Bangkok just welcomed an Italian chain restaurant by Jamie Oliver, but he was beaten to the punch by another British celebrity chef. Opened late in 2015, Theo Mio is the first outpost outside of the UK for chef Theo Randall, who runs his eponymous restaurant at InterContinental London Park Lane and also stars in BBC Two’s culinary competition The Chef’s Protege.

 

Unlike the mall-bound Jamie’s Italian, Theo Mio sits front and center of InterContinental Hotel’s ground floor, where it boasts some outdoor tables, an open kitchen and a takeaway coffee counter. The vibe remains casual and efficient, meaning you wouldn’t feel out of place ordering a simple pizza or even just drinks, as we observed several tables doing on our last visit. Even if you don’t order any food, they give you a complimentary bar of chocolate (along with a small hammer to break it).

 

The kitchen here is led by chef Chris Beverley, who worked alongside Randall at his London restaurant. Beside the classic pastas and risottos, you’ll find several more creative options, including the ravioli di erbette (B400), filled with mixed greens, ricotta and Parmesan cheese, and served with sage butter. Though flavorful, some of these dishes are a little on the buttery side for us, such as the risotto with prawns, zucchini, slow-roasted tomato and basil.

 

Sadly, the veal cappelletti, one of chef Randall’s best-known dishes, is no longer on the menu. But the pappardelle with slowcooked wagyu beef cheek (B450) comes close to filling the void, featuring perfectly-cooked pasta and tender meat. 

 

On the flip side, the thin and crispy pizza is nothing outstanding, which is a shame given that the prices (starting from B425 for a simple margherita) are what we’d expect to pay for a fluffy Neapolitan-style pie. The roast organic salmon (B725) is another example of a very well-executed dish just lacking a bit in character.

 

Dessert steals the show, though. The classic tiramisu (B225) nearly achieves perfection, with just the right ratio of biscuit, cream and coffee, while the Valrhona chocolate cake (B250) is very moist and chocolatey, served warm with a delicious orange mascarpone cream.

 

Theo Mio does a solid job presenting quality cuisine chef Randall’s way—he’s known for being very veggie-friendly, and half of the menu here is vegetarian. But at such a high price point, we find many Italian contenders out there to be more appealing.

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This review took place in January 2017 and is based on a visit to the restaurant without the restaurant's knowledge. For more on BK's review policy, click here.