Inversus – 2 (Michelin Chefs) in 1 – Cooking & Clothes

Hi there,

On Monday, I visited the relatively new addition to the K Village eclectic dining scene – Inversus. A two floor establishment, with the more casual loungey-style bar on the first floor and a more upscale restaurant on the second, Inversus is a Italian restaurant that prides itself on the menu created by the Michelin starred chefs – Roberto Petza of S’Apposentu in Sardinia, Italy. And currently they are running a spring menu from the creations of not one, but TWO Michelin starred chefs with the addition of chef Noda Kotaro (Enoteca La Torre, Viterbo.) According to the rave review from my friend, who claims that the place serves up the meanest Tiramisu in town, I had to give it a try.

The first thing I noticed about the restaurant was it clean ambiance, the dining room is white and nicely lit with a glass-enclosed kitchen on one side. We were one out of two tables of the night, which initially raised a red flag in my mind. As we started ordering, I discovered that the servers are still very new, which was somewhat expected. They could not explain the wines to us, did not know what each bread from the basket was, did not know what the amuse-bouche was, and they served my dad his martini in a shot glass with separate black olives (I found that a little odd, but I do not drink martinis and, maybe, it is an Italian thing? I wonder.) However, they are very nice and are willing to correct their mistakes, which is a very promising sign. I am sure they will get the hang of things in no time.

Everything on the menu sounds delicious. The dishes are more reasonably priced that you would expect when you hear the word Michelin associated to the restaurant. The price range is on the high end for K-Village but not as expensive as in a luxury hotel, with appetizers from 399 baht and wagyu at 1659 baht. We ended up ordering a bunch of dishes to share, and here are my thoughts on them.

Bread selection, in which the server failed to explain

Nice selection of Sardinia-style bread. Too bad they could not explain what each one was. The croissant was a little too crunchy and hard for me, but the twisty-puff one was yummy.

coffee-scented scallops with coconut sauce and capers

Although I did not try the scallops, everyone else loved it and said it was very fresh and tasty. I tried the coconut sauce and, strangely, it reminded me of “Tom ka kai” or Thai coconut soup, but in a good way.

Warm rocket and basil salad with pine nuts and crispy bacon

The salad was very tasty, the hint of basil makes the dish very refreshing and not like the typical rocket salad you could find everywhere.

Onion soup, goat cheese gnocchi, foie gras ravioli

I really enjoyed my soup, I thought the flavors were nicely balanced. The umami taste makes the dish very hearty and satisfying.

Double ravioli with salted cod fish with beans and clam sauce

This dish was not quite a hit. Again, with it being seafood, I did not try it. But others thought it tasted like a more intense spagetti vongole.

Spagetti A.O.P (aglio, olio, peperoncino)

Every Italian restaurant we visit, my dad has to order this dish. The simple spaghetti with garlic, olive oil & chili Peppers is his way of judging whether or not he digs the place. So he asked the nice server to put in a special, off the menu, request for this dish, and I think he liked the turn out.

pumpkin & truffle ravioli with butter, smoked bacon and sage

This has to be one of my favorite dishes if the nice. I love pumpkin, I love truffle, I love butter, and who does not love bacon? Need I say more?

Roasted australian rack of lamb with garlic sauce and sautee local vegetables

The biggest hit that night had to be the rack of lamb which came highly recommended by the server. It did not disappoint. It was actually one of the best lambs I’ve had in Bangkok so far. The meat was perfectly cooked to tender perfection with not even a hint of foul smell. It was very succulently juicy with just the right amount of seasoning.

australian wagyu striploin with sauteed potatoes, spring onion and red wine sauce

The wagyu on the other hand was a little tough and the sauce a little too overpowering. But I guess my taste bud is a little spoiled from eating too many crazy good kobe and matsusaka steaks in Tokyo.

Gold Bar - Chocolate ganache bar with mango juice

I adore this presentation. The golden bar packs a very chocolately punch with fruitiness from the mango. I like my chocolate by itself so I liked it but not loved it with the tropical influence. But my boyfriend thought it was a total bomb!

Panna cotta (vanilla cream pudding, mango cream, passion fruit jelly and homemade jasmine rice ice-cream)

The panna cotta was light and refreshing, just like how it should be.

The tiramisu was on the lighter end of the tiramisu spectrum with not too strong of a coffee flavor. I believe they did not soak the lady finger inside the cream/ coffee mixture before serving like a normal tiramisu. Since the biscuit in here was still very crunchy, I assume that they only assembled it before serving. It was good but not the best I’ve had.

(My favorite tiramisu used to be the gigantic delicious goodness from Piccola Roma, Chiang Mai. I haven’t been back in almost 10 years, but it used to be my ultimate favorite. I have no clue how it is now though, but I believe it’s not the same anymore)

Bon Appétit!