Provence

SETTING

Although indoors at Peninsula Plaza shopping centre, this restaurant feels almost like an outdoor cafe with big white umbrellas, ersatz street lamps, artificial trees and a large fountain. Best for lunch because in the evening the shops close, giving the area an abandoned feel.

FOOD

Some wildly magnificent dishes, but also some not so great, so choose wisely and you should have a great meal. Spicy wing bean salad with shrimp is a bountiful, flavourful salad comprising sliced beans and lots of chopped nuts, plus a hard-boiled egg and some shrimp. Tomato, mozzarella, avocado and dried fruit is a sensational salad with plenty of plums, dried apricots, figs, raisins, avocado, tomatoes and tiny cubes of cheese. Squid with garlic mayonnaise can be better as it is bland despite its crumbed coating speckled with pepper and lemon. Duck with olives drenches the breast in a too salty, brown sherry sauce, but the meat is tender. Grilled sea bass tastes as if it is fried and comes with lemon dressing, and a small rocket and fresh herb salad. The menu offers several other tempting salads, plus pasta, seafood and meat dishes. The restaurant has long been known for its Thai noodle dishes, so make sure not to miss this.

WINES

No wine list but a delightful table wine is offered, which brings a fine Chantovent cabernet sauvignon.

SERVICE

Casual staff who can be quite chatty makes this a friendly, personalised place with adequate service.

PRICE

Two people can enjoy for about 1,500 baht.

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