Laciana by the Sea – Seaside Fusion Food

If you’re anything like me you’ll think that one of the best things about living in Thailand is the food. The Thais enthusiasm for their cuisine is infectious and when you are married to a Thai person it’s impossible not to be drawn in. If they are not actually eating, they are thinking about it or talking about it.

I’m lucky enough to live in Hua Hin, a seaside town south of Bangkok that is blessed with a plethora of great restaurants offering a variety of different cuisines from around the globe; from delicious Thai seafood to classic Italian pizzas. This is exactly what the restaurant Laciana by the Sea goes some way to perfecting.

The owner of Laciana by the Sea has experience with working in restaurants overseas; her family run a restaurant in London in which she worked for many years. Now, back in Thailand she has found the perfect place for a Thai / Italian fusion restaurant by the sea in Hua Hin. Indeed the location of the restaurant is the very first thing that stands out as you walk through the setting. After driving down a dusty, bumpy road home to many soi dogs, walking into Laciana feels like walking into an Eden by the sea. There are fountains, hanging furniture and lots of different colours in the décor to soak up, all to the backdrop of the ocean. Walking through Laciana to be seated by the welcoming staff is really rather a pleasant experience and readies you for a relaxing drink.

We were seated as near to the sea as we could get without opting to sit on the more lounge-worthy furniture. My wife is pregnant and has some trouble getting up so we decided on a regular table. She was quick to point out that on the next table were two Thai actors. I actually recognized the one with the bald head and moustache who always plays bad guys in those Thai TV shows that recycle exactly the same plot over and over again.

We decided to go with the theme of the restaurant so we ordered 2 Thai seafood dishes and a traditional, Italian pizza. At Laciana they have a proper wood-fire pizza oven which meant that it tasted great and there wasn’t a piece of pineapple or fruit anywhere in site. The soft-shelled crab we ordered was deep-fried and delicious. My wife felt that it was too peppery but her taste buds are not to be trusted at the moment. I happily ended up eating most of it. The grilled sea bass we ordered was an awesome salad of flavours; spicy and crispy with plenty of peppers. If you take a look at the menu there are many other attractive options crying out to be tried; especially the spicy seafood pasta dishes such as the bacon and chili clams. They also have a nice selection of cocktails; the Mojito I had was spot on.

Eating food by the sea is one of the great pleasures of living in Thailand and this is a great place to do it.

I have to work hard to be critical of the whole experience but there are 2 things I could say. Firstly the price. I understand you’ll always pay more to eat by the sea but you’d be wise to check the price of everything. It’s very easy to get carried away without realizing how much you are spending; it’s definitely for treat night. Secondly, we constantly had a cat begging for food around our table, something I personally find a bit off-putting when I’m eating. It even jumped up onto our table at one point. Nevertheless; I would highly recommend Laciana by the Sea. It’s well worth a visit if you are in Hua Hin.
Laciana by the Sea is located in Soi 3, North Hua Hin.