants in Bangkok to share food, family style, so that everybody gets to try a bit. That Salsiccia is rocket salad with grilled sausage, shaved Parmesan cheese and sun-dried tomatoes. And there's that famous  fet mot in the Caprese with a dribble of balsamic vinegar.

Prosciutto e Melone

The artistic schmear of balsamic vinegar on the plate has become just another visual trope at these upscale restaurants to justify charging Baht 420.

Spaghetti allo Scoglio (Spaghetti with Clams)

We went solo with the entrees.  That 's Andy's...

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

This is AJ's...

Suprema di Pollo (Chicken Supreme)

And that one's mine. This grandiose title is grilled chicken breast on a bed of whipped mashed potatoes and "vegetable timbale"  with rosemary sauce arranged abstract-fully on the plate.  The chicken was done to crisp perfection though on the salty side. Unfortunately, dessert didn't last long enough to be photographed, paying the ultimate sacrifice to be gobbled up faster than it could stay on the plate. It was a chocolate lava cake and a caramelized mango dessert.