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Published on November 18, 2007

In the evening, drop by Giusto and you can enjoy some very fine dishes, all prepared under the practised hand of partner/chef Fabio Colautti. Diners may not realise, however, that Colautti offers equally fine dining opportunities for lunch.

Mondays through Fridays, Giusto has a luncheon menu that you won't see anywhere else. Leaf through the menu's range of starters, main dishes and desserts (Bt370, two courses; Bt490, three courses), and you find yourself in an haute-cuisine heaven.

Colautti changes his luncheon menu every two weeks or so, but no matter when you come by, you are sure to face some very difficult decisions.

For his torchon foie gras salad, for instance, he steams the foie gras for two or three minutes in white wine, surely a healthy alternative to the usual frying. The foie gras comes out very soft, almost like velvet, and very tasty, especially with the apple and raspberry dressing that accompanies the dish.

Other starters are equally healthy. The beetroot-avocado-seafood salad is full of goodness. You might even opt for the soup of the day, which changes according to what's fresh in the market that morning. Sometimes it's a clam chowder or a lobster bisque - or even a truffle coup. Even Colautti's pumpkin soup is full of complex tastes that combine for a memorable experience.

The main dishes range from pasta dishes, such as spaghetti with seafood (or carbonara or bolognese), to pizzas. Or if you're not in the mood for pasta, two or three meat and fish dishes are available. For one menu, Colautti offers grilled chicken breast with a mushroom cream sauce, spinach and mashed potatoes as well as grilled salmon fillet, with sauteed courgettes and leeks and a lobster sauce.

Most luncheon diners end up going for three courses. It's very difficult to turn down Colautti's sweet creations - his tiramisu or his peach tart. His lemon sabayon cream tart is also a favourite.

The luncheon menu also offers a wine-by-the-glass selection, a white at Bt200 and a red at Bt220.

At Giusto, you have all the choices to make your lunching experience everything you'd expect.

Laurie Rosenthal

The Nation