Italian Soul, Thai Heart: What Fusion Actually Means at Eatali Soi 5

Plenty of restaurants in Pattaya call themselves fusion. Usually it means a Thai kitchen with a pizza oven bolted on, or an Italian kitchen that keeps a bottle of sriracha behind the bar.

We mean something more specific. Italian soul, Thai heart is not a tagline we invented for the website — it is how the kitchen is actually organised.

One kitchen, two traditions

Most nights at Eatali Soi 5, a table orders a Spaghetti Carbonara with Guanciale (฿340) and a Mixed Seafood Tom Yum (฿400) at the same time. Both come out of the same kitchen, made by the same team, within a few minutes of each other.

That is deliberate. We did not want to run an Italian restaurant that also does Thai food for the tourists, or a Thai restaurant that does pizza for the kids. Both menus are held to the same standard.

On the Italian side: pasta made to order, Mushroom risotto (฿320), Spaghetti Alle Vongole (฿250), Neapolitan Pizza (฿390), dough made fresh every day.

On the Thai side: Chicken Massaman Curry + Roti (฿320), Green curry chicken (฿220), Pad Thai with Fresh Shrimp (฿180), Thai papaya salad (฿100), Tom Yum Goong Hot Pot (฿350).

Where the two actually meet: Drunken pasta

The clearest expression of what we are doing is Drunken pasta, or Pasta Kee Mao (฿250).

Pad kee mao — drunken noodles — is a Thai stir-fry built on holy basil, chilli and garlic, usually with wide rice noodles. We build it on pasta instead. The Thai aromatics stay exactly as they should be. The pasta brings a different bite and holds the sauce differently to rice noodle.

It is not a novelty item. It is the dish that explains the rest of the menu.

Why this works in Pratamnak

Pratamnak Soi 5 is a mixed neighbourhood — Thai families, long-stay residents, people down from Bangkok, visitors staying near Cozy Beach. A table of four here rarely wants the same cuisine.

A menu that only does one thing forces someone at that table to compromise. Ours doesn’t.

Come and test it

We’re at 355/153-155 Khao Phra Tamnak Soi 5, open daily 09:00 to midnight, kitchen taking last orders at 23:30. Book on 096 056 1118, or order through GrabFood or LINE MAN.

Order the Drunken pasta and a Margherita on the same table. That is the whole idea in two dishes.

Common questions

Is Eatali an Italian restaurant or a Thai restaurant? Both. The full Italian menu and the full Thai menu are available all day, from the same kitchen.

What is Pasta Kee Mao? Our Thai-Italian fusion pasta, listed as Drunken pasta — Thai drunken-noodle aromatics (holy basil, chilli, garlic) built on pasta instead of rice noodle. ฿250.

Can we order Italian and Thai dishes at the same table? Yes. That’s the point.

What time does the kitchen close? Last orders 23:30, doors open until midnight, seven days a week.